Before they made they made the move to acquire Serge Ibaka from the Orlando Magic, the Toronto Raptors were attempting to work out another kind of blockbuster.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Jake Fischer, the Raptors had a deal with the Detroit Pistons that would’ve had them acquiring all-star centre Andre Drummond for Jonas Valanciunas.
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League executives expect Toronto to try and make moves on the wing and in the frontcourt. As much as Toronto needs to find depth behind its current frontline, the Raptors are also still skeptical about Jonas Valanciunas. Before they acquired Serge Ibaka, the Raptors called the Pistons pitching a package centered around Valanciunas for Drummond, according to a league source. Toronto is in ultimate win-now mode. They will certainly be interesting to monitor as the deadline approaches.
[cite]- Sports Illustrated[/cite]
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With the Ibaka move already made, this trade is likely dead in the water. However, the line about the Raptors being “skeptical” about Valanciunas is noteworthy because it hints that the team is prepared to move on in a different direction away from the talented-but-one-dimensional big man.
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
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