Raptors Mock Draft: Toronto trades Poeltl and Brown, drafts 4 perfect prospects

Laying out the 3-team trade

The trade that the Toronto Raptors are expected to make this summer is to move Bruce Brown to a winning team, ideally for either a prospect or a draft pick. The fact that Brown makes $23 million limits his market, but his value to a contending team as a do-it-all connective piece is high enough that at least a few teams will be interested.

If the Philadelphia 76ers miss out on a big fish like Paul George they are likely to try and split their money into multiple solid contributors. They could value the skillset of Brown over that of outgoing free agent De'Anthony Melton and simultaneously want the flexibility his contract affords, both as a trade chip this season and as an expiring deal.

In this scenario, they move off of the money of backup center Paul Reed, facillitate a sign-and-trade of Melton to the Toronto Raptors for four years, $64 million, and send along the No. 16 pick to complete the deal (thus eliminating that money from their books as well). In return they get Bruce Brown to plug into their newly remade roster.

What if the Toronto Raptors didn't stop there? The Memphis Grizzlies are looking for a starting center to replace Steven Adams and keep former Defensive Player of the Year in his more natural power forward spot. That may mean a trade up to take Connecticut center Donovan Clingan, but they are also looking at veteran center trade targets.

The Raptors could essentially undo the Jakob Poeltl trade, getting back the No. 9 pick as well as adding sharpshooter Luke Kennard and taking a low-risk swing on forward Ziaire Williams. The Raptors could do this as two separate deals, but in this scenario it's a three-teamer with Memphis sending the No. 58 pick in the draft to the 76ers, who can sign an inexpensive second-round prospect to fill a roster spot.

Here's what the trade looks like altogether:

The 76ers get a player on a flexible contract with proven championship mettle and a cheap ticket for a roster spot; the Grizzlies get their starting center and the foundation for an elite defense with Jakob Poeltl and Jaren Jackson Jr. together; and the Raptors get two young fliers, a movement shooter and a backcourt defender to potentially start next to Immanuel Quickley.

They also get two more first-round picks, bringing their total to four picks in the first 31 selections of the 2024 NBA Draft. Who could they draft in each slot? Let's do a Top-31 mock and see what a full draft haul could look like.