3 ill-fated trades Raptors were wise to pass on before deadline

The Toronto Raptors may not have had the most active trade deadline, but Masai Ujiri should still get some praise for how he handled things over the last few weeks. He managed to offload Goran Dragic and get something of value in return, which is not something every executive could’ve done.

Dragic was traded to (and subsequently bought out by) the Spurs along with a first-round pick to bring Thad Young and a second-round selection. Considering some of the unusual moves the league saw transpire over the last few weeks, that is by no means a bad return.

Although some players were either declining physically or not a good scheme fit for their respective clubs, some teams in the NBA made some truly wild trades that may not have been in their best long-term interests. At least Toronto didn’t go down that path.

These 3 trades were a bit puzzling when they went down, and some of them have already set their respective franchises back. Toronto adding Young is looking like a savvier deal than adding any one of these hypothetical players.

3 trades the Toronto Raptors should be praised for skipping.

3. Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis is a peculiar case. While he is undoubtedly a solid scorer when healthy and the clear No. 2 option in Dallas, his style of play and injury history made him a weird fit alongside Luka Doncic. Against all odds, the Wizards took a chance on him at a time when he didn’t seem like a valuable trade asset.

Washington traded the underperforming Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie to get him, but he has still not suited up for them. In addition, Washington has now been saddled with a very expensive contract right before a potential negotiation with Bradley Beal about his long-term desires.

Toronto Raptors rumors: Adding Kristaps Porzingis was too risky

If the Raptors went after Porzingis, as was rumored, they would’ve had to part with even more of their depth in order to take on a player that hasn’t played more than 60 games in five years and carries a huge salary cap hit. He’d give the team, height, but there are too many red flags.

Washington may have gotten off of two bad contracts in this deal, but all they did was throw themselves into even murkier waters? Are they making a run for the playoffs? Are they taking? What will Beal do in the offseason? Bringing these questions to Toronto wouldn’t make sense.