Rumored Raptors Return Package for Anthony Davis Revealed


The surprising rumors that the Toronto Raptors will be one of the teams interested in an Anthony Davis trade have caused all sorts of buzz. Now we're hearing what the expected trade package heading back to the Mavericks would be. And Raptors fans would likely not be too pleased.

From all accounts, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl would need to head to Dallas in any package, for salary-matching purposes. The Raptors have found out over the last several weeks how critical to their early-season success Barrett really was. The offense has simply not been the same since he went down to a right knee sprain on Nov. 23. The team has gone 3-6 without the Canadian-born star forward. 

An ESPN trade proposal would see Barrett, Poeltl, Ochai Agbaji, plus a first-round pick, going to Dallas as part of a three-team deal that would also include the Indiana Pacers. Toronto would get AD and little-used center Tony Bradley in this hypothetical deal. 

In a vacuum, adding the elite defense and rim protection of Davis, along with his ability to score and rebound, would be a tremendous addition for the Raptors. But they don't play games in a vacuum. They play them on the court, and that's a place where Davis is quite frequently not present. 

The former 10-time All-Star has topped the 56-game mark just twice in the last seven seasons, averaging only 52 games a season over the last five years. He has spent so much time out of uniform and sitting on the bench that Charles Barkley has famously dubbed him "Street Clothes". 

Can the Raptors—or any other acquiring team—really count on Davis being available in the playoffs when they really need him? 

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