Exclusive!!! Raptors Closing in on Ayton!!!
Likely the best move for a pivot to a 'Win Now' team!
With days left before the NBA trade deadline the rumors are flying fast and furious. It’s impossible to know what’s real and what’s smoke…or is it? Every NBA writer is reaching out to their sources, digging around trying to get any scrap of inside information that even hints a trade is getting serious. If you’re not cheatin’ your not tryin’ as the saying goes. I’m tryin’…
Ayton to the Raptors is Getting Serious! Now! This Trade Deadline!
Past reports that the Raptors had a sign and trade offer to bring Ayton in this summer are from reputable sources. While I don’t find Josh Lewenburg to be a smart reporter, I do believe he’s telling the truth when he says the team was close to a sign and trade for Ayton. My recent understanding is the Raptors offered a package headed by Gary Trent and the Phoenix ask was Siakam. They could never meet in the middle with a package around O.G. plus more being too much for Masai. Ayton signed the extension sheet that got matched by Phoenix and everyone moved on.
However things have changed…for both teams. Ayton isn’t happy in Phoenix and despite the new owner arriving prefers to leave. Isn’t a fan of his head coach Monty Williams. Fought with Mikal Bridges who is highly regarded in Phoenix. Ayton hasn’t played all that highly engaged due to all the issues. Ayton’s camps thinking is he holds a veto over trade destinations right now so better to control his future now than lose that control after this year ends. Push to get out NOW and control the landing spot…even though they are happy to land almost anywhere else right now.
The Raptors are seriously underperforming and the management diagnosis is pretty simple. Poor defensive play at the Center. Poor Pick and Roll play at the Center. The PnR generates the largest portion of NBA buckets currently so it really is critical to have at a high level to be successful in today’s NBA. Ayton’s previous playoff domination with the Suns in 2021 has Raptors management believing the now 24 year old has multiple years All Star written all over him.
The deal both sides are now nearing seems to be centered around O.G. going to the Suns for Ayton. Siakam is untouchable with Barnes. Raptors have no interest in swapping Chris Paul for Fred Vanvleet…expecting to re-sign him this summer. The valuation of both main players, Ayton and O.G., seems close enough now that both sides can make the money work while keeping the trade balanced. I wish I had more information on the extra parts but I don’t.
The impression I now have is that the Raptors priority is to ‘adjust’ this group with a move to improve at Center. No ‘retool’ with very young players and certainly no ‘rebuild’ with lots of picks. This group of players is too good for that. The thought is that the current under performance will get fixed and the team will play as good or even better than before on both ends of the ball. The emergence of Precious on the Wing is key to the change in demands for O.G. … along with the team’s overall poor play this season forcing a move. Ayton hasn’t played great so the difference in valuation last summer has narrowed a lot on both sides.
This often happens in the NBA. A trade comes close to happening but falls through. It’s kept very quiet and revisited months later as both sides have had time to reconsider and re-evaluate their pieces. Masai appears to be waiting however, fielding more offers for O.G. before pulling the trigger for Ayton. Reporting that the Raptors are taking calls on O.G. was absolutely true and designed to get the phone ringing. I’m sure he’s getting an awful lot of great offers as well. He could be using that to leverage the Suns into getting less for Ayton. The Raptors seem intent on fixing the problem at center if they have to trade away a big core piece like O.G. Days away from knowing how the Raptors fix this team…