Drake jokes about Raptors trade deadline after sitting with Masai Ujiri

Drake wants the Toronto Raptors to make a big splash at the trade deadline.

Last night, the team’s global ambassador pulled up to a mostly-empty arena to watch the team take on the Miami Heat alongside team president Masai Ujiri.

Think before you come for the great ones @Drake pic.twitter.com/5hmWQR0RO4

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 2, 2022

With the province’s COVID-19 restrictions in place, Drake, combined with players’ friends and family, were some of a select few hundred able to take in the game.

Toronto came out in a tight one, topping the Heat 110-106. It seemed despite the close game, the four-time Grammy winner, got in a bit of extra scouting.

Drake posted a series of Instagram stories about the game, including one where he said Ujiri “wasn’t feeling his trade deadline plans.”

champagnepapi/ Instagram

It’s not hard to understand why Drake wants the Raptors to be a buyer in the trade market.

At 26-23, the team’s sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference while sitting 2.5 games out of a sixth-place spot where they could avoid the play-in round.

But heavy usage has been the story this Raptors’ season, with starters averaging 34.8 minutes per game — the most in the NBA. Moving assets for additional bench space seems inevitable if the team hopes to have a strong second half of the season.

Drake’s got just over a week for the Raptors to make a move, with the NBA trade deadline set for February 10.