Raptors Rumors: West contender could make trade offer for Toronto big man

The Toronto Raptors have some decisions to make.

They are currently a team trapped in the middle. They have an extremely young core and added four new draft picks this season to the roster. On the other hand, they also have a fair number of veterans on the roster, players that contending teams would be interested in.

Is Toronto trying to maximize their current roster and win as many games as possible? Or would they be open to moving on from the older players on the roster if another team comes calling with the right offer?

The trade discussion surrounding starting center Jakob Poeltl has been loud and varied, with a number of teams potentially interested in the veteran rim protector. What about the Raptors' backup center -- could he be on the move?

Bleacher Report looked at three trade targets for every team, and when discussing the Phoenix Suns he identified a Raptors center the Suns could pursue: Kelly Olynyk.

Would the Raptors trade Kelly Olynyk?

Kelly Olynyk is clearly a player this current front office wants on the roster. Despite being in the midst of a mammoth roster reset, Toronto sent out a first-round pick to add Olynyk at this past year's trade deadline, immediately signing him to a two-year extension.

The Raptors have a lack of proven shooting on the roster, and even as Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter grow in their roles on the wing, the team doesn't have a stretch forward or big other than Olynyk. He plays an important role.

What's more, Scottie Barnes has proven to be an extremely strong inteiror defender and a future star as a point forward on offense. Yet he is merely a decent shooter and could greatly benefit from playing alongside a stretch-big.

That's where Olynyk comes in, a knockdown shooter who can play center minutes alongside Barnes. That spacing from the 5 should help to open up space for him to go to work inside the paint.

Would the Raptors give Olynyk up? It's hard to say. He is a player they like and fills a specific role, and he's on a great deal making just $26 million over the next two seasons.

Why are the Suns interested? They have a gap of their own at backup center, with Jusuf Nurkic starting but question marks behind him. Mason Plumlee and rookie second-round pick Oso Ighodaro are expected to split time off the bench.

What none of those three players provide is floor-spacing from center, which is why B/R paired them with Olynyk as a potential targe.t He could provide valuable floor-spacing at center to give the Suns a true 5-out system, or to make it viable on offense to get non-shooting rookie Ryan Dunn onto the court.

The issue for Phoenix is going to be what it has to offer in a trade; barring a trade of their unprotected 2031 first-round pick, the Suns don't have much of value to offer for Olynyk.

The other issue is matching salary; because they are over the second tax apron they can only send out one single player in a trade, and whoever they get back has to make less money.

That essentially means that unless the Suns trade Grayson Allen or Nurkic himself, there is no trade to be had. Suddenly, any presumed interest falls completely apart.

Olynyk could help the Suns, just as he could a lot of teams, but the Raptors will expect to be fairly compensated -- and their definition of fair may be different than others. Add in that many teams, the Suns included, are hampered by the tax aprons, and it's much more likely Olynyk sticks around than he is on the move before the season.