Despite being considered a likely candidate to make a big move ahead of the trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors decided to stand pat on Thursday.
O.G. Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. were all involved in rumors as the team plummeted down the standings, but team president Masai Ujiri felt comfortable with his current core.
"We had a really rough stretch but I believe in these guys. We believe in them. Growth sometimes takes a while," Ujiri told reporters, including Sportsnet's Blake Murphy.
As to what potential deals were available to the Raptors on Thursday, Ujiri added, "The opportunity was not there for us for a blockbuster trade."
Trent's name was floated in trade discussions, but he's grateful the Raptors decided to keep him around.
"It means they believe in what they got going on over here. They believe in what they put together, and that means they believe in all of us," Trent told theScore. "The goal is to get wins. That's the most important thing. And make a run in the playoffs.”
While the Raptors didn't sell off any key assets, they did add one late Wednesday night by bringing in San Antonio Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl to fill a need as a rim-protector, sending off a protected 2024 first-rounder and Khem Birch in the process.
However, Poeltl is slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. VanVleet and Trent could also be on the market if they decline their player options. With that in mind, Ujiri mentioned the Raptors may not be done making moves in the short term.
"Everything we could have done today, we could maybe do in the summer," said Ujiri.
The decision to stay put comes in the midst of a three-game winning streak for the 26-30 Raptors.
The team sits 10th in the Eastern Conference and is just 4.5 games back of a top-six seed. Four of its next five games come against clubs outside the playoff picture.
