NBA Trade Rumors: Raptors May Pull Stunner With Main Star Deals Soon

The defending NBA champion Toronto Raptors seem to be doing fine in the post-Kawhi Leonard era. They are at the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings and seem well on their way to being one of the top seeds heading into the postseason wars.

But with the NBA trade deadline coming up, there is a chance that the Raptors could be pulling off some moves. There are three players mentioned in the latest trade chatter, namely Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka. Of the three, Gasol and Ibaka are in the final years of their deals. Dan Wolke of the Los Angeles Times suggested that the three could be moved in the next few weeks.

"Some teams believe the Raptors would listen to calls on players like Gasol and Serge Ibaka, both of whom are in the final years of their contracts and, seemingly, not in their long-term plans," Wolke reported.

The move would hardly come as a surprise. Aside from owning expiring deals, both could be of better help to other teams in need of veteran presence. Gasol has had his share of injuries anew but remains a force in defense as can be seen via his defensive box plus-minus, according to Basketball-Reference.

Ibaka has been his usual self and is doing pretty good this NBA season. He is averaging 15.0 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 32 games -- numbers that could be of use to other teams in need of muscle up front.

However, it is the possibility of dealing away Lowry that may come as a surprise. The 33-year-old guard has been putting up solid numbers, averaging 20.4 points,4.5 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 31 games. But then again, a move now could be in preparation for the future. Most know that the Raptors are turning to Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet as its future stars so a surprise trade may not entirely be shocking.

Either way, it would be best to take all of these with a grain of salt for now. The Raptors are actually on a three-game winning streak so changing it up at this point may make no sense. But if an offer hard to refuse comes up, expect team president Masai Ujiri to weigh his options. Toronto is no stranger to making surprise moves so pulling one before the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline should not be surprising.