NBA Rumors: Insider reveals multiple Toronto Raptors players are unhappy with their situation
Recent rumors around the NBA have suggested that the Toronto Raptors are a rather intriguing team to keep an eye on with regards to trades. Marc Stein and Chris Haynes, while discussing the situation on the "This League Uncut" podcast, revealed some interesting aspects of the situation in Toronto.
The Raptors have been a team in a state of disarray this season. Although they displayed immense potential last season, the team have been virtually unrecognizable this year.
With a 23-29 record, the Raptors are 12th in the Eastern Conference. After a harsh stretch of losses in the month of December, they managed to recover some momentum. However, they haven't been able to build a lasting winning streak to put them in the playoff picture.
In light of their turbulent season, rumblings from within the Raptors organization suggested that the front office would be looking to make a trade. Assets such as Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam immediately became targets for several teams across the league.
While no trades have materialized, the rumors have certainly gathered some momentum. On the first episode of "This League Uncut", Marc Stein and Chris Haynes discussed the Toronto Raptors' situation.
Stein highlighted that the entire league had their sights set on Toronto. In this regard, Haynes mentioned that Toronto were likely to listen in on trade chatter as the deadline approaches.
Haynes also added that rumors about the Raptors had been gathering steam over the past year. He said:
"There's been rumblings all season long about not just one, but a few players being unhappy over there in Toronto. The season has not gone the way that they had hoped."
Haynes admitted that the Raptors were an incredibly talented roster. Highlighting the length and versatility of the roster, Haynes, however, mentioned that it hadn't seen proper results on the court.
“There’s been rumbling all season long about not just one, but a few players being unhappy over there in Toronto,” 👀👀
- @ChrisBHaynes
(Via This League Uncut / h/t @WireHoops ) https://t.co/4VswsoC8AI
With reference to trades, Haynes highlighted the idea of Fred VanVleet potentially being on the move. After switching up agents and signing with Klutch Sports, the idea of a trade is not totally out of the question.
With Stein also adding that VanVleet will be declining his player option for next season, there could be huge changes coming in Toronto. However, he also expressed his doubts regarding the trades sheerly due to a change in agents.
Teams showing interest in the Toronto Raptors' starters
As mentioned earlier, the Toronto Raptors have garnered a lot of attention as a potential trade target over the course of the season. Given the talent at their disposal, the team are definitely underachieving. This in itself presents an ideal ground for teams to make a move.
Names such as Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby have been relatively commonplace in trade rumors. However, NBA insider Marc Stein suggested that Gary Trent Jr. may be the most viable trading option of all the Toronto Raptors' starters on "This League Uncut".
Meanwhile, recent rumors have also suggested that the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns have shown an interest in acquiring Anunoby. However, considering the price Toronto have placed on the forward, this seems like a long shot.
Overall, Toronto appear to be on the verge of falling apart. With a potential rebuild on the horizon, the Toronto Raptors may opt to clear house and build from the ground up again.
Read: NBA Rumors: OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam's trade prices considered to be "s**tload"