5 Underrated players the Raptors could take back in a Jakob Poeltl trade

No. 2: Grant Williams, Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are assembling quite the young core of talent, with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller both plus-starters and Miles Bridges a complicated but clearly talented player. Mark Williams has shown flashes as their center of the future, but he hasn't put it all together yet; if the Hornets are playing well to start the season, but Williams is not, a trade for a veteran big could be in order, and having a high-level rim protector behind the sieve that is LaMelo Ball makes a lot of sense.

It's not clear what things didn't work out for Grant Williams in Dallas, but he is not far removed from being a key rotation player on a really good Boston Celtics team. He is strong enough to defend 4s and even 5s, while a reliable outside shooter and underrated playmaker. He and Scottie Barnes could pair together as a small-ball unit at both big spots, and he could also be a reliable backup to Barnes as Jonathan Mogbo develops.

A deal with Charlotte would need to involve more value than simply Grant Williams, but including him as a large chunk of the matching salary would make a lot of sense for both teams.

No. 1: Vince Williams Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies had a disastrous season a year ago, plummeting into the depths of the lottery as injury after injury knocked them down. In addition to a Top-10 pick, one thing they gained last season was the discovery of Vince Williams Jr. as a rotation-level wing.

The former VCU Rams wing was drafted in 2022 and made a token few appearances in 2022-23 before breaking out last season. He was the team's best perimeter defender in most games he played in, locking up opponents at multiple positions. He also shot 37.8 percent from 3-point range on a robust number of attempts, fitting in well as a 3-and-D player.

He would give the Raptors a player at the 2 with a balanced offensive and defensive game, something that can't be said for most of the offense-first options they have at the position.

Another player the Raptors could ask for in a deal with Memphis is Scotty Pippen Jr., a player only on a two-way contract but who looks like a rotation-level point guard given his playmaking ability. The Raptors would love to have a low-cost third point guard to rotate with Jamal Shead for the next few years behind Immanuel Quickley, and he would be a logical choice to run the offense whenever Quickley misses time.

It's not clear which team, if any, will make a serious offer for Jakob Poeltl between now and the Trade Deadline, but if it's one of these five teams the Raptors have some players they can target in such a trade.