Does this trade make sense for the Toronto Raptors?
No matter who the Toronto Raptors do and do not bring back, they are going to have to try and find ways to add more talent to their roster. In 2019 with Kawhi Leonard, they had an “alpha dog” type of player who knew what it took to win a championship and now, they do not really have this type of player anymore, especially with Lowry potentially being on the move.
Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are great players, but they are not considered “No. 1 options” league-wide, which is why Toronto could look to add another big name to their roster via trade this offseason and is something to monitor in trade rumors this NBA offseason. Is adding CJ McCollum the right move though?
He has always been known as Damian Lillard’s “sidekick” over the years and has never made it to the All-Star game, but he is just as talented as other players who have made the All-Star game. CJ McCollum is definitely one of the more talented backcourt players in the entire league, which is why this could be a trade that works out in Toronto’s favor.
However, they would be giving up a lot of assets in the process. OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher are both promising, relatively young players that have a bright future with the Raptors, as is this 4th overall pick in this year’s draft. Toronto got lucky at the Draft Lottery and ended up with a top four pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, giving them a chance to obtain a franchise-altering talent.
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As things stand right now, they are expected to pick Jalen Suggs from Gonzaga with this fourth overall pick, giving the Raptors a chance to build a fantastic all-around backcourt duo with him and Fred VanVleet. Not to mention, Toronto also has Malachi Flynn, who they drafted in the first-round last year.
Making this trade with Portland does bring in CJ McCollum, a highly-talented scoring guard, but the cost of this trade is too great for this trade to make sense for Toronto.
Anunoby, Boucher and possibly Suggs gives the Raptors three fantastic players who all have a chance to grow into high-level talents over the next several years, which is why trading these assets away for CJ McCollum, who is now 29-years-old, does not really fit into the Raptors long-term plan.
