Grading a new trade proposal to bring Bayou All-Star to the Raptors

Laying out the 3-team trade

The New Orleans Pelicans have a problem: they have six starters they are going to try and squeeze into four spots. They have two guards in Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum and four forwards in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones and Trey Murphy III. If they start an actual center, the logjam is going to be painful.

The Pelicans can try to start Zion at center, or to convince two of those players to come off of the bench, but their preferred solution is to move on from Brandon Ingram. The one-time All-Star is expendable if Trey Murphy takes the leap the organization expects, and they have somewhat openly shopped him this summer.

The problem is that Ingram is due for a new contract, one the Pelicans don't want to pay but is also scaring away would-be suitors. That is going to depress his trade value; the question is whether the Pelicans can stomach the thought of trading him at a lower value to be able to move on.

One trade recently proposed by the popular trade site Fanspo looks at the possible future where the Pelicans decide to take their medicine and move Ingram at cost. Such a move helps their long-term books and short-term rotation even if it doesn't "win the trade" at face value.

Here's the 3-team deal as proposed:

The Pelicans get their answer at center in Clint Capela, allowing them to move Daniel Theis into a more suitable bench role. Both Capela and Chris Boucher are also on expiring contracts, allowing the Pelicans the flexibility to re-sign either or pivot into a different solution at center. The first-round pick is some small recompense for moving on from a player as talented as Ingram.

The Hawks step into the deal adding a player in Bruce Brown who can complement Trae Young, while simultaneously opening up their own logjam at center to give Onyeka Okongwu the starting job.

What about the Raptors - do they make this trade?