2025-26 Season: Draft, Trades, and FA Ideas Thread V1.0

[Jerry Lucas]

https://www.hoopshype.com/story/sports/nba/2025/12/18/michael-scottos-nba-intel-giannis-antetokounmpo-anthony-davis-trae-young-lauri-markkanen-lamelo-ball/87823173007/

Scotto

Suns and Raptors trade talks

The Toronto Raptors have explored the trade market in search of a backup center upgrade and are also looking to duck below the luxury tax, league sources told HoopsHype. Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards is among the centers on the trade market that Toronto has expressed interest in, sources said.

Meanwhile, rival NBA executives have cited Toronto’s Ochai Agbaji as the likely trade candidate to help the Raptors duck below the tax. In fact, there’s been exploratory discussions between the Raptors and Suns regarding Agbaji and second-round draft pick compensation for Richards, league sources told HoopsHype.

This would be the least surprising tax-ducking trade ever. Pretty sure multiple posters have even posted this idea here before lol.

[SurgeIblocka]

Call me in January, but i'd wager this is the AD trade when it goes down:

This is probably what will happen if we get AD. Darko loves Russell. I think we can only trade Jakob in January

[Mr Fitzhume]

Read on Twitter

[Spida888]

Read on Twitter

Gafford would be less risky than AD. If eating Thompson's contract can net us Max Christie, I'd do that. Maybe Thompson can teach our guards how to shoot .
Thompson + Gafford + Christie for RJ + Agbaji + Temple.

[LoveMyRaps]

IQ + Walter + FRP + SRP for LaMelo

RJ + Poeltl + Ochai + FRP + SRP for AD

LaMelo Ball
Brandon Ingram
Scottie Barnes
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Anthony Davis

Bench: Jamal Shead, AJ Lawson, Jamison Battle, Gradey Dick, (Sign Chris Paul)

[Gavin_TDThree]

The salaries are tough by finding a way to get Missi and Jones off New Orleans would be unreal. A defensive 3&D wing and a back up C

[polo007]

Read on Twitter

[polo007]

Raptors Insider: Why Mogbo keeps finding himself with 905 - Toronto Star

All this time Jonathan Mogbo has been spending with the Raptors 905 in their historic start to the G League season is all well and good for the young big man’s on-court development.

But don’t kid yourself. There’s more to the story than him simply working on his craft with a regular assignment in the minors.

And it’s all about cash.

You certainly don’t have to squint to see the Raptors are letting 29 other teams get a heavy dose of Mogbo playing games because of the financial windfall it might present them.

The Raptors are about $850,000 (U.S.) above the $187,895,000 tax level — according to NBA sources with knowledge of the team’s salary commitments, granted anonymity to speak freely about the situation — and have to shave that off some time before the final accounting right after the regular season.

Mogbo, the 31st pick in the 2024 draft, is on a deal worth $1.955 million this season with a team option (not guaranteed) for next year.

Finding a team that’s intrigued enough by Mogbo to give the Raptors, say, a protected future second-round pick would get Toronto out of the tax and get them the payout that’s expected to top $11.5 million to non-tax teams next summer.

It gives any team acquiring him a few months to see if he fits, and maybe fits into another season there. It’s a relatively inexpensive tryout.

And the tax rebate, let’s call it, is a nice chunk of cash. It keeps the Raptors from worrying about repeater tax penalties in the short term and crosses one of the huge musts off general manager Bobby Webster’s to-do list.

[PushDaRock]

Raptors Insider: Why Mogbo keeps finding himself with 905 - Toronto Star

All this time Jonathan Mogbo has been spending with the Raptors 905 in their historic start to the G League season is all well and good for the young big man’s on-court development.

But don’t kid yourself. There’s more to the story than him simply working on his craft with a regular assignment in the minors.

And it’s all about cash.

You certainly don’t have to squint to see the Raptors are letting 29 other teams get a heavy dose of Mogbo playing games because of the financial windfall it might present them.

The Raptors are about $850,000 (U.S.) above the $187,895,000 tax level — according to NBA sources with knowledge of the team’s salary commitments, granted anonymity to speak freely about the situation — and have to shave that off some time before the final accounting right after the regular season.

Mogbo, the 31st pick in the 2024 draft, is on a deal worth $1.955 million this season with a team option (not guaranteed) for next year.

Finding a team that’s intrigued enough by Mogbo to give the Raptors, say, a protected future second-round pick would get Toronto out of the tax and get them the payout that’s expected to top $11.5 million to non-tax teams next summer.

It gives any team acquiring him a few months to see if he fits, and maybe fits into another season there. It’s a relatively inexpensive tryout.

