Grade the Trade: 3 B/R moves see Raptors rebuild, make one last gasp for 2024
By Mike Luciano
The Toronto Raptors are dominating NBA trade discussion once again, as Masai Ujiri has the opportunity to flip the league upside-down at a moment's notice if he decides to sell off stars like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby as he moves into an era built around Scottie Barnes.
What makes this deadline more complicated, on top of the fact both Anunoby and Siakam are expiring contracts, is the notion the Raptors could give this roster one last run. Ujiri has traded in situations where he was expected to sell, so why not try it again in 2024?
Bleacher Report cooked up another collection of hypothetical trades, three of which involve Ujiri getting on the phone and trying his hardest to get some sort of deal done. With how many names are interested in Anunoby and Siakam, a trade seems as likely as ever.
Two of the deals had the Raptors selling two of their stars as they try to replenish the cupboards, while one of them had them making a win-now move that has been emblematic of the last few seasons of Ujiri's tenure. Which path will this front office take after putting this decision off for so long?
Grade the Trade: 3 Toronto Raptors deals from B/R
Trade No. 1: The Raptors make a win-now trade with Portland.
Brodgon Raps
Malcolm Brogdon is 31 years old, and his talents are being wasted on a Blazers team that is doing everything it can to let Scoot Henderson figure it out in real time. Brogdon seems like one of the surest bets to be traded, and the Raptors would be foolish to not take a look if they don't blow the roster up.
Brogdon brings veteran savvy and postseason experience alongside some tremendous scoring ability and a deadly 3-point shot. Not only would he instantly be the team's Sixth Man and one of their best offensive players, but he may even be a better option as the starting point guard over Dennis Schroder.
The Toronto Raptors could trade for Malcolm Brogdon.
Raptors fans have been trying to send the stitched-together Boucher-Young-Flynn trade package across the league, which hasn't provided a ton of positive momentum. Why would the rest of the league trade anything of value for these unwanted scraps? Portland, however, might value that pick.
By trading away two fringe rotation players in Flynn and Boucher to acquire a genuine problem-solver in Brogdon, the Raptors could acquire someone who gives them a serious improvement in areas of need without going full Jakob Poeltl and overpaying for someone at an inopportune time.