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After having a superb regular season, the Toronto Raptors came up short in the 2020 NBA playoffs, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. The front office of the franchise will now look to improve the team in the off-season, with several NBA trade options in front of them.
In this article, we will take a look at three players who could be key NBA trade chips for the Toronto Raptors before the start of the new season.
NBA Trade Options: Three most valuable assets for the Toronto Raptors going into the 2020-21 season
#1 OG Anunoby
After struggling in the first few years, British small forward OG Anunoby came alive for the Toronto Raptors in the 2019-20 season, playing incredible defense against wings and guards. He took it up a level in the postseason, guarding players 1-5 and even playing as a small-ball center at times. That allowed Nick Nurse to field offensive-minded wings like Norman Powell on the court.
However, Anunoby is still unpolished offensively, and he can be a part of NBA trade discussions as the Toronto Raptors look for a more complete player. Nevertheless, considering the versatility of Anunoby, which is priceless especially in the modern NBA, the Toronto Raptors are set to acquire a great player if they trade him away.
#2 Norman Powell
Since commencing his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors, Norman Powell has improved his offense every year, adding unguardable one-on-one moves to his arsenal. The swingman is largely a bench player for the Toronto Raptors and has fulfilled the responsibility of providing a scoring punch when the team's starters are not on the floor.
Powell is a good utility player, but there is a fair chance that the Toronto Raptors could look to move on from him considering their ambition to add a bonafide star to its roster.
With the Canadian team expected to be quite active in NBA trade talks during the off-season, Norman Powell is likely to be traded away before the start of the new season.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing possible destinations for Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin amid interest from multiple teams.
#3 Matt Thomas
Matt Thomas, who made his debut for the Toronto Raptors in the 2019-20 NBA season, impressed Nick Nurse with his one-on-one defense and 3-point shooting prowess. Thomas is a valuable player, as he has the ability to play off the ball and allow his team's ball-dominant guards to come to the fore.
With Thomas' skillset being quite unique, in all likelihood, he could be an NBA trade target for multiple teams in the league. The Toronto Raptors will have a great chance to cash in on Thomas by using him as a trade chip in exchange for a star player.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: 5 players who desperately need to change teams to revive their careers.
Guess the Lakers players!
