If Mikhail Prokhorov really wants to hold onto Thaddeus Young --and Brook Lopez-- he may be tested before the deadline.

Brian WIndhorst reports that the Toronto Raptors, creeping ever closer to the Cleveland Cavaliers in East standings, are pursuing Young. Here's what the ESPN writer said on a Toronto radio station this week, as transcribed by The Brooklyn Game...

"I think they’re gonna go for it. I think from what I understand, from what I’m hearing, they’re pretty aggressive in the trade market. They’re looking for power forwards. I’ve heard them attached to Thaddeus Young. I’ve heard them attached to (Nuggets forward) Kenneth Faried. I’ve heard them attached to (Suns forward) Markieff Morris. They have extra draft picks. I wouldn’t trade that New York Knicks pick unless it was for a blockbuster acquisition, because you can’t protect it, you can’t protect another team’s pick. I would do it if I could put, like, a top-five protection on it. But you can’t do that. You can’t say, allright, we’ll give you two of our picks if it falls in the top five. But they have assets to do it. They have some young players.".

No further details but if you wanted a draft pick or two, the Raptors have a few extra. Not only do they have the Knick pick, which increasingly looks like a lottery pick, they also have a first-round pick from the Los Angeles Clippers and their own. Both would be around No. 25, not exactly prime territory in a draft that's expected to be top-heavy.

The Nets would also have to take back some salary, perhaps Patrick Patterson or Cory Joseph (unlikely). There are still eight days until the trade deadline and the Nets are interviewing candidates for GM.