NBA Trade Rumors: Pacers Could Send Victor Oladipo To Raptors For Fred VanVleet And OG Anunoby
After they got swept by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2020 Playoffs, rumors have started to circulate around veteran shooting guard Victor Oladipo and his future with the Indiana Pacers. Though he blossomed into an All-Star caliber talent in Indiana, there are speculations that Oladipo is leaning toward leaving the Pacers when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021. If Oladipo no longer has any interest in staying with the team, it would be best for the Pacers to consider trading him in the 2020 offseason than lose him in free agency without getting anything in return.
One potential landing spot for Oladipo this fall is the Toronto Raptors. According to Brendan Purdue of Fansided’s 8 Points 9 Seconds, the Pacers may consider sending Oladipo to the Raptors in exchange for a package that includes Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby. Before pushing through with the trade, Toronto would first need to convince VanVleet to agree to a sign-and-trade deal.
“VanVleet could give the Pacers a backcourt scoring option if Oladipo decides to leave. VanVleet is coming off the best season of his career averaging 17.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game which are all career highs. He shot very well from the floor this season posting an effective field goal percentage of nearly 51 percent. VanVleet would pair great with the bigger Brogdon and make for a formidable backcourt. This is where this trade enters the land of ‘too good to be true.’ OG Anunoby has developed into quite the NBA player and if you watched him during his time at Indiana you already knew what he was capable of.”
The proposed scenario is actually a no-brainer for the Pacers. In exchange for Oladipo’s expiring contract, they would be acquiring two younger and healthier guards in return. VanVleet and Anunoby may not be All-Star caliber players, but they are both very reliable contributors on both ends of the floor. Also, they fit perfectly with the timeline of Indiana’s core of Malcolm Brogdon, Domantas Sabonis, and Myles Turner.
Meanwhile, it remains a big question mark if the Raptors will agree to send VanVleet and Anunoby to Indiana for a one-year rental like Oladipo. The deal would make sense for the Raptors if it happened two years ago. However, as of now, it would be a foolish move for them to sacrifice two important members of their championship core for an injury-riddled veteran who is struggling to regain his All-Star form.
If ever the Raptors consider moving VanVleet and Anunoby, it would only be in a blockbuster deal that would enable them to land a legitimate superstar that could help them win their second NBA championship title.
