3 Non-Giannis Raptors Trade Targets

 The 3 days off in between finals game is making me restless. I am getting a taste of what summer is going to look like where I won't have much to talk about I guess. Anyway, Giannis announced today that he's informed the Bucks he wants to stay in Milwaukee. If you read my Giannis post, you'll know I don't actually mind that. He was always going to cost too much and make the Raptors fringe contenders at best. They're probably 1-2 years away from swinging a consolidation trade for a superstar, why rush the process? With that in mind, who are some other targets the Raptors should have to add depth or smooth out their depth chart which currently is flooded with shooting guards? For the purposes of this post, I am leaving Kevin Durant out of the equation. If they aren't trading for Giannis, they certainly aren't trading for KD who will require likely 2 starters going out the other way just to match salary and is on an expiring contract at 36 years old. None of these targets are superstars, but all of them can help the Raptors. 

Keegan Murray

This one is sneaky, maybe impossible, but you can't put anything past the Sacramento Kings. Keegan Murray is a fan favorite in Sacramento, he was deemed untouchable in Pascal Siakam trade talks, something that looks incredibly stupid now that Siakam is an ECF MVP, and he's coming off the worst year of his short career so far. He's owed just over $11m in 2025/2026 which makes his contract very palatable for a trade package that includes some young Raptors. He's a solid defender with good size who has shot the 3 ball well in the past. He's older than people think, turning 25 next season and the Kings are right in the middle of no mans land after acquiring the Chicago Bulls. Now might be the time to swing a deal with the Kings on a buy low while they try to figure this whole thing out. Money wise, the Raptors could get this done for Gradey Dick and Collin Castleton. While it would suck to lose Gradey in year 3, maybe the Kings can talk themselves into his offensive creativity for the future vs Keegan who projects to be more of a catch and shoot player. Ultimately though I don't think this ends up getting done. It would add size and defense to the Raptors team without sacrificing shooting, but Sacramento likely says no to the return. 

Cameron Johnson 

This is a popular trade idea amongst Raptors fans, but it would break my heart. Starting off, similar to Murray, Cam Johnson offers good size to play either the 3 or the 4, both positions of need for the Raptors. He's a good shooter from deep and offers a little bit of juice off the dribble as well. He's not a lockdown defender, but he's got size and isn't a total pushover there either. He'd pretty easily slide into either the starting lineup or the bench just with his positional versatility and shooting, an ideal 3rd/4th starter. Why it would break my heart is to match the money it'd probably cost RJ Barrett. You could make the argument that Johnson is a better fit than RJ on this current Raptors team, and my brain tells me that's true. But RJ just loves playing here and has improved his game so much since joining, I would be sad to see him go in a lateral move that just readjusts the teams' depth chart. The other issue is 6'8 guy who can shoot is on the wish list of any contender and if the Nets land a big fish, they may just want to keep him. It's also not like RJ offers much that the Nets need so the Raps may need to sweeten the pot there which to be becomes unfathomable. 

Goga Bitadze 

I don't know who it's going to end up being, but I know for sure the Raptors can't go into this year with any hopes of the playoffs unless they address the backup center position. In the last 2 seasons, without Jakob Poeltl the Raptors are 13-44. They are straight up awful without him and it's because there's nobody else on the team that can play the position effectively. Orlando has a glutton of centers with Wendell Carter Jr, Mo Wagner and Goga. Goga when he gets the chance to play is awesome, a good rebounder, solid passer and decent defender at the center position that you definitely don't mind playing 20 minutes a night. On the Magic, he frequently gets buried and doesn't get the chance to play. The Magic lack shooting and the Raptors have Ochai Agbaji who's salary works in a trade like this. I think an Agbaji for Bitadze swap could be beneficial for both teams, especially with Ja'Kobe Walter looking more and more ready to take on Ochai's role on the Raptors. There's a few notable teams that will be in the market for a center and Goga seems like one of the more gettable guys. The Magic may also just want to keep him given the injury history of Carter Jr and Wagner. That being said, if the Raps can somehow make it happen I'd be all for it purely to get Goga's hair in Toronto. 

That's all for now! Busier day at work so just a short one today but fun to think about! Maybe when I am struggling to think of ideas tomorrow I'll come up with 3 more candidates for the Raptors to target. Realistically, they will probably do something nobody expects. Last season they traded Jalen McDaniels for Davion Mitchell and 2 second round picks. That was not something I would've predicted in a million years given how bad McDaniels was. I don't think a star is coming to Toronto this off season but a smaller move like the ones above would not surprise me at all.