As the Toronto Raptors start to emerge in the Damian Lillard trade sweepstakes, it's clear that the Trail Blazers want one specific player in any deal with Toronto.
According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, Portland has "long coveted" Raptors wing O.G. Anunoby. After reports indicated that the Raptors would not give up Scottie Barnes in any deal, it seemed like the only logical path to a deal was through a three-team deal.
Anunoby being involved, however, changes the math. Now, the Raptors could get Lillard without offering up their young star in Barnes.
NBA Rumors: Raptors trade package for Damian Lillard including O.G. Anunoby
With this new revelation, the Raptors could offer Anunoby, Gradey Dick, future first-round picks (starting in the back-half of the decade), and some contract filler. The best guess would be that Toronto would send some combination of Chris Boucher, Thad Young or Gary Trent Jr. to finish up the trade package.
If the Trail Blazers are happy with the compensation package for Lillard, then the only logical thing holding up a possible trade is Dame's willingness to play for the Raptors. Lillard has threatened to not report to training camp unless he remains in Portland or is traded to the Heat. Thus, Toronto would obviously not want to take the risk of giving up premium assets in a deal.
After standing pat for a while and choosing not to rebuild, the Raptors will have finally decided to go all-in if they make the deal for Lillard. This is a team that could contend for a trip to the NBA Finals but it requires the star point guard to completely buy in. Still, it should be noted that there is a small chance that Masai Ujiri is once again overvaluing Anunoby.
Just this past season at the trade deadline, Ujiri refused trade offers that included multiple first-round picks for the elite 3-and-D wing. It was defensible at the time, but with no extension in place, it's less so. Having him as the cornerstone of a Lillard trade, however, would be an interesting wrinkle.
