It doesn’t take a lot for a trade rumour to gain traction. Heck, it doesn’t even need to make a lot of sense. Fans are always desperate to talk about ways to make their team better and debate the merits of shunting players off for better ones in order to make that team a championship contender.

Sometimes, though, on rare occasions, rumours make perfect sense. Regardless of how much truth might be behind the scuttlebutt, there are times when names match need and the fit is ideal – it’s the perfect rumour. Paul Millsap to the Toronto Raptors falls into that category.

The Atlanta Hawks have reportedly made the soon-to-be 32-year-old three-time All-Star available in trade talks. (For what it’s worth, Millsap says he’s happy in Atlanta and wants to stay). With the team unhappy with losing Al Horford “for nothing” a summer ago when he signed with the Boston Celtics, the Hawks would prefer to accrue back some assets for Millsap, lest he opt out from the final year of his contract (which is expected) and sign elsewhere with nothing coming back in return.

How would the power forward fit in with the Raptors? Well, it seems pretty simple.

The Raptors are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. The gulf, though, between them and the East’s best club – the Cleveland Cavaliers – is pronounced. A good way to close the gap would be to address what has been the team’s glaring weakness for the past couple of season: the lack of a true option at the four.

It appeared that free-agent signing Jared Sullinger had the inside track as starting power forward when training camp broke. The recurrence of a foot injury and subsequent surgery before scuppered that before the season even began. The Raps are hopeful now that Sullinger can suit up toward the beginning of February. In the meantime, head coach Dwane Casey has taken a piecemeal approach to the position. Patrick Patterson – currently sidelined with a minor knee injury – has assumed the lion’s share of the work at the four with rookie Pascal Siakam spelling him.  Casey’s other options – such as an undersized DeMarre Carroll out of position – are unappealing.

Sullinger’s health keeps him a question mark and, while Patterson is more than serviceable and Siakam is showing promise, neither should be getting the minutes he is on a team that fancies itself a contender. That’s not to say the team can’t repeat last season’s playoff run and reach the Eastern Conference finals again, but the team as now constituted isn’t likely to trouble the Cavs any more than they did in 2016.

Millsap could change that. A prototypical stretch four, who’s a solid defender with a deft touch from beyond the arc (.318 on the year), the Louisiana Tech product is likely the best available player out there right now who could significantly improve the Raptors without removing a cornerstone. A starting five of Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan-Carroll-Millsap-Jonas Valanciunas would present as onerous a task for the Cavs in the playoffs as any they’ve faced in the past three years.

While a potential acquisition of Millsap wouldn’t cost a starter, it would do a major hit to the Raptors’ depth and rotation.

Millsap makes $20 million this season. Any trade for him would have to be relatively comparable. Teams are able to add 25 per cent on top of any outgoing contracts, meaning that the Raptors would have to send at least $16 million to the Hawks.

Okay, so what would that look like?

Terrence Ross – who’s found a level of consistency for the first time in his career this season – at three years and $10 million per would likely be included in any deal. Cory Joseph (three years and $7.32 million per) is a big upgrade on Malcolm Delaney and could work nicely behind Dennis Schroder in the Atlanta backcourt. Rookie Jakob Poeltl and sophomore Norman Powell – both still on their entry-level deals – are both attractive and cost efficient for a Hawks team that could look to significantly retool in the off-season. The Raptors also have a pair of first-round picks in June’s draft – their own, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers’ selection, acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in the Greivis Vasquez trade in 2015.

Regardless of composition, any outgoing package from the Raptors would test the club’s depth. On top of that, there’s the issue of trying to retain Millsap. Millsap – like Lowry – will seek a max deal as a free agent this summer. The Raps cannot afford both without exceeding the cap, so trading for Millsap in order to use his Bird rights to retain him might be the only way to make him more than a costly rental.

And it’s not Millsap or bust for the Raptors if Jeff Weltman decides he does want to upgrade at the four. The likes of Derrick Favors, Nerlens Noel and Serge Ibaka – a player the team kicked tires on at the draft – could also be available before the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Perhaps none of that trio appears to be the perfect fit that Millsap does, but none of the three would command the substantial package that Millsap would, either.

Whether or not the Paul Millsap watch is on, the next several weeks will be interesting ones for the Toronto Raptors.