Toronto Raptors: Mapping out 3 Norman Powell trade options

Norman Powell trade No. 3: Powell goes to Chicago in exchange for a big

If the Raptors decide to cash in their chips and make a move to the bottom this year, having their conference rivals pick up a few extra wins could make a surprising difference on Draft Night.

This might be the spiciest trade on this list. Adding Terence Davis to a package that already includes the best player in the trade (Powell) might seem like gilding the lily, but if the Raptors want to snag a talented young big like Wendell Carter Jr. then they’re going to have to overwhelm the Bulls with an offer.

Chicago is in an interesting spot in that they have a strong young core in the backcourt with Zach LaVine and Coby White, but not a lot of defense. The injection of two athletic wings like Powell and Davis could help a Bulls team trying to push for a playoff spot.

Davis is fun, but his contract expires at the end of this year and his highlights don’t reflect the skillset or consistency he doesn’t bring.  However, given the upside and the All-Rookie nod last year, and he might just be enough to swing a move for Wendell Carter. Davis is likely to want a fatter contract this offseason, which a dumb team will offer him. Masai won’t.

Will Carter and Felicio help the Raptors?

On the flip side, Carter is exactly the type of player the Raptors need.  A young yet intelligent big man who’ll protect the rim and grab double-digit rebounds frequently, the former Duke star is averaging 11.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, a frontcourt logjam could squeeze him out of the picture in Chicago.

He can hit a little from the outside and will be on an affordable contract for the next 2 years, so the Raptors’ first-class training could improve on his already strong game. Throw in Felicio to make the money work and things start to get interesting.

The one flaw with this move would that it would gut the Bulls frontcourt.  The Bulls probably wouldn’t make this trade if they didn’t believe their other young big Daniel Gafford could step up, and probably wouldn’t dream of shopping Carter if Lauri Markkanen was still injured, but Markkanen’s back now and Gafford has good per-36 numbers and percentages, so who knows?

Moving Powell isn’t going to help Toronto compete in 2021, but it could set them up nicely for the future.