Trade Market Rife with Center Options for the Raptors – Sports Illustrated

How good is this team? It’s been the unanswerable question this season as Toronto continues to battle a seemingly endless wave of injuries to key long-term players.

Myles Turner has headlined the list of defensive-minded center options available to be moved this season ever since The Athletic broke the story that the Indiana Pacers are moving toward a rebuild.

Also 25, he too would give Toronto a franchise center for the future, but his high offensive usage and lackluster defensive skills don’t make him a great fit for the Raptors, at least not at the cost the Pacers will be asking for.

As the Portland Trail Blazers continue to sputter, reports have surfaced suggesting 6-foot-11 center Jusef Nurkic could be moved mid-season to help shake up the Trail Blazers rotation, according to Bleacher Report.

If the Raptors aren’t going to pay up for a top-tier center this season, there are a handful of bigs who shouldn’t come at quite the exorbitant price tag, starting with Brooklyn Nets big Nic Claxton, who is “quietly” on the market, per Bleacher Report.

The eighth overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft, Jaxon Hayes has quickly fallen out of favor in New Orleans Pelicans and is reportedly available to be moved this year, according to Bleacher Report.

He’s been forced to play a little out of position as a power forward instead of a center for the Suns and would seem to be a good buy-low option to potentially stabilize the center spot for the Raptors.

The former second overall pick in the 2018 draft, Marvin Bagley III has already asked to be traded this season and the Sacramento Kings are reportedly willing to listen to offers, per the Sacramento Bee.

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