The NBA trade market is about to open up with several free agents signed during the offseason set to become available come December 15th. The Toronto Raptors are a team that always seems to find themselves in trade rumors. They were in on the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. Now they’re in the Zach LaVine marathon as well. While those are the two sought-after players from Toronto, the player the Raptors should absolutely look to trade is Gary Trent Jr. Here is why.
Gary Trent Jr. entered the 2023 offseason with an $18.6 million player option. There were rumblings that Trent would opt out and sign a multi-year extension, but he chose to stay in Toronto for one more season before potentially testing the free agency market next year. Per Sportsnet, Trent and the Raptors were reportedly working towards a multi-year contract. But so far, no such deal has materialized and the 24-year-old remains headed for free agency next summer. With that said, there is a likelihood that Trent could leave Toronto and the Raptors could potentially lose the sharpshooter for nothing. The Raptors should know. This is what happened when they let Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet’s expiring deals see the end of the season. Lowry went to the Miami Heat during the summer of 2021. Though they did net Precious Achiuwa in a sign-and-trade deal, the Raptors could have gotten more had they dealt Lowry during the February trade deadline when teams like the Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in acquiring the veteran.
VanVleet, meanwhile, wound up signing a monstrous contract with the Houston Rockets, while Toronto could do nothing but watch him leave. The NBA champion was a hot commodity during the February trade deadline with several teams like the Lakers (again), Los Angeles Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks among others wanting in on Mr. Bet on Himself. The Raptors could have received at least a decent return if they moved VanVleet instead of letting his deal run out.
