Toronto Raptors Trade Rumors: Do the Raptors Have Any Trade Untouchables?

Just to clear things up, a trade untouchable, is a player who is unlikely to be traded away to another team, which is something the Raptors have a lot of.

The Toronto Raptors, without a doubt, are one of the youngest teams in the league as of right now and are indefinitely in rebuilding mode. It will take some time for this team to become playoff contenders again, but the wait is worth while considering how much potential the Raptors youngsters have.

The Raptors started off rebuild mode by drafting UNC big man Ed Davis and made the first big trade of the season when they sent Jarret Jack, David Anderson, and Marcus Bank to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic. This trade gave the Raptors Peja's expiring $15 million contract which is a huge plus to any team. The expiring contract gives the Raptors at least $15 million in cap space to use for free agents.

Peja's contract is something that could be used in an upcoming trade. Although Peja's contract is a big trade asset, there are some things that the Raptors have that are not (trade assets). These are the players that I will name in my slideshow.

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Andrea Bargnani

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 05: Andrea Bargnani #1 of the Toronto Raptors controls the ball against Lamar Odom #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 5, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and a

Bargnani is without a doubt, the Raptors best player. He is the only dino who is averaging more than 20 PPG and although he isn't the most dominant center in terms of rebounding and defense, he grabs the boards when they count.

Bargnani is the Raptors franchise player for now, and has a very low chance of begin traded to another team. As the core to the Raptors offense, losing Bagnani would mean losing a lot of offense which is something the Raptors do not want to lose because of their horrid defending.

Chances of Bargnani being traded: 5%

Demar DeRozan

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DALLAS - FEBRUARY 13: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors goes up for a dunk with the help of teammate Sonny Weems during the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on All-Star Saturday Night, part of 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend at American Airlines Center on Febru

DeRozan has been a monster in his past two games and all Raptor fans hope that he can continue his current play in the coming future. His jump shot has clearly improved from last season and is starting to draw more fouls, leading to more free throws.

DeRozan is yet to reach his prime, and although he has a partially high trade value, the Raptors will probably keep him in their system for a good 3-4 years.

Probably one of the most entertaining players in the league, his play would draw a huge crowd on many occasions, but as mentioned above, it is highly doubtful for him to be traded.

Chance of DeRozan being traded: 10%

Sonny Weems

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 02: Sonny Weems #24 of the Toronto Raptors against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on December 2, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, Use

Weems, just like DeRozan, is one of the more entertaining players in the league with his big dunks. He has an average shot, but is mostly inconsistent during games. He took the starting role from Linas Kleiza, who is starting to slowly improve from his horrid start to the season, and Weems could not handle the job very well. Weems is still young and giving him the starting role may have added more pressure on him, resulting in his bad play.

Weems comes cheap at almost $850,000 per year. His contract is bound to expire as he becomes a free agent at the end of the offseason. The Raptors may insist on keeping him to have a backup for Kleiza, or they might trade him away to teams that are in trouble with the salary cap.

He is a fan-favourite due to his pre-mentioned dunks, but he isn't someone who is going to play well on a nightly basis. It is hard to predict whether or not the Raptors will keep Weems in their roster before the trade deadline.

Weems could be a small piece in a trade to even up salary issues between teams.

Chance of Weems being traded: 30%

Ed Davis

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NEW YORK - JUNE 24: Ed Davis stands with NBA Commisioner David Stern after being drafted thirteenth by The Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden on June 24, 2010 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by download

Davis is the newest Raptor on this list. Being drafted 10th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft, he was brought in as a replacement for Chris Bosh. Davis' offensive fundamentals are not the best when it comes to close or mid-range jump shots, but he can sometimes be a presence in the paint.

He is without a doubt, one of the Raptors best defensive players when it comes to big men. He can easily block shots and prevent other big men from making them (shots).

The only problem with Davis is that he is very inconsistent. Some nights, he is a monster on the boards and a huge defensive presence. Other nights, he gets only two points and a couple rebounds. That is the only problem with Davis.

If Davis is to improve his game, he can easily become a 10 and 10 (points and rebounds) guy on the team.

Davis was just recently drafted and Raptors need help on the front court so the chances of Davis being traded away are very rare.

Chances of Davis being traded: 0.1%

Thanks For Reading

Although the Raptors have some trade untouchables on their team, they also have the players that are highly likely to be traded.

These players include Peja Stojakovic and Reggie Evans, who both have big expiring contracts which would be very helpful for teams who are looking to free up some cap space for the upcoming offseason.

Thanks for reading