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NBA Trade Deadline: Raptors rework roster by adding Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood

As the NBA trade deadline came and went Thursday after weeks of rumours, the Toronto Raptors made a couple of moves, while the biggest was the one they didn't make.

Franchise icon Kyle Lowry will remain a part of the Toronto Raptors for at least the rest of the season despite receiving interest from multiple teams, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, but shooting guard Norman Powell, PG Terence Davis and three-point specialist Matt Thomas were dealt.

Both Davis and Thomas were flipped for future second-round picks to Sacramento and Utah, respectively, but it was the Powell move that yielded by far the most significant return on the day — bringing Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood to town.

Here's a brief background on Toronto's new additions.

Gary Trent Jr.

The prized return of this trade is Trent Jr., who was drafted with the 37th overall pick by the Trailblazers in 2018 and is having a breakout year, averaging 15 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from beyond the arc. The 22-year-old guard flourished in the bubble during the 2019-2020 NBA season and became a mainstay in the Trailblazers rotation.

Gary Trent Jr. is an excellent pick up for the Raptors and should fill the hole left behind by Norman Powell's departure. (Getty)
Gary Trent Jr. is an excellent pick up for the Raptors and should fill the hole left behind by Norman Powell's departure. (Getty)

He continued to develop into one of the league’s elite shooters with an eFG percentage of 76 percent on unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers this season.

He’s also listed at 6-foot-5, 209 pounds, and possesses a 6-foot-8.5 wingspan, which means Trent Jr. could easily slide into Powell’s small forward position to provide similar production on the scoring front while bringing more efficiency on the defensive end.

Rodney Hood

Hood has bounced around the league making stops with the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trailblazers. After being drafted by the Utah Jazz at the 23rd overall pick in 2014, Hood showcased himself as a reliable scorer with ability to shoot from long-range but has struggled to replicate the productivity on a consistent basis after getting traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018.

The 6-foot-8 shooting guard is also still recovering from an achilles injury that he suffered last season but could offer some much-needed depth to the Raptors bench that is inept at scoring, aside from Boucher.

Both players are on expiring contracts this season and will hit the free agency market this summer. Trent Jr. will become a restricted free agent while Hood will be an unrestricted free agent.

With the trade deadline officially over, the Raptors hope to turn their season around after an impressive blowout win on Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets and ride that momentum when they face the Phoenix Suns on Friday.

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