It’s no secret the Toronto Raptors could use some defensive help. It’s also no secret that players who can provide such don’t come available very often, though the Denver Nuggets (who are said to be very aggressive in trade talks) have reportedly dangled Arron Afflalo to multiple teams over the past few weeks.
Might one of those teams be the Raptors? At this point it appears to be a question mark, though Basketball Insiders believes Toronto could have some interest in Arron Afflalo.
James Johnson is nearly out of the rotation, as seems to happen to him everywhere he ends up despite showing flashes. So if Casey won’t play him, maybe a trade to upgrade on the wing defense is in order, perhaps for someone like Afflalo (although his rep probably exceeds his effectiveness, at least he’s not going to get bullied).
Even if the Raptors do find themselves in the Arron Afflalo sweepstakes, they aren’t going to be the only team showing interest and given his price tag, the swingman could be too expensive for what he’d provide. Still, he’d certainly help improve their flailing defense and would be a solid addition if the price was right.
For now, that appears to be the biggest looming question – what will Arron Afflalo cost?
