NBA Trade Rumors: 5 destinations for Ryan Anderson
By John Buhler
5. Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are likely going to win the Atlantic Division again convincingly, as the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks aren’t bad, but just aren’t teams currently capable of orchestrating a deep playoff run in 2016.
The Raptors should at very worst make it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals as a top four seed in the stronger Eastern Conference this season. Entering play Wednesday night, the Raptors sit second in the East with a 26-15 record and are only three games back of the first place Cleveland Cavaliers. At the halfway point of the 2015-16 NBA season, one could easily argue that Toronto poses the biggest threat to the Cavaliers in the East.
What Toronto cannot afford is to lose in the first round in 2016 — period. Head coach Dwane Casey won’t survive should the Raptors fail again to get into the second round despite having home court advantage. General manager Masai Ujiri will certainly receive some flack should he not pull off a trade that could get his Raptors over the top into Eastern Conference Finals contention.
Going after a veteran shooter like the New Orleans Pelicans’ Ryan Anderson could provide the outside shooting spark plug should small forward DeMarre Carroll’s health hold him back in the second half. Toronto needs that third go-to scorer to play alongside their All-Star backcourt of point guard Kyle Lowry and shooting guard DeMar DeRozan.
A constant onslaught of three-pointers coming from the Raptors’ offense should terrify any contending team in the East. If Ujiri is willing to part ways with a building-block player like center Jonas Valanciunas or even an athletic power forward like Terrence Ross, then he could have Anderson as a great piece to Toronto’s puzzle of 2016 championship aspirations.
Next: 4. Detroit Pistons