The Toronto Raptors have struggled without Kawhi Leonard, and it’s left many of us questioning the three starters around Scottie Barnes and Leonard when this team is at full health.
This stretch has made many fans feel like, at minimum, the Raptors must upgrade one of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, or Jakob Poeltl’s spots. This is tough for the Raptors because, when looking at their remaining assets after the Kawhi trade, the options are pretty limited. Ideally, if the Raptors were making a big-time deal, they could offer first-round picks in 2027 (subject to the Clippers' swap rights) and 2029, but that would leave them without a first in two of the next three drafts.
This is where the questions about rookie forward Allen Graves start to come in, as it isn’t crazy to think he could be sacrificed for the Raptors to make a win-now move. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy Graves' game and think he fits this team's MO. This has nothing to do with him or how he’s started the season for Toronto, but more about him being a legit trade chip they could use to push this team into that contender tier.
Allen Graves may be the Raptors' most valuable trade chip
I know it may sound silly to trade Graves, a player the Raptors really liked in the draft process and probably see as an important piece long term, over a first-round pick that is unknown as of now. But that’s exactly why trading Graves over a future pick might be the route Toronto takes, because so much is unknown about the future. Pro sports are unpredictable, and the continued rise in injuries is bound to make teams more cautious when trading draft picks, not to mention the impact of the league's new anti-tanking policy.
I hope this isn’t the case, but who's to say Scottie Barnes won't miss an entire season next year or two years from now, and Toronto ends up missing the playoffs? And if they don’t have their pick that year, they could be set back in a big way, more than they’d likely be by trading a player that projects to be a solid connective piece like Graves.
Also, Graves’ value may be higher than a future pick from a team like the Raptors, which should be in the playoff mix at full health over the next couple of seasons. Graves has already shown value as a possession extender on the offensive glass and a connective offensive piece while playing with a high motor. Those types of players, especially when they’re young, will have value to any team because they're easy to fit into any style of play and provide value now and in the future.
On top of that, the Raptors have a pretty solid track record when it comes to drafting over the last couple of years. For an opposing front office, getting a young player from a team that has hit on most of their draft picks in the Scottie Barnes era could be another reason that Graves' value would be high.
I hope Graves isn’t traded because he’s left a great impression so early into his Raptors tenure as both a person and a player. But this is unfortunately a reality that the Raptors may have to face in order to actually upgrade their starting unit this season.
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