Rumor: Toronto Raptors Interested in David West
By Jared Wade
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David West has a player option this summer and the uncertainty over this leaves the Indiana Pacers in an uncomfortable situation. Do they trust that he will return ($12 million reasons say he will) or do they try to move on now and trade him for some assets?
It seemed inevitable that some contenders would come calling for the veteran pro’s services, and it seems like that time is here.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the Toronto Raptors have David West atop their wishlist as they try to upgrade their front court for a playoff run. (h/t Bleacher Report)
"The Raptors are one of several teams sniffing around for a roster upgrade, specifically at the power forward spot. A few names continue to surface around league sources when talking about Toronto, the biggest being Indiana’s David West, the next is Chicago’s Taj Gibson, then Denver’s Kenneth Faried."
Kyler adds a bit more info to the mix.
Here is what he says the Raptors have to offer any team that can help them bolster their big-man rotation.
"The Raptors are not offering much and that’s likely why there has been so little traction. There has been a long running joke among hoop heads that when Raptors president Masai Ujiri calls, you should say you are busy as you are about to get fleeced.In this case, the Raptors truly are looking to offload ending roster parts in an attempt to upgrade the talent pool in the frontcourt.The Raptors have five ending contracts: Amir Johnson ($7 million), Landry Fields ($6.25 million), Chuck Hayes ($5.95 million), Lou Williams ($5.45 million) and Tyler Hansbrough ($3.32 million).It’s unlikely the Raptors look at anything involving Williams, but it seems that any combination of the others would get traction from Toronto’s side. The Raptors do own almost all of their future picks both in the first round and the second round, with their 2015 second going to Atlanta as the only traded pick at this point. The Raptors do have a couple of pick swap options, but for the most part they have draft picks to play with if so inclined.There was a long running rumor that Raptors swing man Terrence Ross could be the chip that gets a deal done, however league sources continue to say Toronto won’t engage on anything involving Ross."
It’s hard to see much in there that would get the Pacers’ front office frothy with anticipation, especially knowing how much they value David West.
But Amir Johnson is a good player and every team needs more future draft picks.