In non-trade deadline news, there’s an actual NBA basketball game that’s going to be played Wednesday night between the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.
With so many trade rumours swirling these days and the possibility of both Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell being dealt before Thursday’s trade deadline it’s a little difficult to get a feel for what the Raptors will look like on Wednesday. Vegas sportsbooks have them as about +2 point underdogs against the Nuggets, according to Covers, though that line could jump significantly if Toronto starts selling off assets.
It should help Toronto that Denver is coming off a 110-99 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. Both Nikola Jokic and Canadian Jamal Murray topped the 36-minute mark against the Magic and will be asked to bounce back quickly for Wednesday night’s outing.
If the Raptors are going to pull off the upset and snap their nine-game losing streak it’s going to mean slowing down Jokic. Toronto has not had much success this season against the league’s best centres, but they did hold Joel Embiid to two of his worst shooting performances of the season just before the all-star break. Even if Aron Baynes doesn’t start Wednesday night, he should see plenty of minutes off the bench as Toronto tries to match up with Denver’s MVP-caliber big.
Further Reading
Report: Kyle Lowry’s preferred trade destination is in Miami
Report: 76ers willing to move Tyrese Maxey in trade for Kyle Lowry
Report: Miami Heat & Philadelphia 76ers lead pursuit of Kyle Lowry
