Grade the Trade: Tectonic 3-team pitch has Raptors buying low on an All-Star

The Toronto Raptors may have the option to buy a star at a discount.

That’s not to say that any Top-10 players are floating around on the trade market, but rather that a handful of small-s “stars” are currently available and do not seem to have much of a market. That represents an opportunity for a team like the Raptors to add a talented player at less than it would normally cost to do so.

Such a move is not without risk, of course, and there is a reason these stars are currently not sought after on the trade market. Zach LaVine is one name that fits the bill, a former All-Star guard and prolific scorer who is languishing on the trade vine due to his contract and injury history. Could a team buy low on LaVine and land a star scorer “on the cheap” as it were?

Can the Raptors "buy low" on a star?

That’s the question that the Raptors have to ask as they look around the league. It may seem like the roster is set now that Training Camp has begun, but the just-executed Karl-Anthony Towns trade is a flashing indicator that even blockbuster trades can still go down at this time of year.

There is a star available with much less of an injury track record than LaVine and a much smaller contract. He also plays a position of need for the Raptors and is very clearly available on the trade market. But would he be a good fit on the team?

Let’s look into a 3-team trade proposal that would bring Brandon Ingram to Toronto and explore whether the price is right and whether he would fit well with the roster that remains. If in the process the Raptors can reshape the center rotation, all the better.