Raptors trade Chris Paul in surprise deadline deal

The Toronto Raptors made a surprising move ahead of the NBA trade deadline, acquiring veteran point guard Chris Paul in a multi team deal, though reports say he will not report to the team.

According to media reports and ESPN, Toronto sent forward Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 second round draft pick and cash to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a deal involving the Los Angeles Clippers.

The trade helped the Raptors move out of the luxury tax while clearing salary for Los Angeles.

According to Sportsnet, head coach Darko Rajakovic addressed trade speculation with players earlier this week, telling reporters: "'Listen, we’ve got to acknowledge the trade deadline is around the corner. I don’t have information about what’s going on. I don’t want to know what’s going on until something goes down or doesn’t go down.'" 

"There is so little that we can control and so much that’s out of our control", he added. 

Toronto entered the week with a strong 30-21 record, sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference standings despite modest preseason expectations. Still, the team has struggled with depth at centre and three point shooting.

Players say the uncertainty is part of the business. Jamal Shead said, "This is a business, and you go and do your job every day, and what happens, happens." 

Sandro Mamukelashvili added: "We have games to play. I think that's the main focus right now, winning games and playing your part."

The Raptors continue to explore roster moves as the deadline approaches.