Grading a trade pitch where the Raptors join a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo deal
The Toronto Raptors are not a finished product.
That speaks to their long-term future without a doubt, but it also applies to this season. Bruce Brown has been called the NBA player most likely to be traded this season, and with good reason. Yet the question becomes, what sort of a trade will the Toronto Raptors find for him?
A deal doesn't have to be a 1-for-1 swap, Brown going out and a single player coming back. The deal likewise doesn't need to be built with a single team; the Raptors could instead be a part of a 3-team deal. That opens up possibilities where the team that wants Brown doesn't necessarily need the return that Toronto prefers, but can instead route some or all of that through another team as a form of currency exchange.
Brown makes $23 million this season, so he can be a part of a deal involving large sums of money to help with salary matching. Brown is on an expiring contract, so he is "safe" money in a deal for an expensive star, as the team getting back Brown doesn't have to worry about a financial commitment past this season. The Raptors are also under the luxury tax line, so they can take back more salary in a deal than they send out.
That's why looking around the league for superstars who could be on the move is a way to track down potential Bruce Brown destinations. Karl-Anthony Towns was just dealt on the eve of training camp, and it's very possible another star deal bubbles up unexpectedly in the coming weeks or even months leading into the trade deadline.
One superstar player on trade alert is Giannis Antetekounmpo, whose Milwaukee Bucks had a painful up-and-down season last year and flamed out in the playoffs due to injury. Their entire core is in their 30s and injury-prone, and Doc Rivers has done nothing to inspire confidence that he can right the ship. If they have a terrible start to the season, it's not out of the question that the competitive Antetekounmpo asks for a trade.
Antetokounmpo makes $48.78 million this season, so building a trade for him will require a lot of salary to be involved. That's where Bruce Brown and the Raptors could step in and help the trade happen. Let's look at a potential 3-team trade where Antetokounmpo finds a new home courtesy of Toronto.