Three Trades Masai Ujiri Must Consider For The Raptors

2. Brooklyn Nets

I’m just gonna come out and say it… The Brooklyn Nets are TRASH! How they even beat the Raptors in 2014 still baffles me. They’ve swung for the fences in the worst possible way and essentially mortgaged their future trying (and failing) to win now, mostly because

Emperor

Owner Mikhail Prokhorov believed it was possible. So any potential trade involving Brooklyn will need to include draft picks, as they have next to none for the next few years.

Enter Toronto.

Here are two ways Toronto and Brooklyn can potentially settle their differences and mutually benefit each other.

Ideal Scenario:

Our diligent Raptors Rapture editor, Brian Boake, touched on a similar deal a few days back. Here’s my take on how any with Brooklyn should work out:

1. The deal must put Toronto in a position to make a run at the Eastern Conference/NBA Finals.
2. Give Brooklyn some much needed financial flexibility.
3. Give Brooklyn some much need draft options.

This scenario does just that. With the acquisition of Thaddeus Young, the Raptors would add an athletic power player to their ranks. While undersized as a power forward at 6-foot-8, Young provides the talents of Patterson and Johnson combined and more consistently. He may not be an elite player, but with the current mix of players the Raptors currently possess, it wouldn’t make a huge difference. His 15 points and 9 boards per game would make him the perfect starter, allowing Luis Scola to add his unique skill set to the bench mob. And while the Raptors would be on the hook for at least two and a half years of Young’s existing contract ($11.2 million, $12.1 million and $12.9 million respectively), the new salary cap increase will make it seem like pocket change in the grand scheme of things.

Brooklyn on the other hand, receives just about everything they could want. Both Patterson and Johnson’s contracts expire at the end of the year, giving the Nets some wiggle room to make moves in the off season. They would receive a pair of draft picks for their troubles, which wouldn’t be too much of a bad thing for Toronto, given the glut of picks they possess.

Both sides win.

Swing For The Fences Scenario:

Same scenario, one less pick, two new players added to the mix.

Should Masai Ujiri decide that Terrence Ross’ recent hot streak is too good to be true, he might consider moving him. And while I’m usually against trading dynamic players within the same division, adding sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic would be a welcomed addition. A young 2nd year player, Bogdanovic is currently averaging 33.9 percent from 3 point range and just under 10 points per game, which pretty much falls in line to what Ross has been contributing thus far. Bojan might not be the best defender, but he’s no pylon either.

But again, this would be swinging for the fences, and first scenario would be the most practical of the two.

Probability of Trade: 7 of 10

Next: Phoenix Suns: Free Morris!