I know, I know, just let the team breath, I get it, we have not even played a game this season and I already have trade ideas! But that’s how the NBA nowadays works, we are in the 2nd apron era and within those bounds there are moves to be made and teams cannot afford (or their fanbase or owners cannot afford) to wait 5,6,7 years to see how a core pans out ah la the 1980-1990’s Utah Jazz that took Karl Malone and John Stockton 11 years to break their glass ceiling and reach the NBA Finals.
I cannot contain my excitement for this season with the Raptors having genuine expectations BUT this Raptors team is flawed in specific areas, Kawhi is everything the team needs and adds to all our strengths (defense, positional versatility, toughness) and lessens all our weaknesses (half court efficiency, 3-point accuracy, etc). However, Kawhi’s injury history cannot be taken with a grain of salt, it is very real and contingencies need to be in place to ensure this team has safety nets for their most glaring needs.
If I could pinpoint a few areas of improvement, it would be easy scoring, shooting and the center position. My first crack at trades answers 2 of these needs.
Easy scoring
Trade #1
Raptors trade: Immanuel Quickley + RJ Barrett
Denver trades: Jamal Murray, Zeke Nnaji, Julian Strawther
It would be very interesting to see which team thinks who needs to add a draft pick as sweetener. Would it be Denver saying Toronto is getting the best player in the trade and they need to eat Quickley’s large salary or would it be Toronto saying Jamal is an injury risk and Denver is getting 2 top end rotation players?
I do like this trade! Toronto gets Jamal Murray who along with Kawhi and Scottie, would be able to bare the offensive load together and not be required to over tax themselves every game. It would almost be like 1 player plays Batman once a week and Robin the other 2 games. Murray wore down a lot last offseason because he was asked to do too much and its clear at this point of his career his body cannot take the beating. He had to be the primary ball handler against primarily Jaden McDaniels and Ant Edwards the entire series and his offense suffered tremendously; He went from .483/.435/.887 shooting splits in the regular season to .357/.262/.975 in the playoffs. Moving to Toronto, Murray would have Kawhi, Scottie, Shead & CMB to help bring the ball up the floor and get Toronto into their sets. On defense, he would have arguably the best wing combo in the league + other defenders like Shead, Poetl, CMB, Walter to mask any weaknesses on that end.
Trade #2
Raptors trade: Immanuel Quickley + RJ Barrett
Dallas trades: Kyrie Irving + PJ Washington
The same as above but put the trade on steroids. Kyrie is a true blue chipper that has proven he can get buckets with some of the best to ever do it. He’s not the player he was in Cleveland, but he can still score on all 3 levels when called upon and that’s the point, like Murray above, he doesn’t need to (nor could he ever) be the top guy on a title team, he never had the physical or mental strength to lead a team. With Kawhi and Scottie doing the heavy physical lifting, Kawhi being generationally mentally tough and Scottie showing what he can do from last years playoffs. All Kyrie would need to do is slot is as a secondary scorer from any Kawhi or Scottie sets. Kyrie appears to be quite healthy from his ACL tear and a team like Toronto that can mask his deficiencies should be a dream landing spot for the last chapter of his career.
Also adding PJ Washington to me is almost akin to 2019 when the Raptors got Danny Green in the Kawhi trade. It was weird to me, it almost felt like he was a salary adder and in my head this guy was a Bonafide 3-and-D player, almost the archetype of what a 3-and-D player should be and he was arguably the best player on the Spurs for a couple of games I the 2013 NBA Finals. Green proved invaluable to Toronto’s title team and PJ could have a very similar role. He’s incredibly versatile offensively and defensively and plays his role well. The last 2 seasons (playing an outsized offensive role) he’s averaged 14 ppg, 7 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg on .451/.353/.705 shooting splits. I would feel comfortable with him starting or being the first wing off the bench and is an easier offensive fit than RJ.
Wing shooting
The trade
Raptors trade: Barrett, CMB, TJD, Battle
Brooklyn trades: MPJ
As the great James Tony once said, ‘to get ass you gotta give ass’. I have no idea what he was talking about in the context of when he said it but, in this context, it makes a lotta sense. To get MPJ, even on an expiring deal will take a lot and losing CMB & Barrett would hurt, especially with Barrett emerging as a quality starter or high-end sub and CMB seemingly ready to make a leap this season as mini-Draymond.
MPJ though would be exactly what the Raptors need, a big wing who can play defense and is singular in his size, movement and shooting ability. People forget that MPJ is 6’10! I also think people forget that during his run in Denver he showed multiple times his toughness (playing with a very serious shoulder injury), defense and rebounding ability. A starting lineup of Quickley, Leonard, MPJ, Scottie & Poetl instantly makes Toronto a well-rounded 3-level scoring team with playmaking ability, the ability to get to the basket and suddenly Toronto’s starting-5 has 3 high end shooters.
The depth would take a real hit and we’d be crossing our fingers extra tight that Kawhi can stay healthy into the playoffs but that starting 5 could go up against anyone in the East. I personally think this offer is enough but throwing in a protected 2028 first-round pick is an OK price to pay.
There will be many other teams trying to get MPJ’s services which could force Toronto to sweeten the pot and then it becomes a cost-benefit analysis of how much you are willing to give up. Detroit, Atlanta, Boston, Houston, San Antonio, are likely some of the teams that would take a hard look at adding MPJ.
In the end,
Looming over all of this is the fact that Kawhi is 35 years old and though he has aged quite gracefully, he’s still at an age where every season counts. The Raptors could hang tight and win anywhere from 46-54 games this season but if there is a chance to improve the team, Bobby Webster & co. must take it.
