Grade the Trade: Raptors join 3-team Julius Randle deal in perplexing new proposal

Would the Raptors make this trade?

Trading Jakob Poeltl is not a trade the Raptors should simply make in a vacuum; he is a talented player, he is important to the team's defensive identity, and the front office really likes him. Moving Poeltl should happen only if the team is blown away by another offer, or if they have a better long-term solution at the center position.

This deal doesn't check either box. The Raptors would be left entirely without a reliable center for this season, forced to start either Kelly Olynyk (a defensive disaster) or the outmatched Chris Boucher. That isn't a death sentence given that the Raptors can afford to be patient, but this deal isn't landing Toronto an undeniable return for Poeltl either.

P.J. Tucker has fallen off the last few seasons and isn't really an NBA-level player any longer at his age. Bones Hyland has an intriguing skillset as a score-first, score-second microwave guard, but he is a disaster on defense and has tunnel vision on offense; he'll be a poor fit in Toronto's system and not someone they want to keep long-term. Keita Bates-Diop has had some moments but is a fringe roster player.

This deal offers the Raptors two things: a high-upside 2030 first-round pick and the ability to get off of Poeltl's money completely. The pick is the only value in this deal, and the Raptors have to both give up Poeltl and take on the Clippers' flotsam to get it. Given how much money Steve Ballmer is willing to spend on the Clippers and their location in Los Angeles with a shiny new stadium, it's hard to envision the Clippers totally bottoming out. The pick has upside, but it's not a true home run piece.

The Raptors also can't do much next season if they wipe out Poeltl's contract entirely. They will still be paying Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett on large contracts, and Scottie Barnes' max deal will kick in. If they don't get any long-term money back from a Bruce Brown trade and let everyone else walk away for nothing they could open up $15 million or perhaps a bit more; that's just a touch more than the Mid-Level Exception.

This deal helps the Raptors out only if they have a master plan to use the added flexibility next summer. More likely, this would be selling low on a player they are under no pressure to trade. Poeltl probably isn't the answer at center for the next great Raptors team, but nothing in this trade proposal makes it worth moving him for.

Grade: C-