And the tax rebate, let’s call it, is a nice chunk of cash. It keeps the Raptors from worrying about repeater tax penalties in the short term and crosses one of the huge musts off general manager Bobby Webster’s to-do list.

This would really annoy me if we are valuing Temple's "vet presence" at the expense of an interesting development prospect. Mogbo might be blocked right now by Scottie and CMB but he has a lot of unique tools you can't really teach that are worth developing.

[DreamTeam09]

Raptors Insider: Why Mogbo keeps finding himself with 905 - Toronto Star

All this time Jonathan Mogbo has been spending with the Raptors 905 in their historic start to the G League season is all well and good for the young big man’s on-court development.

But don’t kid yourself. There’s more to the story than him simply working on his craft with a regular assignment in the minors.

And it’s all about cash.

You certainly don’t have to squint to see the Raptors are letting 29 other teams get a heavy dose of Mogbo playing games because of the financial windfall it might present them.

The Raptors are about $850,000 (U.S.) above the $187,895,000 tax level — according to NBA sources with knowledge of the team’s salary commitments, granted anonymity to speak freely about the situation — and have to shave that off some time before the final accounting right after the regular season.

Mogbo, the 31st pick in the 2024 draft, is on a deal worth $1.955 million this season with a team option (not guaranteed) for next year.

Finding a team that’s intrigued enough by Mogbo to give the Raptors, say, a protected future second-round pick would get Toronto out of the tax and get them the payout that’s expected to top $11.5 million to non-tax teams next summer.

It gives any team acquiring him a few months to see if he fits, and maybe fits into another season there. It’s a relatively inexpensive tryout.

And the tax rebate, let’s call it, is a nice chunk of cash. It keeps the Raptors from worrying about repeater tax penalties in the short term and crosses one of the huge musts off general manager Bobby Webster’s to-do list.

This would really annoy me if we are valuing Temple's "vet presence" at the expense of an interesting development prospect. Mogbo might be blocked right now by Scottie and CMB but he has a lot of unique tools you can't really teach that are worth developing.

logically that's dumb & makes little little sense so I'm drumming it up to a writer having a word count and having to submit something

[mdenny]

IQ + Walter + FRP + SRP for LaMelo

RJ + Poeltl + Ochai + FRP + SRP for AD

LaMelo Ball
Brandon Ingram
Scottie Barnes
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Anthony Davis

Bench: Jamal Shead, AJ Lawson, Jamison Battle, Gradey Dick, (Sign Chris Paul)

That's actually not as crazy sounding as it could be. And damn it would be fun to see. You're forgetting CMB who would probably have to be added to the AD package. The thing is....CMB slots perfectly into the 4 of your lineup (eventually)...so you'd probably have to send 2 FRPs to Dallas if you want to keep him.

Fun to think about tho abd you managed to convert all the circumstances into a pretty cohesive starting lineup that is STACKED with talent/skill. I don't even think the trade returns you put together are too far off (which is usually the case with this stuff). However....we are never gonna carry a payroll that high lol.

We'd be the first team ever to have 4 players making +40 million.

[Raptors Realtor]

IQ + Walter + FRP + SRP for LaMelo

RJ + Poeltl + Ochai + FRP + SRP for AD

LaMelo Ball
Brandon Ingram
Scottie Barnes
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Anthony Davis

Bench: Jamal Shead, AJ Lawson, Jamison Battle, Gradey Dick, (Sign Chris Paul)

That's actually not as crazy sounding as it could be. And damn it would be fun to see. You're forgetting CMB who would probably have to be added to the AD package. The thing is....CMB slots perfectly into the 4 of your lineup (eventually)...so you'd probably have to send 2 FRPs to Dallas if you want to keep him.

Fun to think about tho abd you managed to convert all the circumstances into a pretty cohesive starting lineup that is STACKED with talent/skill. I don't even think the trade returns you put together are too far off (which is usually the case with this stuff). However....we are never gonna carry a payroll that high lol.

We'd be the first team ever to have 4 players making +40 million.

We would also have the most injury prone starting lineup in NBA history.

[wegotthabeet]

The salaries are tough by finding a way to get Missi and Jones off New Orleans would be unreal. A defensive 3&D wing and a back up C

Dick
Agbaji
Walter
+ 1 of Temple/Mogbo/Battle

for
Jones
Missi

I think that works in January. It doesn’t get them below the tax, but it’s something I would definitely do. Bench would be solid and vastly improved. Something like this trade would be preferable than overpaying for one of available “stars”.

