NBA Rumors: Toronto Raptors expected to be "first domino" to get trade market going

Following their surprise 48-win season last year, the Toronto Raptors have had a disappointing first few months this season. The Raptors are just 16-21 and 12th in the Eastern Conference. They have had a hard time generating consistent offense on a night-to-night basis. This has led to increased speculation that Toronto could blow up their core and enter into a rebuild.

According to a league source who has been monitoring the situation, the Raptors may even be the team that kicks off a league-wide trade frenzy. Here's what the source said to SportsNet:

“Toronto are the first domino. What they do will affect teams all across the league: Dallas, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta – not that it’s about deals with any particular team, just that people are going to be waiting to see what the Raptors do before they make their moves. Toronto could set the market."

The Raptors have a quality core group of players that are highly valued around the league. This includes All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, last year’s Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. These players are all 21-28 years old.

The Raptors' only untouchable player will likely be Barnes, given his potential upside. But there’s a good chance that the others could be had for the right price. However, other sources have added that the Raptors are still a bit unsure of their future direction:

“No, I don’t know when they’re going to pivot” one source joked about the Raptors’ current situation.

“It’s all very nebulous right now,” another source said.

So as we near the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline, it appears the clock is ticking for the Raptors to decide which direction to go in.

Toronto Raptors' options ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline

Toronto Raptors All-Star guard Fred VanVleet and two-way wing Gary Trent Jr.

As things currently stand, the Toronto Raptors likely have two options ahead of the trade deadline. The first is that they could try to be competitive with their current core. This would likely involve making some win-now moves to strengthen their bench.

They could also trade for a starting-caliber big man that they’ve been lacking. However, with teams like Boston, Brooklyn and Milwaukee dominating the East, it may not be worth it for Toronto to go all-in this season.

The second option is that the Toronto Raptors could decide to trade their veterans for draft picks, young prospects and rebuild around Scottie Barnes. There is a good chance they would get a big return for each of their core players, especially Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. would likely be the first to go. This is because they can both opt out of the final years of their contracts to become free agents this summer.

A rebuild would also give Toronto a better chance of landing generational French draft prospect Victor Wembanyama, the projected number-one draft pick in 2023. It’s a bit unlikely the Raptors will land top-five lottery odds over teams like Detroit, Houston, San Antonio, Charlotte and Orlando.

Toronto is currently tied with Chicago, OKC, and the LA Lakers for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. So a rebuild would likely secure them at least top-six lottery odds for Wembanyama along with a war chest of future assets.

It's certainly a difficult decision, but as previously mentioned, the Raptors will have to choose a direction soon before they end up stuck in the middle all season long.

For more on the Toronto Raptors’ current trade situation, click here.