TORONTO – Up until Friday afternoon, the Toronto Raptors were darlings of the deadline, but things can change quickly in the NBA.
The deal was completed on Monday evening and, with that, trade season was officially underway. The chaotic series of events happened fast and came as a surprise to most people around basketball, but it may be what opens the floodgates ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. Whether the addition of Irving turns Dallas from a sixth-place team hovering around the .500 mark into a legitimate contender remains to be seen. No one doubts the 30-year-old’s immense talent, but committing to the NBA’s wildest wild card is a gamble, to be sure. If nothing else, it was a bold move by Mark Cuban, Nico Harrison and the Mavs, and it surely got the attention of the teams around them in the standings.
Brooklyn insisted that the reigning Rookie of the Year, Scottie Barnes, be included in any offer. Toronto refused. End of discussion. If Durant found his way back on the block and if the two clubs reengaged, all indications are those talks would go similarly. Barnes remains off limits – he’s the only player the Raptors won’t even entertain offers for, according to multiple sources.
Prior to completing the Irving trade on Monday, the Nets approached Toronto with the possibility of expanding the deal, sources confirmed to TSN, but the belief is that scenario – which would’ve sent VanVleet to Brooklyn in exchange for Dinwiddie and draft capital – never gained much traction.
JLew1050 Man being a NBA GM at the deadline or in general must be hella fun, it’s legit like playing 2K owner mode 😂 in general it’s crazy there.