Toronto and Portland are both currently undergoing a franchise rebuilding phase.
Leading the charge in the Raptors' rebuilding front are Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, and a whole host of new and old faces in between. While Portland boasts a melting pot of veterans, players in their prime, and young rookies all coming together.
The Blazers boast a formidable lineup to spearhead their rebuild, featuring young talents like Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan. They also have valuable veterans like Jerami Grant, along with players who are either in their prime or too middle-of-the-pack to be deemed "young cornerstones", such as Deni Avdija, Anfernee Simons, and Deandre Ayton.
It's still not entirely clear whether both Toronto and Portland will actively be shopping their veterans. However, in an ideal scenario, their front offices should at least consider the idea and be open to taking calls.
In Portland's case, it's evident upon examining their roster construction that there's a significant logjam at the center position. There’s simply no reason to have three playable bigs like Clingan, Ayton, and Williams, and it’s definitely not feasible to run them all together. Clingan is undeniably a buidling block for Portland's next generation, making Ayton and Williams quite expendable.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Toronto lacks immense versatility at the center position, aside from their resurging veteran big, Jakob Poeltl. With that in mind, an intriguing pairing between the Raptors and the Blazers could help both teams address their roster clunkiness.
Therefore, this hypothetical trade proposal via Forbes entails trading two Raptors who no longer align with their long-term plans for Deandre Ayton, a center who was once considered highly promising in the league.
Laying out the details of the trade
What might a hypothetical trade package involving Deandre Ayton between the Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trail Blazers look like? According to an article by Forbes.com contributor Morten Stig Jensen, here are the key components at play:
The combined salaries of Brown and Boucher total $33.8 million, essentially equating to Ayton's $34 million price tag. This makes for an extremely straightforward two-for-one swap.
However, in today's NBA landscape, there's no chance that two rebuilding teams would engage in such a trade without including some form of future draft assets. Whether it means one party needs to enhance the offer by including picks or both teams engaging in pick swaps, reaching an agreement is essential.
Chris Boucher and Bruce Brown are undoubtedly among the most prominent names on the Raptors' trade block, yet they remain valuable assets in the league. However, their skill sets do not necessarily align with the Blazers' desired direction moving forward, similar to the situation in Toronto.
As a result, there would either need to be a third team involved in any trade of this nature, or they may find themselves sitting out in Portland, awaiting a buyout, since both are on expiring contracts.
In exchange, Toronto gains a once highly touted prospect in Deandre Ayton, who, at 26 years old, aligns more closely with their timeline than Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors will need to determine whether Ayton should take the starting position or play backup minutes until they can part ways with the Austrian big man, or alternatively, pursue another trade entirely.
Ayton may not mirror Poeltl's defensive hustle, but his considerable scoring ability at the center position is a significant advantage that the Raptors could certainly benefit from.
Should the Raptors make this trade?
There’s no need to sugarcoat the answer: it’s a no. This makes absolutely no sense, except for the decision to bring in a younger player for the center position.
Yes, Toronto desperately needs assistance at the center position, but they'd seem to be fall into a situation similar to Portland's, where they paired a non-shooting big in Poeltl with a clunky fit in Ayton. While Ayton can occasionally stretch the floor, it's not a skill that is deeply ingrained in his offensive arsenal. Both are starting-caliber centers, so sitting one out in favor of the other wouldn’t make much sense.
Next, at $34 million, Toronto is overpaying for a player who has developed a reputation for lacking effort in grabbing rebounds, showing defensive tenacity, and responding well to criticism—evident from his numerous conflicts with the Phoenix coaching staff and teammates. It could end up biting them where it hurts if he doesn't turn over a new leaf in his career.
The Raptors could easily discover a more affordable option at center. It's not necessarily about finding someone to take Poeltl's starting role; an upgraded backup, aside from Bruno Fernando and Kelly Olynyk, would suffice. Ayton is just not that guy by any means.
Other teams may be interested in a Boucher/Brown trade offer, and Masai Ujiri has a knack for extracting significant assets from other teams to benefit the Raptors. This one, however, just isn't it. Toronto's front office should keep their phone calls moving if this is the offer on the table.