Raptors ship Caboclo to Kings

The Raptors took a flyer on Bruno Caboclo, a late first-round draft pick whose body type intrigued the team.

Years later, the intrigue has been replaced by developmental fatigue with Caboclo now bound for Sacramento.

On a hectic trade deadline day, the Raptors’ deal with Sacramento involving Malachi Richardson had yet to be officially announced, but everything is in place and nothing, it would seem, would make this transaction fall through.

On the surface, it’s a simply deal involving two players who never found their way, but it’s Caboclo, infamously dubbed as being two years away from being two years away by an ESPN talking head, whose name will resonate among Raptors fans.

The truth is he never developed as the team had hoped, even though the Brazilian baller was raw with virtually no experience.

Richardson attended Syracuse and is known as a shooter who can go inside.

It was not immediately known what, if any, role he’ll have on a Raptors team that essentially lost no pieces from its rotation and added none unless Richardson becomes a revelation.

With teams likely to buyout players in the coming days and weeks, there is always the chance of the Raptors adding a piece, ideally a shooter or rebounder, as the push for the playoffs begin.

A year ago, P.J. Tucker was acquired on trade deadline day from Phoenix.

A week earlier, Serge Ibaka came to town in a deal from Orlando.

The need to add a piece to address an obvious deficiency is not as profound this season, which is why the Richardson acquisition should not viewed as any franchise-altering move.

The Cavs, in contrast, remade their roster in one day, getting younger, athletic and better defensively positioned as LeBron James plays perhaps his final season in Cleveland.

The other winner seems to be the Lakers, who have now cleared enough cap space to pursue two max players this summer, including James if he decides to leave his native Ohio for the second time in his career.

The Raptors have a good thing going, a place stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry acknowledged.

A year ago this time, both expressed a desire for change.

“I mean, honestly, I didn’t even know today was the deadline,’’ said DeRozan of Thursday. “I promise you I didn’t know.

“I don’t ever think about it. I just really don’t think about it. I just try to understand the task that’s at hand and that’s our next game and focus in on that.

“So my mindset is never on it. I don’t know nothing about no trade until I get on Instagram or something.”