NBA
League insiders have linked the Raptors to three teams in a possible trade for the #13 pick in the draft tonight
After the 2022-23 regular season, the Toronto Raptors fired head coach Nick Nurse after missing the playoffs. There had been reports all season about Toronto’s players being unhappy with how the team was being run. They kept most of their championship core together this past season, but have been active in trade talks. League insiders have linked the Raptors to three teams in a possible trade for the #13 pick in the draft tonight.
The Raptor’s front office made the choice to keep their core group of players together this season. There was speculation that they were going to make trades at the past deadline. Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam are the two biggest names on the trade block for Toronto this offseason.
While their names have been floated around, the Raptors could also look to make a trade in the draft. They’ve been linked to the Magic, Warriors, and Nets as targets who could trade up to the #13 pick.
@JakeLFischer reports that the Magic and the Toronto Raptors have discussed a trade that moves Orlando from 11 to 13 in todays draft.https://t.co/2tdYBSTdq0
— MAGIC 24/7 (@zerojuantwo3) June 22, 2023
The Nets, Magic, and Warriors all have an interest in trading up to Toronto’s #13 pick
As it stands, the Toronto Raptors only have one pick in the 2023 draft, the 13th overall pick. There are always going to be trades happening during the draft and the Raptors may be one of those teams. Having discussions with the Rapotrs about trading up to the #13 pick is the Golden State Warriors.
After a disappointing end to their season, the Warriors want to cash in on the championship core they still have. If the draft plays out in the favor the Warriors could trade with Toronto for the 13th pick. Golden State is set to pick at #19 as of now. Another team with interest in that pick is the Orlando Magic.
They currently have the 6th and 11th overall picks in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft. With how close those picks are together, the Magic could trade with the Raptors for some depth players and trade back to #13. The final team with interest in the #13 pick is the Brooklyn Nets.
It’s been reported that the Nets have been fairly active on the trade market as well. The Nets own the 21st and 22nd overall picks of the first round in the draft. If the players want to start going quickly, the Nets could be in a position to want to trade up. With a large amount of draft capital, Brooklyn could do a lot of things in the draft tonight.