The Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors were battling for playoff glory not too long ago when the Raptors overcame them in 2019 en route to their only championship in franchise history. While the Bucks are still contending for titles and even won one in 2021, the Raptors haven’t been a contending threat in the conference since their 2019 triumph.
Toronto looks like the team most likely to blow it up this trade deadline, with the Bucks beating them 130-122 tonight despite missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. They did have Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday contribute heavily, but Lopez was ejected from the game after a hilarious infraction that saw him foul Gary Trent Jr. and then pulls his headband off, irking the player and the referees.
Brook Lopez got ejected for taking Gary Trent Jr.'s headband 😅 https://t.co/a57IJRBfvj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 18, 2023
Lopez seemed genuinely upset at the moment but is known to have a great sense of humor. Whether pulling the headband off was out of anger or to be funny is something we don’t know, but he definitely deserved to be sent off for that.
Are The Toronto Raptors Circling The Drain?
The Raptors are arguably the most scrutinized team in the NBA ahead of the trade deadline as they have a roster full of pieces that other contending teams may want, even though they aren’t working together well in the Raptors system this season. Players like Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet are expected to be the first names out of the door.
OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam have tremendous value, with Siakam playing at an All-NBA level this season and Anunoby in contention for Defensive Player of the Year. Scottie Barnes is likely to remain untouchable, so the ultimate sign that the Raptors are blowing their current roster up will come when Siakam or Anunoby gets moved.
The 20-25 Raptors aren’t far off the play-in chase in the East, but would they be better off tanking and finding another great lottery pick in a stacked 2023 NBA Draft? It’s a tough decision that Masai Ujiri will have to make in the coming weeks.
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