The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of their best season in years, currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and just two games out of second. At the same time, they have a number of long-term problems beginning to apply pressure in the present. Can they alleviate those headaches and at the same time maximize their present?
They can - and all it would take is one single trade.
The largest anchor weighing the Raptors down is Jakob Poeltl. He is on one of the league's worst contracts, paying him for the next five years increasingly larger amounts, while also being largely unavailable this season due to a back injury. To find a new home for Poeltl, the Raptors will need to find a team willing to take on his long-term money and ready to accept payment to do so.
A secondary issue is the contract of Immanuel Quickley. "IQ" is a good player for Toronto, but he has a lofty contract that is restricting Toronto's salary flexibility, and it has become a barrier itself in trade talks. If the Raptors are going to make a significant trade, they would desperately want it to include Poelt or Quickley.
Why not both?
The Raptors can kill two birds with one stone
The New Orleans Pelicans are in need of a defensive center to pair with the likes of Zion Williamson and Derik Queen, and they have never been afraid of long-term money. They also have a bad contract of their own in Jordan Poole, although it is shorter in length than Quickley's. And in terms of a big target, Trey Murphy III is the apple of many teams' eye.
These two front offices also have a track record of doing business, most recently at last year's deadline when the Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram. Could they go back to the trade desk and work out a deal that offloads the Raptors' worst contracts while bringing in a blue chip wing to pair with Ingram and Scottie Barnes?
Let's look at a potential trade between New Orleans and Toronto:
Why would the Pelicans do this trade? They are one of the worst teams in the league and without their first-round pick this year after a shortsighted trade to take Derik Queen in last year's draft. They should have the patience to rehabilitate Poeltl and Quickley, and they need shooting so taking a flier on Gradey Dick would make a fair bit of sense.
Quickley's shooting would make him an ideal guard to pair with rookie Jeremiah Fears, as he can paly alongside him or in place of him. The three first-round picks represent a fair return for Murphy combined with the bad salary of Poeltl, while Poole and Quickley are both contracts that are somewhat underwater. Gradey Dick is the cherry on top to push the deal over the finish line for New Orleans.
When you add in that Pelicans President Troy Weaver is obsessed with players from the DMV, and Quickley is from Maryland, suddenly it all comes together.
Should the Raptors make this trade?
For Toronto, three first-round picks plus Gradey Dick is a large price to pay in a trade for a player who isn't top-20 in the league. Yet when you start to stack up all of the value the Raptors would get in this deal, it starts to become a no-brainer.
Murphy himself is a two-way forward who can play multiple positions and shoot at a high clip, making him an ideal fit with most teams in the league. Players with that versatility go for a much higher cost than you would think; Desmond Bane and Mikal Bridges are recent such examples.
Now add in the savings from moving both Poeltl and Quickley in the trade. Right now, those two players are under contract for a combined $62 million in 2028-29, when Quickley will be 30 and Poeltl will be 33. Poole's contract goes only one more year past this season, while Murphy will be a steal at $31 million in 2028-29, the final year of his current deal.
The Raptors would be without a starting center after this trade, but that's largely where they find themselves right now with Poeltl sidelines. They could start RJ Barrett at point guard, or elevate Jamal Shead, or even put Jordan Poole in there. Would they be significantly better in the present? It's debateable, although the answer is probably yes. Would they have the flexibility to get much better down the road? Absolutely.
This deal brings a host of benefits, some of which we haven't yet discussed - -not having to make a decision on paying Gradey Dick, freeing up a roster spot, escaping even worse-case scenarios with Poeltl and his back injury. This isn't an undeniable trade, but it makes a whole lot of sense.
Improve the present while saving the future? That might just be worth the price.