Fifty-nine wins and the No. 1 seed. The Toronto Raptors just finished their best season in franchise history. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan put together All-Star campaigns, withĀ the latter enjoying his best seasonĀ to date. Their bench mob was tops in the league. Dwane Casey won coach of the year. Things were grand north of the border.
This all should have amounted to booking their tickets for the Eastern Finals. In theory, they should have been the favorites to champion the conference. In theory perhaps.
Unfortunately for them, they exist on the same spatial plane as LeBron James and stood before him on his playoff warpath. They didnāt just lose, their wills were broken. Getting blown away in Game 4 of a semi-finals sweep evidenced that.
Now, theyāre the latest on the long list of teams LeBron laid waste to in his career. Itās probably safe to bury this version of the Raptors. Perhaps they wait to see where LeBron decides to take his talents before doing anything drastic. Perhaps they shake it up because perpetually coming up short can turn a team browbeaten. Regardless, this group beckons for remodeling.
Fake Trade Idea No. 1: Z-Bo makes everything better
What the Raptors need more than anything are mental fortitude and unflappable attitude. Zach Randolph, though closing in on his career twilight, still carries those in droves. Toronto also lacks a rim-protecting roll-man and thatās what Willie Cauley-Stein brings to the table. The Kings always seem to be in the market for a traditional center. Jonas Valanciunas could fill the void the freshly-cut GeorgiosĀ Papagiannis left.
Fake Trade Idea No. 2: Bring Maple Jordan home
Itās clear Andrew Wiggins isnāt the right fit in Minnesota. However, his massive extension kicks in after the season. Luckily, Toronto also has a ton of ominous contracts on their books. Itās time to make things right and tap into the full potential of Maple Jordan.
Fake Trade Idea No. 3: The double-down
If Toronto is truly committed to winning with their current core, Blake Griffin adds a little more star power to their collection. While Griffinās been noticeably unhappy in Detroit, maybe not having to travel to attend the Toronto Comedy Festival and the cityās lively improv scene will lift his morale.
Now that Stan Van Gundyās been let go, the Pistons can start undoing his front-office sins.
Next: Change is coming for the NBA Playoffsā first-round losers
Fake Trade Idea No. 4: Pure bedlam
I want this trade to happen most, only for the fire and chaos NBA Twitter would melt into. This would be a straight tear down andĀ I canāt feasibly see Toronto ever doing this. But, hey, if you canāt beat āemā¦