NBA Trade Deadline 2023: Suns ‘target Raptors guard Fred VanVleet as successor to Chris Paul’

The road to an NBA title might go through Toronto, not that the 11th-place Raptors have much of a chance at the hardware.

Instead, the Raptors are at the center of multiple trade rumors, which may prove consequential as the NBA’s February 9 deadline approaches.

Veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein reports that the Phoenix Suns have targeted Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet as a potential replacement for 37-year-old point guard Chris Paul, while the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur reports that team President Masai Ujiri has been offered three first-round picks for versatile forward OG Anunoby.

Veteran NBA scribe Marc Stein reports that the Phoenix Suns have targeted Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet as a potential replacement for 37-year-old point guard Chris Paul, while the Toronto Star’s Bruce Arthur reports that team President Masai Ujiri has been offered three first-round picks for versatile forward OG Anunoby

VanVleet can opt for free agency this summer, so it’s unlikely that the Suns would make Ujiri an enticing offer without some assurance that he would sign in Phoenix for the long term.

Stein also reports that the Suns are eyeing other speedy guards, such as Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and New York’s Immanuel Quickley, although the latter is said to be ‘off the table.’

VanVleet is a 28-year-old combo guard, who stands just 6-foot-1, but packs a scoring punch, averaging 19.1 points a game this season and 14.2 for his career.

Anunoby, meanwhile, is averaging 17.4 points a game while grabbing nearly 5.7 rebounds a night to boot.

Raptors exec Masai Ujiri (left) was offered three first-rounders for OG Anunoby (not pictured)

The 37-year-old Chris Paul isn’t going to play many more years, so the Phoenix Suns are making plans for his eventual successor at point guard 

While trade rumors circle Toronto, they’re beginning to dissipate in Washington after the Wizards dealt forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendruck Nunn and three second-round picks. While many expected Kyle Kuzma to follow Hachimura out the door in Washington, Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer is now reporting that the Wizards have told interested teams that they are not going to part with the 6-foot-9 forward.

The Atlanta Hawks and Suns were reportedly interested.

Kuzma is expected to decline his $13 million player option next season.

The Suns are just in seventh place in the West at 24-24, while ranking just 20th in the NBA in scoring and are just 22nd in field-goal percentage.

While trade rumors circle Toronto, they’re beginning to dissipate in Washington after the Wizards dealt forward Rui Hachimura to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kendruck Nunn and three second-round picks. While many expected Kyle Kuzma to follow Hachimura out the door in Washington, Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer is now reporting that the Wizards have told interested teams that they are not going to part with the 6-foot-9 forward