Quickley - Shead
Barrett - Jones
Ingram - CMB
Barnes - Mamu
Pöltl - Missi

[Zeno]

Raptors Insider: Why Mogbo keeps finding himself with 905 - Toronto Star

This would really annoy me if we are valuing Temple's "vet presence" at the expense of an interesting development prospect. Mogbo might be blocked right now by Scottie and CMB but he has a lot of unique tools you can't really teach that are worth developing.

logically that's dumb & makes little little sense so I'm drumming it up to a writer having a word count and having to submit something

It also doesn’t add up because dumping Mogbo at such a low salary would achieve very little saving because they would have to sign a 14th player soon after making somewhat close to that amount within a few weeks at maximum. They would be able to save some money delaying filling the spot and then promoting Martin to a contract since he can be signed for less as their own 2nd rounder but the savings of doing that would be so minimal that it probably doesn’t even get them out of the tax.

[Jerry Lucas]

This would really annoy me if we are valuing Temple's "vet presence" at the expense of an interesting development prospect. Mogbo might be blocked right now by Scottie and CMB but he has a lot of unique tools you can't really teach that are worth developing.

logically that's dumb & makes little little sense so I'm drumming it up to a writer having a word count and having to submit something

It also doesn’t add up because dumping Mogbo at such a low salary would achieve very little saving because they would have to sign a 14th player soon after making somewhat close to that amount within a few weeks at maximum. They would be able to save some money delaying filling the spot and then promoting Martin to a contract since he can be signed for less as their own 2nd rounder but the savings of doing that would be so minimal that it probably doesn’t even get them out of the tax.

The same could pretty much be said about Temple because there's only a 300k difference between his and Mogbo's luxury tax hits. Ochai is clearly the most obvious tax ducking candidate.

[Zeno]

logically that's dumb & makes little little sense so I'm drumming it up to a writer having a word count and having to submit something

It also doesn’t add up because dumping Mogbo at such a low salary would achieve very little saving because they would have to sign a 14th player soon after making somewhat close to that amount within a few weeks at maximum. They would be able to save some money delaying filling the spot and then promoting Martin to a contract since he can be signed for less as their own 2nd rounder but the savings of doing that would be so minimal that it probably doesn’t even get them out of the tax.

The same could pretty much be said about Temple because there's only a 300k difference between his and Mogbo's luxury tax hits. Ochai is clearly the most obvious tax ducking candidate.

Very true though I think that extra 300k might just get it done with the tax and signing Martin.

[PushDaRock]

It also doesn’t add up because dumping Mogbo at such a low salary would achieve very little saving because they would have to sign a 14th player soon after making somewhat close to that amount within a few weeks at maximum. They would be able to save some money delaying filling the spot and then promoting Martin to a contract since he can be signed for less as their own 2nd rounder but the savings of doing that would be so minimal that it probably doesn’t even get them out of the tax.

The same could pretty much be said about Temple because there's only a 300k difference between his and Mogbo's luxury tax hits. Ochai is clearly the most obvious tax ducking candidate.

Very true though I think that extra 300k might just get it done with the tax and signing Martin.

it does

[Jerry Lucas]

The same could pretty much be said about Temple because there's only a 300k difference between his and Mogbo's luxury tax hits. Ochai is clearly the most obvious tax ducking candidate.

Very true though I think that extra 300k might just get it done with the tax and signing Martin.

it does

Only if you're dead set on converting Martin right away. If Mogbo were traded at the deadline the Raptors would have around 1.2M in ROS tax space. Temple instead makes it 1.5M.

But 1.2M in ROS tax space on deadline day should still be enough if you do some staggered 10-days, then convert Martin as late in the season as possible.

[PushDaRock]

Very true though I think that extra 300k might just get it done with the tax and signing Martin.

it does

Only if you're dead set on converting Martin right away. If Mogbo were traded at the deadline the Raptors would have around 1.2M in ROS tax space. Temple instead makes it 1.5M.

But 1.2M in ROS tax space on deadline day is still enough if you do some staggered 10-days, then convert Martin as late in the season as possible.

No need to overthink this, it's not difficult to get under the tax regardless.

[Jerry Lucas]

it does

Only if you're dead set on converting Martin right away. If Mogbo were traded at the deadline the Raptors would have around 1.2M in ROS tax space. Temple instead makes it 1.5M.

But 1.2M in ROS tax space on deadline day is still enough if you do some staggered 10-days, then convert Martin as late in the season as possible.

No need to overthink this, it's not difficult to get under the tax regardless.

Not really overthinking it, I simply wanted to clarify that the 300k difference in Temple and Mogbo's tax hits wouldn't be a deal breaker for barely ducking the tax.