Grizzlies, Pacers pushed for OG Anunoby
NBA Analytics NetworkOne of the teams people were watching closely ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline was the …
One of the teams people were watching closely ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline was the Toronto Raptors. They were one of the few franchises that were really on the fence about which direction to go in.
After clinching the №5 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, the Raptors have struggled to find that level of success again this season. They are currently 26–31, which puts them behind the Washington Wizards and 11th in the conference.
If they wanted to make a move, they had to address their lack of size in the frontcourt. They did that in a major way by reacquiring Jakob Poeltl from the San Antonio Spurs. Poeltl was a lottery pick of the Raptors in 2016, but was traded to San Antonio in 2018 as part of the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster.
Despite that addition, rumors were still circulating that the Raptors could sell some of their core. Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby were all involved in rumors to some degree. In the end, Toronto decided to remain stale following the Poeltl acquisition.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers & Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Sadly, it wasn’t for lack of trying. According to Zach Lowe on a recent episode of his Lowe Post podthe Raptors made many calls, with the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies being the most aggressive suitors.
Both teams had their sights set on Anunoby and came up with strong offers. Each team bid with three picks from the first round, but the Raptors eventually passed. Although the draft compensation was nice, they were looking for young players instead of the draft compensation. Neither package included thatso no deal was made.
Little did Lowe know that the Pacers have made available the second round pick from the Houston Rockets in the 2023 NBA Draft, who will likely be in the top two of that round. But it would also be a good bet that two of the picks on offer were those of the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, who are ticketed in their mid-late 20s.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers & Memphis Grizzlies Updates
Anunoby would be a good fit with the Grizzlies or the Pacers. Only 25, he fits into any timeline and his skill set is one teams will want to build rosters around. All the reasons he was an attractive trading target are also the reasons the Raptors would want to keep him unless their exact asking price was met.
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