The NBA trade deadline has come and gone heralding in the buyout season, and boy are there some good options available for the Toronto Raptors.

Barreling towards the trade deadline, little was rumored about this formidable Toronto squad. They were 36 and 16 and have since improved to 41 and 16. Now, the Raps face arguably their clearest path to the Finals, well, probably ever... an unproven Boston Celtics team and the beleaguered Cleveland Cavaliers being the only 'roadblocks' in Toronto's way.

The Raps, poised so advantageously, could've obviously benefited from some key additions, an extra shooter being target numero uno. Although Toronto makes just over 11 threes per game, they convert on only 35 percent of their attempts, one of the worst conversion rates in the league. Naturally, the Toronto trade rumors that emerged centered on finding Dwane Casey a sharpshooter that could help spread the floor.

Yet, despite all the action going on around them with the Cavs overhauling their roster at the deadline, the only move Toronto ended up making was to send Bruno Caboclo to the Sacramento Kings for Malachi Richardson. They remained relatively intact but failed to address their desire to nab another shooter, Richardson having little NBA experience and a less-than-stellar three-point shooting percentage.

Doug Smith wrote at the time at that the Toronto Raptors should stand pat at the deadline and instead turn their attention to buyout season. Smith said that playing the buyout game is "the cost-effective, low-risk kind of late-season, roster-altering move that puts good teams over the top."

In the case of Toronto, Smith is probably right, especially since the Raps have the ability to pick up a veteran without having to alter the roster that's brought them so much success thus far in the season.

Smith identified guys like Marco Belinelli and Joe Johnson as potential buyout targets... veteran sharpshooters who'd bring accuracy and experience to the team. While Belinelli and Johnson have already committed to other organizations, there are still numerous players that Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster could target in the buyout market.

Old Friends

Since speculation on buyout season started a few weeks ago, two familiar players have been rumored as potential targets for Toronto... Vince Carter and Chris Bosh.

Michael Grange reported on deadline day that Toronto's FO had been discussing Carter internally.

Carter, a legendary figure in Toronto basketball, doesn't necessarily have the same explosiveness and showmanship he once had. Should he get bought out by the Sacramento Kings, the 41-year-old Carter would offer veteran leadership, 35 percent three-point shooting, and defensive intensity.

There's been significant debate amongst fans as to whether the Raps should bother bringing Carter back. At any rate, Josh Lewenberg tweeted that Toronto has put a reunion with VC on hold. The reports have since been confirmed by others.

As for Chris Bosh, the former Raptors' forward teased a potential comeback on First Take last week, saying that he'd like to come into a winning situation. He then identified the Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors, and the Toronto Raptors as potential landing spots. "A winning situation... top three," Bosh said of his hopeful destination. "I would say right now Houston, Golden State, man, Toronto's playing well right now, you gotta put them in the top three."

Bosh last played for the Miami Heat during the 2015-2016 season, where he put up averages of 19 points, seven boards, and two assists on roughly 37 percent shooting from deep. At only 33-years-old, there's no doubt he still has gas in the tank and could easily contribute off the bench to a winning basketball team. He offers leadership, playoff experience, and can space the floor, among other things that Toronto fans remember him fondly for.

Bosh, unfortunately, had to call it quits due to serious heart issues. His medical status is still uncertain and remains a major point of contention around his playing status. While bringing Bosh back to Toronto would be a nice option, the prospect of doing so is more fantasy than reality for health reasons alone.

Better options are out there.

Enticing Options

Lewenberg reported Monday that the Raptors might try to bring in Arron Afflalo should he manage to engineer a buyout with the Orlando Magic. As it turns out, Ujiri had previously worked with Afflalo in Denver and also has a good working relationship with Orlando's Jeff Weltman.

Afflalo, 32, has been struggling with the Magic so far this season, only averaging three points per game in 13 minutes off the bench. Even so, the 10-year-veteran has found significant success throughout his career as a budget scorer, his recent struggles being uncharacteristic of his ability. For his career, Afflalo has averaged 11 points per game on almost 39 percent from beyond the arc.

Even if Afflalo doesn't get back to his former self, he still offers veteran leadership and could help mentor OG Anunoby and Norman Powell... not to mention the fact that he's still knocking down 37 percent of his threes in the midst of the worst scoring season of his career. Assuming that Afflalo can shake off his slump, he could easily provide an injection of scoring off the bench and help bolster Toronto's wing rotation.

And in Toronto's three-heavy offense, Afflalo could feast off the bench.

The buyout season unofficially ends on March 1st, the last day that players can be waived and remain eligible to join another team to compete in the playoffs. The market is expected to heat up and Toronto is expected to be active.

All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com, unless otherwise stated.