The Toronto Raptors are currently in the hunt for one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference. While they are currently 3rd in the East at 14-9, the team has been rumored to look into more trades to improve their roster.
Analysts believe that the Raptors biggest deficiency lies in their thin front court rotation. While their back court is already stable with dynamic scorers like Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and emerging Cory Joseph, their front court has not seen any significant improvement over the past few years.
A potential trade partner for the Raptors could be the New Orleans Pelicans. As per yibada.com, the Pelicans' Ryan Anderson could be on his way to the Raptors for draft picks and combo guard Delon Wright. This move would clearly be a financial one for the Pelicans as Anderson is an upcoming free agent. As reported by hoopsrumors.com, Anderson could possibly receive a max contract next season. With the Pelicans already strapped by huge contracts of Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans, re-signing another non-All-Star would not be the best move for a franchise trying to move forward.
Adding an elite shooter like Anderson would help the Raptors' spacing and offensive flow. Though the Raptors have veterans Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson, none of these big men are as deadly from the outside like Anderson.
If the Raptors do decide to make the deal, they should aim to finalize quickly as other suitors for Anderson have emerged. According to Yahoo! Sports, the New Orleans Pelicans have become a suitor for the frustrated Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris.
As the report states, "The Pelicans' willingness to part with forward Ryan Anderson could make conversations worth exploring between the two teams. The Pelicans are willing to consider moving Anderson as a part of a potential deal for Morris, especially if Anderson doesn't show an interest in signing a new contract with New Orleans."
