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NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo would make any team better, but at what cost? Michael Chisholm / Getty Images The Toronto Raptors are an in-between team. It’s hard to classify them as anything else. Now, that is not necessarily a bad place, as the contend-or-tank dichotomy that so often rules NBA thinking is a massive oversimplification. The Indiana Pacers never truly bottomed out, despite landing in the mid-lottery a few times, and they were a win away from a title last year. Unless you count the Pascal Siakam trade, they never went “all-in” on winning, either. Advertisement Regardless, it is a complicated place from which to build, for certain. As far as short-term north stars go, “let’s incrementally improve our talent base” is more complicated than “try to win the championship” or “maximize your lottery odds, now and in the future. ” The Raptors enter trade season — most players who signed in free agency or were drafted become eligible to be traded on Monday — with that context hanging over them, as the spectres of the potential availability of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis shine brightly. There are different, but related, reasons the Raptors should steer away from any such deal. Before getting to that, the Raptors cannot be ruled out in chasing either star, or anybody else who might come up. It’s not that complicated: So many teams, especially contenders, are down so many draft picks that the Raptors controlling all of their future first-round picks makes them a viable buyer. The Raptors are one of just seven teams to have total control of their first-round picks. (That list includes Oklahoma City. Yikes. ) They can throw away all of their picks, with the Stepien rule their only barrier, in going after any player. It’s a stronger position than most. They have some limitations, most notably the lack of a contract between Jakob Poeltl’s $19. 5 million salary and Ochai Agbaji’s $6. 4 million salary. That makes it complicated to add up enough salary to make a workable trade. That’s where the Antetokounmpo discussion starts. Although most “all-in” trades have resulted in deep pain for the teams going for it lately, Antetokounmpo’s talent necessitates several long meetings, especially if you’re in this version of the Eastern Conference. However, if there is one thing that those recent failed trades for stars over 30 have taught us — Kevin Durant to Phoenix, James Harden to several locations — it is that you had better be ready to compete for a title immediately if you make one. Advertisement And the Raptors are not. The Raptors are, at best, an average team with lots to prove. In Scottie Barnes, they have a two-way star who is a complicated player to build around (and, in broad strokes, similar to Antetokounmpo). Their other four starters are all quality players, but they are not on team-friendly deals, lowering their value in a trade. It is reasonable to have great hope for 2025 first-round pick Collin Murray-Boyles or 2024 first-rounder Ja’Kobe Walter, but they have not established themselves as blue-chip players. If the Bucks entertained an offer from the Raptors, they would likely ask for Barnes first. He is about seven years younger than Antetokounmpo, who has dealt with injury issues in several seasons — including this year. Odds are Barnes will never approach Antetokounmpo’s excellence, but he’s cheaper, younger and healthier. After that, the Bucks would likely want every pick the Raptors could throw their way, especially those that are beyond Antetokounmpo’s prime. The Raptors could throw Poeltl, R. J. Barrett, Murray-Boyles and a collection of picks at the Bucks. Forget, for a second, if the Bucks would do that (Poeltl’s contract looks especially onerous right now). That would leave the Raptors starting Barnes, Antetokounmpo, Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and Walter, with a bench led by Jamal Shead, Sandro Mamulekashvili, Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick. The Raptors would also have no true centres on the roster. Forget about the Thunder; would that Raptors team even be an equal to the New York Knicks? And if you need another year to optimize the roster, you have one less season to make it work with Antetokounmpo in his prime. Plus, the Raptors would be out most of their valuable picks and young players in such a trade, which would limit their means to build around Antetokounmpo and Barnes. And if they aren’t contenders right away, they would have to deal with the returning Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, who should fortify their respective teams next season. Advertisement Davis, who the Raptors have been linked to by multiple outlets, is a different proposition. He is older (33 in March) and more injury-prone than Antetokounmpo. He is also not as impactful, all of which should combine to limit his market and acquisition cost. As with Ingram, that would be the case to trade for him: If you can turn Poeltl into Davis without giving up much beyond Barrett to make the salary work, you can talk yourself into having to do it. Alas, the Raptors would lose depth, all for a centre who prefers not to play the position and adds only a bit more spacing than Poeltl. Davis could help turn the Raptors into a truly elite defensive team — but only if he is healthy. And he wouldn’t do a ton to help their offence, which is the Raptors’ bigger problem. When the Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol, they had just come off an incredible run of drafting and developing. Leonard was the huge swing, but the Raptors were deep enough that they could subtract from their roster and put a contender around the former Spur. At that point, they were good enough that a trade for Gasol, even if it required the sacrifice of a little more depth, could justify a one-piece-away trade. These Raptors certainly aren’t one piece away, nor are they deep. It’s not sexy, but allowing this team, perhaps with some pruning around the edges, to succeed or fail on its own terms, is the way to go. Then the Raptors can decide how far away they are and make more informed long-term decisions. Eric Koreen is a senior writer covering the Raptors and the NBA. Previously, he has written for the National Post, Canadian Press, Sportsnet and Complex.