Did the Raptors already win the NBA trade deadline?

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

The Raptors traded Terrence Ross and a low first for Serge Ibaka on Tuesday. This fulfills years of rumors that Toronto was after Ibaka — he fills a persistent need — and does so for a relatively low price, given how good Ibaka can be. (We were reminded of how good he can be in the Western Conference Finals last year, when his defense fully disrupted Golden State’s flow and his offense stretched the Warriors’ defense out.) The real cost here isn’t Ross or a pick: it’s salary. The Raptors are paying a price to challenge Cleveland.

Bill Simmons indicated that the Raptors taking their shot on Ibaka puts Boston in the NBA trade deadline driver’s seat now. I think that’s a hasty assessment for two reasons. The first is that with Paul Millsap off the market and essentially no All-Stars available, there is no obvious target asset for the Celtics. The teams actually in control of the deadline are those teams with very good players they need to decide whether to trade. The second point is that the Raptors still have several assets to swing another deal. Masai Ujiri might not be done. Given Danny Ainge’s hesitance to pull the trigger over the past year also factors in.

The other story here is the aimlessness of the Orlando Magic, but that is a story too sad for this early in the morning. Kristian Winfield explains how the Ibaka trades ended up shaking out for them.

TOR 94, CHI 105
CLE 116, MIN 108
SAC 97, LAL 96

Welp. Kevin Love is out six weeks after a knee scope. Wounds are adding up for the Cavaliers. LeBron remains confident as long as he is healthy. The concern at this point is that LeBron will be exhausted before the playoffs even begin. Here’s Tom Haberstroh making the strong case that LeBron should be taking entire games off.

Speaking of LeBron, this pass through Andrew Wiggins’ legs sure is something else.

The upside of the Love injury: Adam Silver gets to pick his replacement for the All-Star Game. I think that in light of the recent Madison Square Garden maelstrom, Carmelo Anthony deserves something nice to happen to him. I would also accept T.J. McConnell.

Fascinating story from Jonathan Abrams on the Magic vs. Jordan one-on-one PPV battle that never happened.

No one in the NBA ever knows what day it is.

I learned from Drake to never let anyone record you shooting hoops. Stephen A. Smith did not learn that lesson.

Howard Beck writes that the Knicks and their fans are trapped in the ‘90s.

Welp. The NBA started selling #RaiseTheCat t-shirts, angering the Sixers fan who sparked the whole #RaiseTheCat movement (one that has been adopted by Ben Simmons and the Sixers).

Jeremy Lin is still an American icon, writes Joon Lee.

The Wednesday before All-Star Weekend is among the strangest nights in any NBA season. Twenty-eight teams are in action, with about 90 percent of the players prepping for a short getaway from basketball and the other 10 percent trying to keep focus before participating in the festivities. It’s like the last day of school. Tasks tend to fall through the cracks. Anyway, your ESPN doubleheader is Pacers-Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET and Knicks-Thunder at 9:30.

Be excellent to each other.