The Toronto Raptors are on their way to the NBA Playoffs again. As the team looks to make a strong Playoff push, management is actively seeking to upgrade its frontcourt.
Currently, the Raptors are playing a thin front court of Patrick Patterson and aging veteran Luis Scola. According to independent.co.uk, general manager Masai Ujiri recently shared his thoughts on a potential trade given the injury of forward Demarre Carroll.
"We feel we are an OK team, we're good, we're growing," he said regarding the state of the team. "We'll see what presents itself and where we are at the time. We hope that DeMarre continues to make progress and will get well soon. We'll see how we continue to grow as the trade deadline comes and as we go into the second half of the season."
He then confirmed that DeMar DeRozan is part of the team's future.
"We're confident with DeMar because this has been the only team that he has played on and we hope it continues that way," he said. "That's the advantage of drafting a player and him being part of your programme."
"Free agency is one of those things where players like to test it and we're not afraid of that. We believe in what we have and we believe in DeMar as a player. We're excited because he's somebody that we'd love to have continue with our franchise."
He also reiterated the importance of having a big man Jonas Valanciunas with the team despite the league's transition to a faster pace.
"People were playing fast paced before, it's just that Golden State succeeded in winning with it so it's become the trend in our league now," he said. "Players like Jonas are hard to find. You have to be unique in your own ways and the ways that you play to find a way to win."
"You can't always go with the trend that's going on. Sometimes you have to create the trend yourself and be confident in it. Hopefully, the way we play, as a defensive-minded team that can score in many different ways. Hopefully, we can build that and win with it. "
Given this, experts believe that Ujiri will not be blowing up the team's core and instead will look to add pieces to the team. As per hngn.com, the Boston Celtics' David Lee is being considered by the Raps in a trade. The team could opt to send Scola or Patterson in a potential trade.
