Raptors Temple on trade deadline and new-look team

The Toronto Raptors took it down to the wire Friday night when they played their first game at home in two weeks before beating the Houston Rockets 107-104.

A familiar face was on the visitor’s bench as Fred VanVleet made his first appearance at Scotiabank Arena as a member of the Rockets since signing with them in the off-season after seven years with the Raptors.

From the Raptors team that VanVleet won the NBA title with in 2019, only Chris Boucher remains. Ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline on Thursday, Toronto was active, pulling the trigger on two separate deals before the 3 p.m. deadline.

Toronto sent Otto Porter Jr., guard Kira Lewis Jr., and a 2024 first-round draft pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kelly Olynyk and Ochai Agbaji. A few hours later they dealt Thad Young, and Dennis Schröder to the Brooklyn Nets for guard Spencer Dinwiddie who was later waived.

The Leader Spirit’ Sports Reporter Lindsay Dunn spoke with Raptors veteran Garrett Temple about the moves the team made and where he sees the future of the franchise going.

Lindsay Dunn (LD): Garrett, I know you have been traded in previous years so you are familiar with the emotions of a trade deadline. What were you doing on Thursday leading up to the deadline?

Garrett Temple {GT}: I was getting my car serviced and we actually had a group chat with Bruce (Brown) and Dennis (Schröder). After we made the trade for Kelly and Ochai, I just asked them what were they hearing from their agents and stuff, and then Dennis got traded maybe an hour after that.

LD: There were so many rumors going around the Raptors leading up to the trade deadline did you have any idea that the Raptors would make those two moves?

GT: Yeah, I had no idea. You know, again, like those two guys had an idea (Dennis and Kira), Thad didn’t know. Obviously, Otto had an idea. At the end of the day you never say never when you have been at it as long as Thad or myself. So at the end of the day, you plan for the worst and hope for the best

LD: Now to what the Raptors brought in with Olynyk and Agbaji, how do you fit into this team?

GT: Kelly brings steadying influence. You know, he’s always been a steady player, knows his game, and is very effective at what he does. In the second unit, he’s going to bring that calming influence that Thad was able to bring and that Dennis was able to bring off the bench. So I think it’ll be really good for us there as well as just another guy who has double digits in the league. I think he is in his 11th year, I think. As for Ochai, he is an athlete who can get downhill, a young guy that can really play. He seems like he listens and he’s coachable, but just another athlete that can really score for us and get downhill in transition and defend as well. So I think it’ll be good.

LD: One of your new teammates, Bruce Brown, was surrounded by trade rumours but in the locker room right now we are surrounded by the country music he is blasting. It’s been a while since I’ve heard any music being played in here and don’t actually think I’ve ever heard country playing.

GT: (laughs) I play golf with him. I don’t really like it because he beat me when he had this playing (Luke Combs was playing during the interview). So next time we won’t be playing country. But I will say I don’t listen to country much but, country music gets a bad rap. It has some really good lyrics if you really just listen to it.

LD: Have to ask you about the biggest game in sports on Sunday, the Superbowl, who are you hoping wins Kansas City or San Francisco?

GT: I mean, it’s tough to bet against Pat Mahomes, but Brock Purdy is a follower of Christ, as I am. So I’m going to be rooting for the Niners. It’s tough to bet against Mahomes though who is probably going to go down in the record books as one of the best if not the best quarterback in history. But I would love for Brock Purdy and the 49ers to get the W.