History suggests Raptors will likely hold off on any big moves through the deadline

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It is now just under three weeks to the NBA trade deadline.

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In Toronto the cry for change on a struggling Raptors’ roster has been growing in volume with each passing loss.

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After a truly horrible defeat to a Timberwolves team that was down two key starters and playing on fumes following a game less than 24 hours earlier in Denver’s challenging altitude, it almost feels like the Raptors can’t help but start to switch out some pieces.

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Then you remember Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster are the two men who will ultimately make the decision about when or if they start the teardown, and you catch yourself.

You catch yourself because neither man has shown much of any inclination to making the big moves at this time of year.

Ujiri, the architect of the current roster and a man still very much at the top of the decision making process despite Webster having the general manager title, has made it very clear at previous trade deadlines that this is not his preferred time to conduct business.

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Ujiri, and by extension Webster, prefer to make the big overhauls in the off-season.

That’s not to say they have always sat by idly and watched the trade deadline pass them by.

They’ve been players, but players in smaller roles, and more often than not when they are active at this time of the year it’s to add pieces to an already contending core.

Few would describe the current Raptors position as contending.

In terms of major roster altering, the only significant deal, at least significant successful deal, came in those four months leading up to the team’s only title year in 2019.

That February the Raptors dealt away Jonas Valanciunas, CJ Miles, Delon Wright and a second round pick in exchange for Marc Gasol.

It proved to be the final piece to a championship puzzle.

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And quite frankly that seems to be the only scenario in which Ujiri seems to be in favour of making trades at this particular time of year.

As anyone who follows this team is well aware, Ujiri and Webster are not now, nor ever have been, the type to publicly share their plans with the public, the media or anyone else with an obvious interest in the team.

But if we had to guess which way the Raptors’ front office is leaning right now based on their history and past preference, it would lean towards the smaller more time-sensitive moves now, followed by the bigger ones in the off-season.

Fitting the time-sensitive definition would be something like a Gary Trent Jr. trade. Trent Jr. can move on from the Raptors this summer for nothing in return. And if you’re reading the tea leaves, or in this case C.J. McCollum’s take that the Raptors will do something, Trent Jr. moving would seem to be the most likely bet.

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Of course if Ujiri and Webster have already determined that they will try and keep Trent Jr., and they would only do this if they knew the interest was reciprocated, then the possibility exists that the Raptors won’t do anything at all at this point.

The big dominos that could fall — everyone from Fred VanVleet to O.G. Anunoby’s names have been mentioned in one form or another — again based on Raptors front office history, if they are moved it’s much more likely they will be moved in the summer.

A year ago, still very much in a building phase, the Raptors sent the rights to Goran Dragic and a first-round pick to San Antonio in exchange for Thad Young, a second-round pick and Drew Eubanks who was eventually waived.

Young was a veteran presence the locker room needed and it panned out.

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The year before that when Norm Powell was in Trent Jr.’s current state — a potential move to another team at the end of the year that would not bring the Raptors’ any return on their asset — he was dealt, ironically enough for Trent Jr. who, at that time, was not yet ready to cash in on a big deal and was therefore more affordable for the Raptors.

Beyond that, the only significant acquisition at this time of year by Ujiri and his front office was the P.J. Tucker acquisition in 2017.

That move on paper sounded right but the trade fizzled as the incoming Tucker had little opportunity to build chemistry with fellow starters like Kyle Lowry who was injured for a large chunk of that final third of the season.

Tucker became just an expensive rental signing with Houston that same summer.

So, it’s not like Ujiri hasn’t seen both the advantages and disadvantages to a deal at this time of year.

But barring some other team knocking Ujiri’s socks off with an offer, we don’t see him making any big moves now. Trent Jr maybe, but likely not with any of his bigger chips.

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