Grade the Trade: Raptors shed unwanted salary, add key veteran in new mock deal

Laying out the trade

The pursuit of shooting applies to every position in the lineup, and that includes power forward. Jerami Grant is versatile enough defensively to play either the 3 or the 4, as is Scottie Barnes, so pairing Barnes with another forward who can shoot is the right kind of long-term move to make.

That's the idea that Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey had in mind when he proposed a deal between Portland and Toronto to bring Jerami Grant to the Raptors. Given the ambiguity between whether the Raptors are embracing a full rebuild or simply changing the roster around Barnes, Bailey drove a big-time trade right into that ambiguity and built a deal.

Here is what it looks like:

Jerami Grant is under contract for another four seasons after this one at around $33 million per year. That's a lot of money for a team like Portland to be paying to a 30-year-old who will be 34 when the deal ends. This move turns Grant into an expiring salary to clear their books for the future.

To sweeten the deal for Portland, which seems to like Grant and his impact as a veteran leader on the team, the Raptors include their own 2027 second-round pick and a first-round swap in 2028. Depending on how quickly things come together in Portland, there is the possibility that they will be a playoff team by 2028 and putting that swap into play.

What about the Raptors; how much does this proposed deal make sense for them?