One of the clearest reports surrounding the New Orleans Pelicans as the February 5th trade deadline approaches is the front office's desire to trade second-year big man Yves Missi.
To this point, the two teams mentioned by multiple sources as potential landing spots for Missi were the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers. However, in ClutchPoints' NBA insider Brett Siegel's most recent report, the Raptors have emerged as a potential third suitor for the former All-Rookie second-team member.
Siegel mentioned that with the Raptors looking to bolster their frontcourt while also getting under the luxury tax, Missi could be an ideal solution for Toronto. With the Raptors struggling immensely on the glass, ranking in the bottom 10 in rebounds per game, Missi could be a fix to that problem. Missi ranks 5th among players who have played 30 or more games this season in offensive rebounding percentage, according to NBA.com.
Given the Raptors are in desperate need of rim protection, the Pelicans can offer them a logical option in Missi, but at a price.
Why this trade could be a win-win
In addition to Siegel's report, another report emerged about the expected return for Missi. As NBA insider Jake Fischer reported, New Orleans is hoping to acquire a first-round pick for their second-year center. Obviously, the whole point of getting a first is to make up for the Pels being without their own, thanks to the draft-night trade with Atlanta to acquire Derik Queen.
So, with Toronto currently being the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and having the projected 19th overall pick, could they see value in giving up their pick for some frontcourt help? I don't see why not.
It's not like Missi is just some rental big who might be there for one season and then leave. He has two years left on his deal after this season and has shown great potential to develop into an elite rim-protecting, lob-threat. Not to mention, he is already impacting winning in a big way, as he leads the Pelicans in net rating.
Missi's averages of 5.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game won't jump out at you—he provides the type of production the Raptors need to round out their roster. Things are really clicking right now for Toronto as they have won four of their last five games. The only weakness is the center spot, which Missi can change.
With the Eastern Conference presumably wide open, the Raptors could be ready to go all in for a deep playoff run. While other teams may be able to offer fun young talent, the Pelicans are clearly prioritizing draft picks over anything else right now. That makes Toronto a near-perfect partner in a potential Yves Missi deal ahead of the February 5th trade deadline.