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The Toronto Raptors finished first in the Western Conference during the 17/18 NBA season, although the team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals. After the one-sided series, the franchise made the bold decision of trading away star shooting guard, DeMar DeRozan. This broke up the longtime partnership of DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, however, the Raptors were able to get Kawhi Leonard in return.
Leonard is one of the best five players in the entire NBA, although the 27-year-old is a free agent in 2019, so it was an incredibly risky move to trade DeRozan for the 2-time All-Star.
The Raptors need to show Leonard that they can compete before the end of the season, and the upcoming trades that the organization makes will be vital to convincing Leonard to stay. So here are three individuals that may be traded away in the coming months as the Raptors look to finally reach the NBA Finals.
#3 Greg Monroe
Greg Monroe was expected to feature heavily from the Raptors bench this season, although the player has contributed virtually nothing to the team. This is not due to Monroe's performances but rather his lack of playing time. The 28-year-old has featured just 10 times, averaging 3.7 points in just 7.4 minutes-per-game.
When handed the opportunity, Monroe has demonstrated his ability to contribute to the team. In his most impressive of the season to date, the former Piston played 21 minutes against the Celtics, recording 17 points and 9 rebounds. Since this outstanding performance, Monroe has played just a further 27 minutes and he does not seem to be part of the Raptors future plans.
#2 Lorenzo Brown
Brown has featured in just 15 games for the Raptors so far during the 18/19 season, averaging a total of 9 minutes each game. While on the court, the point guard has struggled to create opportunities for his teammates, recording just 1.0 assists-per-game.
Brown has also struggled shooting the basketball, averaging 2.7 points-per-game, and the 29-year-old is shooting just .227 from three-point range. The Raptors need to upgrade on their backup point guard for their postseason run, and the franchise should try to trade Brown for a player such as the Thunders' Raymond Felton.
#1 Jonas Valančiūnas
For the first time in his Raptors career, Jonas Valančiūnas has found himself relegated to Toronto's bench. He has started less than half of the Raptors games so far this season, and the center is averaging less than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career.
The Lithuanian will earn close to $17 million this year, and the Raptors cannot afford to pay a salary like this to a player coming off the bench. The franchise has a promising young center in Pascal Siakam, and the Canadian franchise would benefit from trading away Valanciunas and investing his salary elsewhere.
The 26-year-old has been efficient in his limited playing time this season, so the Raptors should be able to acquire assets in return for the big Lithuanian.
