Report: Toronto Raptors behaving as buyers, not sellers, ahead of trade deadline

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Coming into the season, many thought the Toronto Raptors would be sellers at the trade deadline with Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet each being on expiring deals.

In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it appears as though the Raptors will be buyers instead.

"Toronto is a really interesting team to me here at the trade deadline," ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter this week.

"Before the season, people thought they might be sellers — Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka are free agents this summer — and they are behaving just the opposite. They are only 2.5 games outside of second place in the East, Pascal Siakam has become a star in the league and Toronto is a team that is out there in the market place trying to add talent, trying to improve to that core that went to the NBA Finals and won a championship last year with Kawhi Leonard."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ESPN @sportscenter on the trade deadline.

A post shared by Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) on

With a 27-14 record, the Raptors are currently on pace to win 54 games this season, shattering their preseason over/under of 46.5. That they've had this much success despite missing the fourth-most games in the league to injury — not to mention losing two starters in free agency in Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green as well — is remarkable.

As Wojnarowski said, the Raptors sit only two games behind the Miami Heat for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. According to Tankathon, they have the league's sixth-easiest schedule the rest of the way, although the Heat are one of the teams with an easier schedule.

It's unknown who the Raptors would be interested in trading for, but some of the players who are reportedly available include Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Robert Covington, Memphis Grizzlies forward Andre Iguodala, Detroit Pistons centre Andre Drummond and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.

MORE: Should the Raptors trade for Drummond?

The Raptors own all of their future first-round picks. The only picks they currently owe are second rounders in 2021, 2022 and 2024.

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Scott Rafferty is a Senior NBA Editor for The Sporting News