Last Saturday, on December 30, the Toronto Raptors traded forward OG Anunoby, forward Precious Achiuwa, and guard Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks in exchange for forward (and Mississauga, ON native) RJ Barrett and guard Immanuel Quickley. Also headed to Toronto was a 2024 second-round pick.
In what was the latest notable deal between the two clubs (in 1998, the Raptors dealt 1996 second overall draft choice Marcus Camby to the Knicks for Charles Oakley, in a move that gave Toronto much needed veteran experience around incoming rookie sensation Vince Carter), the Knicks received a staunch wing defender while the Raptors got needed wing scoring. Quickley, in three games with the Raptors, is averaging an even 20 points per game (including 26 points in the team's 116-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 3, while Barrett is averaging 15.7 per contest.
The deal made sense for a Knick organization that owed Barrett nearly $85 million over the next four years, and would have needed to pay Quickley (who will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season) a sizeable contract in order to keep him. Anunoby has a player option after this season, which makes the deal more financially friendly for New York.
For the Raptors, they dealt Anunoby, who will be 26 in July, for Quickley (two years younger), and Barrett (three years younger). Though they will miss his perimeter defense, they get younger while gaining more scoring.
For them, though, there is still one move to make.
Forward Pascal Siakam, a two-time All-Star who will be 30 in April, should be the next to go. Siakam is a free agent at the end of the season, and it's worth noting that the Raptors got nothing in return for Fred VanVleet before he signed with the Houston Rockets this past summer. For the front office, it makes the most sense to move on from Siakam now and get assets in return before losing him in the summer. Surely, he would help a contending team that could use him on a half season rental in hopes of making a championship push. He is a very good player.
Another reason for a potential move should be that the clear future of the franchise is 22-year-old Scottie Barnes. Barnes, 6 feet 7 and 227 pounds, is becoming a complete player right before our eyes. On the season, the former Florida State standout is averaging 21 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the field. His three-point percentage of 38.5 percent is a career-high.
Barnes' ability to facilitate, score inside or outside, and play stout defense, makes him the guy that the Raptors should build around. After Kawhi Leonard left Toronto following their historic 2018-2019 championship season, Siakam was viewed, 25-years-old at the time, as the next in line to be that franchise centerpiece. However, just two playoff appearances since then, and a play-in game loss at home to the Chicago Bulls last season, left the team in a tough spot - not bad enough to get a high lottery pick, but not good enough to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. Nick Nurse left for Philadelphia, and the new head coach is Darko Rajakovic, who has the team playing hard despite a current 14-20 record as of Jan. 6.
A lot of teams go through it, the phase after a period of competing deep into the playoffs (from 2015-2018, the team won 56, 51, and 59 games, including an Eastern Conference Finals trip in 2016) a malaise sets in where the team doesn't have enough to drive them to that next level, but rather stuck in a position of not terrible while also being not a top tier club.
The Raptors are in that situation now. Latest reports are, according to Shams Charania, that the team is engaged in conversations around Siakam.
For the future, that would be the best thing to do. Build around Barnes, and see where he can take you. After the Anunoby deal, it is the only logical thing to do next.
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