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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - Even after addressing their biggest area of need in arguably his boldest move at the helm of the Raptors a week ago, Masai Ujiri isn't done trying to make his team better.

The Raptors got their heavy lifting done early, acquiring star power forward Serge Ibaka from Orlando last Wednesday, but with the NBA trade deadline scheduled for 3PM Eastern Time on Thursday, Toronto is still in the market for some added depth on the wing, perhaps a big small forward or another shooter, sources have told TSN.

For those that are seeing Paul George and Jimmy Butler - big names at that position - out there on the rumour mill and getting excited: pump the breaks. Yes, they would look good in a Raptors uniform, the same way they would fit in nicely with 29 other NBA teams but even Toronto's best offer likely wouldn't be enough to pry players of that calibre away from Indiana and Chicago, respectively. And, with the ultimate trump card(s) (Brooklyn's first-round picks in each of the next two drafts), the Celtics could and almost certainly would outbid them.

All that is to say: don't expect them to make another big move or even give up another veteran rotation player before the off-season. However, if the Ibaka deal told us anything it's that Ujiri is serious about making a run this year, and balancing out his suddenly lopsided roster may give them a better chance at doing so, even if it takes a more under-the-radar deal to do that.

With Ibaka stepping in to fill their starting power forward gig, the Raptors' most pressing need is now on the wing, where they will look to add a player that brings some experience, size, toughness and physicality, someone who could serve as insurance for the often-injured DeMarre Carroll and inherit James Johnson's old role as the situational 10th man.

In terms of what they could offer for such a player, the expiring contract of the sparingly used and expendable Jared Sullinger suddenly seems to have some value, at least for salary matching purposes. In addition, they could dangle some of their point guard depth - particularly the intriguing Delon Wright - one of their young bigs, and/or the late first-round draft pick that remains after the Ibaka deal.

Of the names they have been linked to, Phoenix's P.J. Tucker may make the most sense, both in terms of fit and expected cost. While a handful of teams are said to have expressed interest in the 31-year-old swingman, the belief is that he could be had for a first-round pick. Although he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, a team that trades for him would own his Bird rights, allowing them to retain his services even if they are over the salary cap (which Toronto would be, assuming they re-sign Ibaka, Kyle Lowry and, perhaps, Patrick Patterson).

Denver's Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are costlier options and have also been linked to Toronto, though it should be noted that was before the acquisition of Ibaka and it's unclear whether or not the Raptors are still interested.

In many ways they were fortunate to be able to pull off their big move a week in advance of the deadline, earlier than most teams in Orlando's position tend to sell star players. The Raptors have had some time to get Ibaka settled in the city and he will participate in a couple of practices - the first of which came Wednesday evening - before making his debut at home against the Celtics on Friday.

"Masai and the front office did an excellent job of getting that done quickly," Dwane Casey said following Wednesday's practice, roughly 19 hours ahead of the deadline. "Giving us a chance to do our homework and prepare, to understand where to put him and what he likes to do. It's not like we're going in one day before a game."

He's picking things up quickly, according to Casey, which is to be expected given his eight years of NBA experience. They gave him some homework - videos of their plays - over the all-star break and are confident the transition will be seamless.

Another added benefit of the timing: Ujiri and general manager Jeff Weltman got an extra week to evaluate their team, their new team anyway, and have a pretty good idea of where they stand, what they need.

"Guys shouldn't be looking over their shoulder," Casey said. "They shouldn't have been looking over their shoulder before, and they're not [now]. We're set, unless something happens in the next 24 hours, but [I like] the group we have, I like the addition of Serge. It's a huge addition for us on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively."

In his three-and-a-half-year tenure, prior to the Ibaka addition, Ujiri had made just two mid-season trades. Now, in just over a week, he can double that total if he's able to swing another deal.