Latest Raptors trade rumours don't make much sense for Toronto

If the Toronto Raptors are a good basketball team, we haven’t seen much of it this season.

But if they’re a bad basketball team… well, we haven’t seen much of that, either.

The Raptors are consistently inconsistent at 13-14, sitting one game below a .500 record and currently occupying ninth place in the Eastern Conference.

They’ve been stuck in a pattern of win a game, lose two, win two, lose one, and rinse and repeat.

Toronto hasn’t had a win streak of more than two games, but they haven’t had a losing streak of more than two, either.

They’re not really all that good compared to the rest of the NBA, but it’s not like they’re getting blown out on a nightly basis.

As much as it seems like Toronto may be in a funk right now, they’re still far removed from the NBA’s truly tanking teams.

It’s not a great spot to be in, but it doesn’t have to be permanent.

Two of the Raptors’ “regular starting lineup,” if you can call it that, have been playing some of the best basketball of their lives: Pascal Siakam’s having a career year, while O.G. Anunoby has generated buzz for Defensive Player of the Year.

But Scottie Barnes, Gary Trent Jr., and Fred VanVleet: they’ve all left a little to be desired.

And with Toronto in a funk, the trade rumours have started to swirl.

“The list of teams interested in Siakam, Anunoby (especially Anunoby), VanVleet and Trent is varied, likely including the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, Lakers, Suns, Kings and Nets, among others,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus reported this weekend.

Barnes and Trent Jr. have found themselves on the bench this season, while VanVleet’s been marred with one of the worst shooting slumps of his career.

Until he started yesterday, Trent had come off the bench seven games in a row. In a contract year for the Raptors, Trent’s name is often the easiest to attach to a draft pick or a young prospect in any given rumour.

Whether it’s the effects of injury and illness, poor mechanics, or just a dearth of the skillset, the Raptors are shooting just .448 from the field this season, good for 27th in the 30-team NBA.

Sure, Toronto could part ways with a major rotation player, per Pincus’ report.

But what exactly would a trade accomplish for the Raptors?

They’ve got two players in Siakam and Anunoby looking the best they’ve ever looked, and VanVleet coming off an All-Star game appearance earlier this year.

Are they really set to blow it up simply to appease other teams?

Would trading away a core piece help them in the short term, or would they trade away a roster piece instead of looking for an internal solution?

They’re barely 10 games into the “Trent off the bench” experiment.

They’re just 27 games into 7-foot-centre Christian Koloko’s career. Sure, there have been ugly losses and growing pains, but it hasn’t even been three full months with this iteration of the team together.

In addition, two key bench pieces in Precious Achiuwa and Otto Porter Jr. have played just 20 games combined this year.

Maybe the NBA is a league where you need good health, and the Raptors might always be chasing that perfect medical bill that’s nearly impossible to find.

But with 55 games left for Toronto this season, now doesn’t seem like the time for a major shakeup of any kind.

If they find themselves needing a blockbuster move, there’s really no rush right now.

Let’s check back in February before taking too much stock of these trade rumours.

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