Shams Charania says Toronto and Atlanta are the places to look if a trade happens. This is a very broad statement, much like saying it might rain in April or my uncle might bring up his property taxes at dinner. I have looked at Toronto for a long time, and usually, I just see a lot of diagonal cuts and missed free throws.
The trade deadline is approaching, and everyone is doing their homework. In the NBA, doing your homework usually means calling a guy to ask if he is still tall and if he still likes money. It rarely involves actual pencils or calculators, which is a shame, because a calculator could explain why the Orlando Magic are currently panicking about their luxury tax bill.
The Sabonis Question and Other Tall Players
There are rumors that the Raptors and Kings are talking about Domantas Sabonis. The deal would apparently involve RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and some draft picks. The Kings reportedly want Collin Murray Boyles, but the Raptors have said no. This is interesting because saying no is the only way to keep things you like, even though we eventually lose everything to time.
Sabonis is a very good player who passes the ball like a point guard who got caught in a growth spurt. He would certainly help the Raptors win more games. I am not sure what we would do with all those extra wins, but I suppose we could put them in a trophy case or just stare at them until they feel normal.
Looking Elsewhere for Relief
If the Sabonis thing falls through, there is always Myles Turner. He is currently on the Bucks, which feels like a mistake, like when you see a cat in a bathtub. He signed a very large contract for 107 million dollars and has responded by having his worst statistical season since he was a rookie. This is the most relatable thing a professional athlete can do.
Then there is Jalen Suggs. Orlando is facing a massive salary cap crunch, and they might have to let go of people they actually like. Suggs is a vacuum on defense and someone who plays with a lot of energy. Energy is good, though I find it exhausting to watch sometimes (I prefer to watch players who look like they just woke up from a nap).
A Time of Moderate Uncertainty
Blake Murphy has released a trade deadline primer, which explains the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. The rules are very complicated and seem designed to make everyone slightly unhappy. We have assets, we have a future outlook, and we have a lot of cold weather.
The Raptors are in a position where they could do something big or do nothing at all. History suggests we will do something that makes me go to a website to look up a second round pick from a university I cannot pronounce. That is the cycle. We trade, we wait, and we hope the spinning eventually stops in a good place.