We're in February, the most interesting month of the NBA regular season. The All-Star weekend is rolling in with the trade deadline coming shortly after.

The Raptors are coming off the best win streak in franchise history, and completed January with a 12-1 record.

With 50 games under their belt, the trade chatter around the association is beginning to heat up. We're beginning to figure out the potential selling teams, whereas the Raptors will be in the buyer's market.

The challenge for General Manager Masai Ujiri will be to engineer a trade with 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster. The Raptors use a 9-man rotation night-in and night-out, but with recent injuries to DeMarre Carroll and James Johnson, we've seen rookie second-round pick Norman Powell step up in their absence. Other young players had to step up at some point this season. Bebe Nogueira got some important minutes when Jonas Valanciunas was ailing in November and December.

Whenever a team on the roll contemplates making a trade, there are a few things to take into consideration. A trade could very well put an end to the win streak and positive play of late. On the other hand, making a move could be a preemptive strike in preparation for potential or current injuries, which is the situation where the Raptors find themselves in.

Before analyzing trades through trial and error, teams must pinpoint the assets they are unwilling to trade and the pieces they could concievably part ways with.

The 'untouchables':

Kyle Lowry - All-Star starter, broke out in Toronto. He's the most talented point guard in franchise history and the heart and soul of the team.

View photos Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan (10) scores on Miami Heat's Amar'e Stoudemire (5) during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Friday January 22, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young More

DeMar DeRozan - Fan favourite, two-time All-Star. The decision to opt out in the summer is a slight concern, but DeMar is a lock to stick around.

Jonas Valanciunas - Big man in the paint. Talented scorer and rebounder just re-signed this past offseason and is going nowhere.

Cory Joseph - Possibly the best free agent pickup in Raptors history when looking at advanced stats and analytics.

Bismack Biyombo - Bismack has been a pleasant surprize this season, and where Valanciunas lacks in post defence, Biyombo makes up for with hustle and his 7'8" wingspan.

Bruno Caboclo - He's still very much a part of the future and the hope is he will come into his own when the Raptors are in the thick of competing for a championship.

The 'trade chips':

Patrick Patterson - Personally, I think Patterson is a key piece to the team's success this season despite a poor performance. But money-wise the Patman's cap hit is large enough to include in a deal for a superior talent. If there was a way to keep him on the team for the rest of the season, I'm all for it.

Luis Scola - The Argentine big man stepped in as the starting power forward and has performed admirably so far. Scola has added 3-point range to his offensive arsenal and brings some much needed basketball IQ to the locker room.

James Johnson - With the limited playing time at the beginning of the season, Johnson has taken it upon himself to accelerate the development of the youngins: Bebe, Bennett, Powell and Caboclo. Since Carroll's injury, he stepped in and the Raps didn't seem to lose a beat. It would be unfortunate to lose the mentor, but if the Raps are going to make a move, he's the most likely candidate to be moved.

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