Should Raptors trade Fred VanVleet to Nets after Kyrie Irving deal?

The Toronto Raptors, who are taking trade calls centered around star point guard Fred VanVleet, were one of many teams likely knocked off their feet when Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. The Brooklyn Nets put the NBA world on notice, and they may not be done wheeling and dealing just yet.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, members of the Nets’ front office reached out to the Raptors in the aftermath of the Irving deal. It looks like they will have one more trade to make as they try to build a championship winner around Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and new acquisition Spencer Dinwiddie.

The Nets will likely try to deal away some of their excess depth in order to get one-more needle-mover that can help Durant be satisfied in his quest to win his first ring after leaving the mighty Warriors. Will the Raptors be able to slide in and get a deal done with Brooklyn?

As good as Dinwiddie is, he’s not on VanVleet’s level. With plenty of first-round picks to trade and the knowledge that they won’t have to pay Irving max money as a result of the subsequent deal, the Nets might be willing to call Toronto up and snatch some long-term assets out

This Raptors-Nets trade gets Fred VanVleet to Brooklyn.

The Raptors will likely prioritize vets that have more than one year remaining on their current contracts and young, toolsy players worth developing in any VanVleet trade. Joe Harris and Day’Ron Sharpe could help Toronto check both of those boxes.

The Nets would get a player that is fresh off an All-Star season, is heating up at the right time, and can provide a decent enough facsimile of the shooting and passing Irving had. Ben Simmons’ negative traits on offense will once again be canceled out by VanVleet.

With VanVleet, who has been playing better lately, and Gary Trent Jr. potentially finding new homes relatively soon, Toronto would do well to add one of the best shooters in the league in Harris. His defense is poor, and he struggled to begin the year, but he has rediscovered his shot.

Sharpe, a high-school teammate of Scottie Barnes, is a toolsy rim-protector and rebounder to develop.

While the Irving trade may have shown to some that an aging point guard on an expiring contract is not an overly valuable asset, VanVleet could go for more due to the fact he will be cheaper than Kyrie without the off-court baggage. The Nets need to win as soon as possible, and this trade helps with that quest.