Raptors didn't want to part with core pieces to trade for Lillard: report
Another major NBA trade sweepstakes has come and gone, with the Toronto Raptors once again finding themselves on the outside.
Yesterday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the NBA world by breaking the news that Damian Lillard, who had spent his entire NBA career with the Portland Trail Blazers and picked up seven All-Star appearances in seven years, would be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
While the Raptors — and for a longer period of time, the Miami Heat — were once considered the front-runners for Lillard according to a series of reports, the Bucks came through with supposedly the most enticing offer for Portland.
According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, Toronto wasn’t exactly willing to give up their most-coveted assets in the deal.
“Per one Western Conference source, it’s believed the Raptors were hoping to construct a deal that would not include their core pieces — Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby or Scottie Barnes,” Grange wrote in an article last night.
If they weren’t willing to part ways with a major piece, Toronto likely would’ve had to part with a series of first-round picks and pick swaps, and ultimately also include Gradey Dick, who they selected at 14th overall in this past year’s draft.
The full trade ultimately ended up being a three-team deal that saw Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 unprotected Milwaukee first-round pick, and unprotected Milwaukee swap rights in 2028 and 2030 to head to Portland, while the Suns got Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson.
In any case, the Raptors find themselves hitting the reset button once again, holding their cards close to their chest in search of the next possible franchise-altering trade.