Raptors draft-day math: does 9 + 27 equal 4?

The NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and GMs are burning up the phone lines. Here’s a deal I think would help the Raptors.

Loyal readers will recall a post I wrote with great help from former Toronto Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald. I discussed the sweetheart deal the Raptors cooked up with the Golden State Warriors in 1998, in which the Raptors selected Antawn Jamison at #4, the Warriors chose Vince Carter next, and the players were swapped.

March 18, 2016; Spokane , WA, USA; California Golden Bears forward Jaylen Brown (0) moves to the basket against Hawaii Rainbow Warriors during the first half of the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

That such a bizarre transaction could occur (why didn’t Grunwald just take Carter at #4…read the posts) has convinced me (not that I needed much convincing) that the NBA draft is awash with strange, ultra-secret machinations.

Let’s have some fun. As a starting position, we’ll assume Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is in love with Jaylen Brown. Not being anyone’s fool, Masai knows Brown is most unlikely to be on the board when our team is “on the clock” with the #9 pick. What to do?

The Phoenix Suns own the #4 pick. Masai calls up his counterpart in Arizona, Ryan McDonough, and says “Ryan, here’s the deal. You pick Jaylen Brown, then trade him to us. We’ll give you our #9 and #27 picks, plus a second-rounder next year, in exchange.”

For Phoenix, the temptation to bulk up on two first-rounders, one a lottery pick, may be too great to resist. The Suns are in rebuild mode; the more young talent they can assemble, the better.

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For our team, the appeal of the deal is clear-cut. Not only do we get who we want in Brown, but we don’t get a pair of picks when our ability to absorb them is in question.

You may be asking why Masai doesn’t make this pitch to the draft’s first three teams, i.e., the 76ers, Lakers, and Celtics. Here’s how I see it: The GMs in Philly and LA aren’t listening to trade pitches for their picks (OK, Bryan Colangelo in Philly might hear Masai out, for old times’ sake) as they are probably already sold on Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, everyone’s top pairing. As for Boston, they have three first-rounders (and five second-rounders!) already. The last thing they need is to make a trade resulting in a fourth first-round draftee. I don’t think the Celtics’ Danny Ainge would like my arithmetic anyway. #9 & #27 for #3? I’d pass if I were him, on that basis alone.

Could my Toronto-Phoenix deal occur? Yes, it’s plausible, but so many dominoes would have to be knocked down in order. Most importantly, Boston has to choose someone other than Brown at #3. The California swingman has been rocketing up the mock drafts, and if Ainge picks him, the deal is moot.

Next: Raptors win in spite of defeat

What say you, Rapture Nation? If Brown is available at #4, would you have a secret agreement in place to bring him to Toronto? Comments, please.

[Editor’s Note: Once again I express my appreciation to Glen Grunwald, currently the Athletic Director at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. Go Marauders! This time, he sanity-checked my assumptions. Thanks, Glen!!]

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