Why Raptors shouldn't trade Quickley ahead of the deadline

"Immanuel Quickley's up-and-down play so far this season has been immensely divisive. There are sensible cases both for and against the sharpshooting guard. His pull-up 3-point shooting provides an oasis on a team otherwise barren. But his lack of ability to access dangerous areas of the court with his dribble and create for others from the lead guard spot are both troubling and emblematic of greater issues that plague the team's offence as a whole."

"Well, this outburst is indicative of why he shouldn't be trade fodder as we approach the Feb. 5 deadline. But it isn't because Quickley's miraculous surge has suddenly made him indispensable to the Raptors. Even though in some ways he is indispensable to the Raptors. This is starting to sound like Anton Chigurh's lucky coin "don't put it in your pocket, or it will get mixed in with the others and become just a coin ... which it is" speech. Let me explain."

"Quickley's always been essential to the Raptors' offence, even while he was slumping and despite his limitations. The heater was simply his world-class shot making coming around in a big way. Shooting variance giveth and taketh away. At the same time, his contract is a little rich for an off-ball shooting threat that isn't able to create. Too rich for four games to fix, no matter how sensational."

Immanuel Quickley's season has been uneven, producing debate about his overall value. His pull-up three-point shooting provides necessary spacing on an otherwise barren offense. He struggles to attack high-value areas off the dribble and cannot reliably create for teammates from the primary ball-handler role. A recent historic scoring outburst and Player of the Week honor highlight shooting volatility more than fundamental change. His shooting variance can swing performance, but the Raptors' offense still requires playmaking and penetration. Quickley's contract is relatively expensive for an off-ball specialist, making him a poor trade target based solely on a short hot streak.

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