The Toronto Raptors have been closely linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, although he isn’t the only player that Toronto could add this summer.
The Toronto Raptors, after trading away much of their 2019 championship core, are on the way up. Built on the backs of a solid, well-rounded young core, the Raptors seem to be on the verge of competing for the next several seasons, although team president Masai Ujiri might not be able to help himself.
Ujiri and the Raptors have long been interested in adding Giannis Antetokounmpo, and their interest has seemingly come to a head.
“The Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Who else could that mean aside from Giannis? While it’s clear that he is likely their favorite option, the Raptors are in a position where they can make several different moves.
Here are three overlooked “big fish” they could add this summer.
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty ImagesRaptors could swing for the fences by adding Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is injury-prone and only has one season left on his contract, so the Raptors are not guaranteed to get more than one season out of him.
For Ujiri, that’s no problem. He traded DeMar DeRozan and draft capital to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard in 2018, resulting in the franchise’s lone title.
Adding Durant could be a very similar move.
Full Mock Trade Details:
Raptors receive: Kevin DurantSuns receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
The Phoenix Suns get a young guard, a rim protector, and two unprotected picks, which is as much as possible for one year of Durant.
The Raptors, meanwhile, would either draft a rim-protector ninth overall or sign Brook Lopez or Clint Capela.
Toronto would trot out an oversized starting five of Immanuel Quickley, Durant, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and a center (TBD), with plenty of young wings coming off the bench.
The Raptors might only have one shot to win a title, but in a wide-open Eastern Conference, now would be the time to make a move, similarly to how they pulled the trigger when LeBron James moved West.
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty ImagesRaptors could shore up their defense with Jarrett Allen
Barnes is one of the better defenders in the league, and adding a high-level rebounder and rim protector in the frontcourt next to him would make the Raptors a force to be reckoned with.
Unlike Durant, Jarrett Allen has four seasons left on his contract, making him a long-term fixture if they were to trade for him.
After a second-round exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers might not be content on running things back with the same roster, and opening up the paint a little for Evan Mobley to truly blossom should be a priority.
Full Mock Trade Details:
Raptors receive: Jarrett AllenCavaliers receive: Ochai Agbaji, Jakob Poeltl, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick
In this deal, the Raptors improve their starting unit, and Barnes and Allen would be surrounded by solid shooters like Barrett, Quickley, and Ingram.
Meanwhile, Cleveland adds a solid backup in Poeltl behind Mobley, and, with Agbaji being on an expiring contract, would save money down the stretch.
While the Cavs lose the best player in this trade, they could elevate their wing rotation by taking a non-shooting big in Allen out of their rotation, and get some draft capital back to flip for another win-now player down the road.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesRaptors could draft Tre Johnson and build organically
The Raptors have a solid wing in Ingram, ball-handlers in Barrett and Quickley, a defensive-minded center in Poeltl, and a do-all forward in Barnes. Adding the best scorer in the NBA Draft seems like an easy choice for them to make.
The only issue is that Tre Johnson will not be on the board when the Raptors pick ninth overall. By then, they could select Kon Knueppel, Nique Clifford, or Kasparas Jakučionis, but those players all have clear weaknesses.
If Knueppel is on the board, that wouldn’t be a bad selection, although Johnson has the best offensive upside of anyone in the class.
Johnson can score off the dribble or as a stationary catch-and-shoot threat. When he gets the ball in his hands, he’s going to shoot it, and the Raptors have plenty of facilitators to get him open.
Of course, Toronto would have to trade up, but teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs might have interest in making a deal, given that they already have a core of players in place.
Adding Johnson would likely knock Barrett to the second unit, allowing the Raptors to build some depth and make a move to be a long-term winner, not just a one-season flash in the pan like adding Durant would create.