There is a certain type of silence that only exists in Toronto right before the trade deadline. It feels like waiting for a bus that you know is already out of service, but you stand there anyway because you do not want to walk. People are looking at their phones and wondering if Bobby Webster is also looking at his phone, or if he is just staring at a wall in a very productive way.
The rumors are swirling around Domantas Sabonis right now. James Ham, who knows things about the Sacramento Kings, says the deal is not dead. In fact, he says it is completely alive. That is a very binary way to look at a basketball trade, as if it has a pulse and needs regular checkups from a doctor.
Historical Debts and Future Centers
The internet is currently reminding us that certain teams have not beaten Toronto since Bruce Lee was alive. That was 1973. My uncle had a different haircut back then, and the world was generally more orange. It is a long time to go without a win, but eventually, everything ends (except for maybe the wait for a reliable backup center).
Speaking of centers, some people are talking about Trayce Jackson-Davis. Apparently, he is a decent dude. That is a nice thing to be in this economy. We often forget that these players have to go to the grocery store and pick out avocados just like the rest of us, though they probably find better ones than I do.
The Waiting Room
Everyone is asking Bobby to do something. It is a polite request, mostly. We just want a sign that the front office is seeing the same games we are seeing. Watching a trade rumor gather steam is like watching a slow motion replay of a ball rolling out of bounds (you know where it is going, but you have to wait for it to get there).
I am not sure if Sabonis is the answer, but he is certainly a player. He rebounds the ball and passes it to people, which are two things that help in a game of basketball. Whether he ends up in a Raptors jersey depends on things we probably will not understand until three years from now when we look at a spreadsheet.
Just Observations
Maybe we will wake Bruce Lee up, as the internet suggests. Or maybe we will just trade for a guy who once saw a Bruce Lee movie. Either way, the deadline is coming. It always does.
The weather is supposed to be cold again tomorrow. That has nothing to do with the Kings or the Raptors, but it is true. We should probably all wear a scarf and wait to see if the trade pulse keeps beating.