Insider Reveals That Raptors Looking For 'Big Fish' on Trade Market This Summer

The Toronto Raptors have watched this postseason as two of their former franchise staples, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, battled it out in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they will watch Siakam, a star for them in the 2019 NBA Finals, head there again, as a member of the Indiana Pacers.

But the Raptors have designs on getting back there in short order themselves, at least if you go by the machinations that have taken place recently. Their trading for—and extending—Brandon Ingram was the start... But there appears to be a lot more coming, per insider Brian Windhorst on his Hoop Collective podcast.

The Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish. And you know, I think because... if you’re an Eastern Conference team that’s in the middle of the pack, you’re looking at the teams in front of you going, ‘Some of them may not be able to come together, (or) stay together.’ From their initial conversations, teams in the league are under the impression that Toronto is really trying to do something.

Masai Ujiri, Raptors team president, has certainly cast his bait and nabbed the 'big fish' in the past, reeling in Kawhi Leonard in the summer of 2018 in a blockbuster trade, launching Toronto to the NBA championship that season.

Ujiri and the Raptors have been linked to going after the likes of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the past when they were available, and it just so happens that those two big fish are now swimming in the "trade rumor" waters once again.

Toronto Raptors in pursuit of a big star on trade market

As Windhorst says, "Toronto is one of those teams sitting there on the balls of its feet," as in: waiting to pounce on one of those big stars, and launch them right back into serious contention.

With the Boston Celtics doomed to a 'reset' season of sorts, with Jayson Tatum out for the year, and the team needing to trade away some serious salary this summer to get under the second apron, and with the Cleveland Cavaliers also over the second apron, while the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are reeling, each in their own ways, it does leave the door open for a team like Toronto to sneak back up into the upper echolon of the East if they were to add a superstar to add to Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley.