Does this trade make sense for the Toronto Raptors?

If the Raptors are going to trade Chris Boucher because they cannot afford to keep him after this season, it would probably be wise for them to do so at the NBA trade deadline. While they run the risk of him getting injured and his value declining, the Raptors have a chance to get back to their winning ways next year, so they should not be so quick to give up on Boucher. 

Toronto only won 27 games this season, but they were bad this year in large part thanks to injuries and health protocols mandated by the league. Everything that could have gone wrong for the Raptors this year went wrong, so it is hard to say that they are just a bad team that is not going to get better. 

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: This Raptors-Sixers trade features Kyle Lowry to Philadelphia

Pascal Siakam is an All-Star caliber player and Fred VanVleet is coming off his best season of his career, so this team is in good hands. If Lowry returns and Gary Trent Jr. also returns, we are suddenly talking about the Raptors being a playoff team again, assuming everyone can stay healthy for once. 

Trading Chris Boucher makes little sense for the Raptors at this moment, but is definitely something that could be done down the line. Figuring out everyone’s salary is going to be difficult for the Raptors over the next few years, especially with Lowry’s situation being up-in-the-air at this point. 

If Kyle Lowry returns, then Chris Boucher would likely be leaving at some point during or after the 2021-22 season, but if Lowry signs elsewhere in free agency, then there is no reason why Toronto could not financially bring back Boucher. 

A lot needs to play out and happen before we can definitely say what direction the Raptors are heading in, but Chris Boucher’s future with this team is definitely something that will need to be answered in the near future.