Toronto Raptors, roster, trades, Kevin Durant, Scottie Barnes, Anthony Davis

The Toronto Raptors are in a rut … so what options do they have moving forward?

Meanwhile, things might be even more dire in Chicago and Los Angeles.

That, and more, in our NBA Talking Points.

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RAPTORS’ BIG KD REGRET AHEAD OF KEY DECISIONS

The Toronto Raptors are in NBA purgatory – a place no team wants to be.

They’ve gone 2-10 over their last 10 games – including a six-game losing streak – to fall to 13-18 overall and sit just two and a half games ahead of a bottom four record.

At this stage, they look like not much more than a play-in team or fringe playoff contender.

Despite their recent drop off, the Raptors still have several stars in the prime of their careers in Pascal Saiakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby plus reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.

And so it’s created ample debate about which direction president Masai Ujiri should go in with this side given it’s essentially built to win-now and compete for a title, yet are currently a ways off.

Of course, the season hasn’t even reached the halfway point yet, and this time last campaign, eventual NBA finalists Boston were in a similar position. There mightn’t be a need to panic, and sometimes the no move is the best move – and a move in itself.

So what do the Raptors do? For starters, they may be having regrets about what they didn’t do.

Toronto was among the teams interested in Kevin Durant over the off-season after the Nets superstar requested a trade despite being contracted with the franchise until 2026 for a total of $192 million (AUD $287), however a sticking point in negotiations was the Raptors’ unwillingness to part with Barnes.

Ujiri might be second guessing that now given the Raptors’ current position, how rare it is for a player of Durant’s ilk to be available and with Barnes in something of a sophomore slump.

Frankly, there just isn’t anyone currently available on the trade market even close to Durant’s level right now.

“Get the dynamite ready. The offence looks totally disconnected and the team looks broken,” The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor said of Toronto on The Mismatch Podcast.

“(But) there’s no trade for them to make that can bring them to contention … KD (Durant) is not available, SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) is not available. Who? Karl-Anthony Towns from Minnesota? Please. Damian Lillard is not going to become available.

“Should they have traded Barnes and picks for Kevin Durant last summer? The Nets would’ve considered it for Barnes, but the Raptors didn’t want to trade Barnes.”

It might be a case that Toronto takes two steps backwards to take one step forwards.

This is factoring in that the Raptors’ payroll is set to…