Raptors: Toronto should insist on Moses Brown in Goran Dragic trade

The Toronto Raptors acquired Goran Dragic in the Kyle Lowry swap, but he hasn’t done much to endear himself to the fanbase since his arrival. A swap to the Dallas Mavericks that brings back players like Dwight Powell and Moses Brown makes a ton of sense for all parties, but it hasn’t quite materialized just yet.

Dragic, who spent a few afternoons getting roasted by fans for saying he has “higher ambitions” than playing in Toronto at this stage of his career, might want to play alongside countryman Luka Doncic in Dallas, but it will be tough for Toronto to get adequate trade value due to both Dragic’s salary and Dallas’ lack of depth.

One way that the Raptors could get as much value as possible from Dallas in a Dragic swap is insisting that Brown be included as part of the deal. The Athletic’s John Hollinger has already hinted that the idea of waiting until October 1, which is the earliest time at which Brown could be traded, could be exactly what Toronto is trying to do.

If they are going to trade Dragic at some point before a needy contender is willing to part with tons of picks at the deadline, they should prioritize trying to acquire Brown, who would be a rock-solid offensive center and rebounder.

Moses Brown could come to the Raptors in a Goran Dragic trade.

A former top recruit who chose to go to UCLA, the 7-2 Brown finally got a chance to play with the Thunder last year. In 43 games with the Thunder, Brown averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, including an insane 20-20 game against the Celtics. Brown averaged 9.2 points and 10.0 rebounds from the Boston game onwards.

Flipped to Boston in the Kemba Walker deal, Brown was traded to Dallas in the Josh Richardson swap. With Willie Cauley-Stein, Boban Marjanovic, and Kristaps Porzingis still on the roster, Dallas can afford to part with Brown if it helps them land Dragic as a Doncic running mate.

The Raptors have the first two spots in their center rotation checked off with Precious Achiuwa and Khem Birch, but there are two ways that Brown could fit into this lineup. Either Achiuwa plays more like a traditional power forward or they end up keeping everyone where they are with Brown serving as the third center.

If Powell ends up being rerouted elsewhere as part of a three-team deal, Brown could help the Raptors get even more frontcourt depth, provided them with the rebounding chops and height they severely lacked last year.

Getting Brown in exchange for an aging Dragic would be a steal for the Raptors, and they should hold off on trading him until the Mavericks decide to part with Brown.