Strategy for Injury-Plagued Raptors at NBA Trade Deadline's Approach
Star basketball player Scottie Barnes has encountered an ankle injury, causing him to be sidelined for several weeks, contributing to Toronto's extensive injury issues this season.
Barnes has only played in 14 games this year but has shown significant improvement, averaging an impressive 20.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. Despite these impressive figures, the sample size is small.
He's not the only one facing time off the court. Immanuel Quickley, who signed a five-year contract worth $175 million in July, has only managed to play in three games.
Regrettably, none of Barnes, Quickley, and RJ Barrett have shared the court this season due to Barrett's early-season absence.
Bruce Brown has also not made an appearance due to a knee injury, a situation that could have provided the Raptors with a valuable two-way presence from the bench.
In summary, this season has been challenging for the Raptors health-wise.
However, there's a bright side to consider when considering the players who've had to carry the offense's burden.
Gradey Dick and Jakob Pöltl have shown exceptional performances. Dick, a second-year shooting guard from Kansas, is scoring an impressive 17.9 points per game through various shot types.
Though his efficiency has been less than ideal (41.3% from the field and a watery true shooting percentage of 55.5%), his production requires some context.
Given Barnes and Quickley's absence, Dick has been thrust into a role he wasn't meant to fill this season. He was supposed to be the fourth or fifth scorer, so one could argue that his performance is forgivable, given first-option expectations weren't met.
Pöltl, who's previously been mentioned, has elevated his game. He's scoring 15.9 points and racking up 11.6 rebounds, all while providing solid interior defense.
Both players' evolutions offer promising prospects for Toronto when everyone is back in action. A starting lineup of Pöltl, Barnes, Barrett, Dick, and Quickley appears to be quite formidable, and with Brown still in the reserves as the primary bench scorer and playmaker, the Raptors possess a significant advantage.
Additionally, Ochai Agbaji and Jonathan Mogbo have proven themselves as valuable rotation players, with 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, respectively, for Agbaji, and 5.6 points and 4.4 rebounds for Mogbo.
Although Brown's tenure with the Raptors might come to an end as a trade chip before the trade deadline, the Raptors have every reason to be optimistic heading into the 2025 offseason.
They're projected to land the fourth pick in the draft, a promising class, and could find themselves in a strong position as they prepare for the next season.
Given the circumstances, it doesn't make sense for the Raptors to jeopardize their draft pick positioning. With Quickley and Barnes unavailable, that's unlikely to be a problem this season.
Instead, it might be time to focus on salary cap optimization.
As mentioned before, Brown could be used as a trade chip before the February 6th trade deadline, given his $23 million salary expiring.
Next season, Barnes' extension comes into effect, leaving the Raptors with limited funds due to their commitments to Barrett and Quickley.
Relinquishing Brown's salary slot might not necessarily be beneficial, but trading him for a longer contract - provided the deal includes a useful player - isn't the worst option.
Of course, they'll have to navigate the luxury tax, but that's an issue for the summer.
For now, the Raptors should concentrate on securing future trade flexibility and avoid rushing players back to the court. It could potentially benefit them in the long run.
Unless specified otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass, or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Scottie Barnes' teammates, such as Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, have also faced injuries this season, leading to extended absences. Despite this, Gradey Dick and Jakob Poeltl have stepped up and delivered impressive performances, showing promising prospects for the Toronto Raptors. In the NBA, Bruce Brown Jr. was expected to provide valuable contributions from the bench, but his knee injury prevented him from doing so.
