TORONTO — What a difference a year makes.
Twelve months ago the Toronto Raptors were leaning into a roster overhaul, swinging several deals to reset the franchise ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Before play began this season, team president Masai Ujiri declared that the rebuild would continue but with the NBA trade deadline coming up on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, it's unclear if the Raptors will be sellers, buyers, or standing pat.
"I wasn't focused on it last year. I'm not focused on it this year," said centre Jakob Poeltl. "We're a team that's in transition somewhat. We were last year. We still are now, so there are going to be possibilities for trades.
"But I'm not focused on it, so I'm just going to worry about the game."
Poeltl has experience with trades, having been shipped from Toronto to the San Antonio Spurs in July 2018, and then being returned to the Raptors a day before the 2023 deadline.
"The future plans, it's not really my job to worry about," Poeltl said on Monday afternoon after practice at Toronto's OVO Athletic Centre. "I'll let the front office deal with that stuff."
Blockbuster moves are already happening, with MVP candidate Luka Doncic heading to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade that sends all-star centre Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz.
A three-team deal on Sunday also saw point guard Da'Aaron Fox end up in San Antonio and shooting guard Zach LaVine moved to the Sacramento Kings in a swap involving the Chicago Bulls with seven players and seven draft picks moved.
Last year, RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., was traded to his hometown team in a deal that signalled the start of Toronto's rebuilding process as the Raptors ultimately made four deals, two of them on the actual deadline, to kick-start their roster reset.
"There's been some crazy, crazy trades going on during this whole thing," said Barrett. "So this time of the year is always interesting.
"Everybody's on their phone to see what's happening."
The Raptors (16-33) are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, having won eight of their past 10 games. Only three other teams — the Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies and Lakers — can match that record in the same span.
Those wins have moved Toronto up to 12th in the Eastern Conference standings ahead of Monday night's games, 3 1/2 games back of the 11th-place Philadelphia 76ers and 4 1/2 games back of the Bulls, who hold the final play-in berth.
"You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I do not look into standings at all," said head coach Darko Rajakovic. "I really don't know where we're at. I don't know if we're in reach or not in reach (of a play-in spot)."
Perhaps most significantly, the Raptors are tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the fifth-worst record in the NBA. Both Toronto and the Nets currently have a 39.9 per cent chance of drawing into a top-four pick in the NBA draft lottery.
They also have a 9.75 per cent chance of getting the first overall pick, where highly touted Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg is expected to be taken.
Meanwhile, as Toronto thrives, Philadelphia, Chicago, Brooklyn, ninth-place Atlanta, and eighth-place Orlando continue to struggle. None have winning records over their past 10 games, and Atlanta is stuck in an eight-game skid.
"We're playing well right now, like that's obviously the kind of growth that we wanted to see from the beginning of the season," said Poeltl. "We actually are a little bit more stable when it comes to injuries and stuff like that."
Barrett said he was just staying in the present when asked if he was looking forward to the trade deadline passing.
"I'm excited for today. Be where you are," said Barrett. "I'm here in this moment right now. I'm happy right now."
INJURY UPDATE — Rookie guard Jamal Shead was practised after missing Sunday's 115-108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers due to illness. Point guard Davion Mitchell also practised but Rajakovic said it wasn't clear if he would be available to play when Toronto hosts the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
Veteran forwards Bruce Brown (nose) and Chris Boucher (illness) of Montreal also didn't practice.
Barrett said that the back of his head was sore after hitting it on the hard court at Scotiabank Arena in the win over the Clippers but he would be good to go against the Knicks.
"I gotta go fix the floor over there," he joked. "There's probably a crack or something."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 3, 2025.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
