Report: Raptors Prefer Young Players to Draft Picks in O.G. Anunoby Deal

The Toronto Raptors reportedly prefer young players over draft picks if they're going to trade O.G. Anunoby ahead of the trade deadline

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

It appears as though the Toronto Raptors are hoping to avoid a long drawn-out rebuild.

If O.G. Anunoby is traded before Thursday's trade deadline, the Raptors would reportedly prefer valuable young players instead of future draft picks, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com.

Toronto has reportedly received interest from multiple teams for Anunoby including the New York Knicks who have been willing to trade multiple first-round picks for the 25-year-old forward, per Sportsnet's Michael Grange. The Raptors, however, seem determined to continue building around sophomore forward Scottie Barnes rather than add future draft assets.

The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies both have the combination of draft picks and young players that should be able to sway Toronto into a deal. New Orleans could entice the Raptors with some combination of Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and the coveted 2023 Los Angeles Lakers first-round pick. Memphis, similarly, has Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, their full arsenal of first-round picks, and Golden State's 2024 first-round pick.

The Phoenix Suns have repeatedly been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Anunoby but a deal with Phoenix would likely be based around draft capital rather than young players.

Anunoby is listed at -320 on DraftKings to be dealt before the trade deadline, conveying a 76.2% chance Toronto moves him before Thursday.

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