Trade Prop: Changing of the Raptors guards
By Brian Boake
Here’s a major Raptors – 76ers trade proposal, one fraught with risk but also the potential for great reward.
I can’t let go of the concern that all the efforts of the Toronto Raptors are going to waste.
- The Raptors roster is strong, experienced and deep. Yet there are no current superstars on it, and none of the kids looks likely to morph into one.
- Without a transcendent player, Toronto seems a poor bet to win a championship. Even assuming the Raptors can repeat last season’s playoff success, and reach the Eastern Conference finals, they are still odds-on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. They need to win four games against them, and likewise against the Golden State Warriors, before they can become champions. That’s several miles past “Highly Unlikely”.
- The only way to break the miserable cycle is to find a great player. Whaddya know, guys like that are in perpetually short supply and usually guarded jealously by their teams.
- The Philadelphia 76ers’ roster is unworkable at the moment. They have a glut of young, talented big men, and a vacuum in the backcourt.
- The Raptors have an enormous problem coming up fast in the rearview mirror, that being the near certainty point guard (and team MVP, in my opinion) Kyle Lowry is going to want to double his current stipend of $12 million after this season. He’ll certainly get offers from elsewhere. Do the Raptors really want to end up capped out for probably 3 years to retain an aging (most gracefully!) Lowry?
That’s the backstory. Here’s the trade:
As mentioned previously, the trade works despite the salary disparity because Philadelphia is under the cap. The Raptors would save whatever portion remains of the difference between Lowry’s $12 million and Okafor’s $4.78 M. I say that because I would not do this trade tomorrow; if the trigger was pulled at all, it would be at the trade deadline.
Why then? Because to do this trade immediately is to risk disaster.
Trade Timing is Critical
By late January, we’ll have a reasonably clear picture of several important issues: whether the Raptors are built for a deep playoff run, and if Lowry is once again playing at an All-Star level. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll know whether Okafor’s rookie season, beset as it was by incredibly bad off-the-court decisions and injury, was an aberration or a pattern. Is Okafor going to be the next Tim Duncan or the second coming of DeMarcus Cousins?
We’ll also have a strong sense of whether Okafor is in the long-term picture in Philly, or is being squeezed out by the impressive trio of Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Local Hero
From the Colangelos’ perspective, Kyle Lowry in Philly is as good as it gets. He’s from the city, and Bryan traded for him while Raptors GM. Trading for him once again isn’t exactly far-fetched.
Furthermore, Bryan and Dear Old Dad Jerry have to believe their chances of extending Kyle are better than almost anyone else’s. After Kyle opts out of his current contract’s final season, he could sign a comfortable 3-year, $70M extension with his hometown team, and hang up his sneakers when it’s done.
Trade Impact
If Masai Ujiri made this trade, he would be crowning Delon Wright as the Raptors starting point guard, backed up by Cory Joseph (and Fred VanVleet or Norman Powell). That’s a major risk, but it all circles back to my main point – if the Raptors want a young superstar, they will have to trade for him.
The 76ers get a veteran at point guard, their position of greatest need. The Raptors get a potential frontcourt beast and significant cap relief.
Is this deal clever or crazy? Debate starts in the comments, Rapture Nation.