Stein/Fischer: Toronto willing to deal RJ Barrett, IQ, Poeltl for Significant Upgrades // #9 Available

[PushDaRock]

There's no reason for players not to do this. Teams have shown time and again they have next to no loyalty to their players - players should respond in kind.

I get it but I disagree. They have a contract to play, not play where they prefer. If they want a say in where they play, negotiate a no trade clause like Beal did.

He’s not refusing to report. He’s refusing to extend. That’s 100% within his right. This isn’t what Mourning did.

Yeah, major difference there. Free Agency doesn't really exist anymore since Kawhi signing with the Clippers. These were the biggest signings each year since then for guys that switched teams. All-NBA level players in their prime are not making it to Free Agency anymore.

2020 - Hayward
2021 - DeRozan or Lowry
2022 - Brunson
2023 - FVV
2024 - George

I mean just look at the FA class this year. The best projected "available" FA is probably Naz Reid.

[Clutch0z24]

If trades for stars now becomes basically free agency where the player ends up on the team they demand to get traded too....That does not help us out one bit in the trade department....That makes me think high draft picks are our only hope of putting together a title contending team.....Or we have to be savy and trade for a young player who we think can become a star thats not there yet like Hali/Shai type trades....But that will be tough as well...

[Tor_Raps]

Why does a team need to go from tanking to being a championship contender the following year?

Its ok to make a move as long as it makes you better overall. Gradual improvement how majority of teams win championships. The ones who bank on shortcuts typically fall flat on their face.

I agree and it's almost uncommon, however that's not to say that it's never been done before. It's basically never been done where a team with a bottom-8 record became championship contenders through trade except with the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics. They were 24-58 with the 2nd worst record and then won a chip through two huge trades to get KG and Allen. The only other notable examples of deep lotto teams to championship contenders were done organically through draft picks like Spurs getting Duncan and Celtics getting Bird.

Ya and those teams all had a proven superstar on their team already. We need to just keep getting better by making SUSTAINABLE moves and when its time to gamble for an all-in move, we'll all know.

[LoveMyRaps]

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[sidsid]

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PW and Jevon Carter are crap, though. So "salary flexibility and the 12th pick for RJ despite us almost 100% not getting Giannis" becomes that trade.

Ouf....1yr 6mill for Carter but 4 x 18mill for PW. Both, I would say, fringe rotation players at this point.

I would do this if someone is willing to take 9th/12th pick for a trade up and you're in love with the guy.

As you've said, it's not like the 12th pick is going to be the asset that secures a Giannis deal.

If we're doing these types of trades as follow-ups to Durant and/or Giannis, it's to help fill some holes in the lineup where Jak/IQ/RJ are gone. And 4 years of term for PWill is very bad.

We'd be getting Smith instead of Carter to fill spacing C minutes next to Giannis/Scottie, or else there is no point in taking on that awful deal.

[Spates]

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Let's do it and grab CMB and Nique Clifford.

[DreamTeam09]

Toronto is not in some trade for the sake of trading position or mandate. Not sure where all this desperation comes from.

[tdotrep2]

Toronto is not in some trade for the sake of trading position or mandate. Not sure where all this desperation comes from.

Rj's an expiring, jaks got a player option.

[ItsDanger]

If trades for stars now becomes basically free agency where the player ends up on the team they demand to get traded too....That does not help us out one bit in the trade department....That makes me think high draft picks are our only hope of putting together a title contending team.....Or we have to be savy and trade for a young player who we think can become a star thats not there yet like Hali/Shai type trades....But that will be tough as well...

Draft talent, trade for need.

[WuTang_CMB]

Toronto is not in some trade for the sake of trading position or mandate. Not sure where all this desperation comes from.

Rj's an expiring, jaks got a player option.

2 yrs

[WuTang_CMB]

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[DreamTeam09]

Toronto is not in some trade for the sake of trading position or mandate. Not sure where all this desperation comes from.

Rj's an expiring, jaks got a player option.

So, which easily means you can resign them

[Tripod]

Sportsnet saying Raps won't trade Yak in a deal for Durant.

Is that "new" news?

[Asif16]

If durant doesn't work out, I wonder what else the raptors could be open to doing.

Do we have any cap-space to sign a mid-level free agent?

[DreamTeam09]

If durant doesn't work out, I wonder what else the raptors could be open to doing.

Do we have any cap-space to sign a mid-level free agent?

No, we are slightly under/over the tax / near the apron if you include unlikely bonuses (which they still account for)

It's the 9th pick + 39th ,+ a minimum contract
That's our summer
Trades are always a possibility of course

We'll bring in some more bodies for camp, some will end up in the gleague - we probably add one or 2 two-way

Castleton/Lawson/Minimum guy fight for last roster spot, or 2 of the 3 fight for roster spots

[YogurtProducer]

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I’d do it just for the pick and flexibility but that Patrick Williams contract is so gross. Strong pass

It’s a bit high but it’s still a startable/6th man type 40% 3 point shooter AND you get 12?

I take that every day of the week.

I like RJ, but he isn’t exactly a great contract

[DreamTeam09]

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I’d do it just for the pick and flexibility but that Patrick Williams contract is so gross. Strong pass

It’s a bit high but it’s still a startable/6th man type 40% 3 point shooter AND you get 12?

I take that every day of the week.

I like RJ, but he isn’t exactly a great contract

You're taking on more years here, I don't even wanna trade RJ, but if we are we should be trading up, he's not a toxic or bad contract. PWill sucks at 18m x 4yr

[WuTang_CMB]

Sportsnet saying Raps won't trade Yak in a deal for Durant.

Is that "new" news?

4 pages ago lol
Ya thats new. Poeltl staying.

[LoveMyRaps]

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[WuTang_CMB]

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stein

Kevin Durant trade uncertainty continues to loom over the entire league.

Will the fourth trade of Durant's career materialize before Wednesday night's draft?

The Suns' ongoing negotiations with teams such as Houston, Miami and Minnesota have left various rival front offices under the impression — barring a significant weekend shift in the state of talks — that the discussions will likely stretch into next week.

The Suns, sources say, continue to believe that a deal they consider palatable can materialize before the first night of the draft begins, with Phoenix quietly hopeful for some time that the return from the first trade executed by new general manager Brian Gregory will include a draft pick that it can immediately put to use during Wednesday night's proceedings. Houston's No. 10 overall pick, of course, initially belonged to Phoenix and made its way to the Rockets via Brooklyn … as well as those Suns first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 that Houston insists it will not part with.

League sources say that the Suns' Durant discussions in recent days have likewise featured attempts to coax, say, Toronto to part with its No. 9 overall pick on Wednesday night. Or Minnesota's No. 17 selection. Or Miami's turn at No. 20.

Yet it's also clear that the Suns' conversations, to this point, have fallen short of delivering a return they do considerable palatable after the stunning haul they surrendered in February 2023 to acquire Durant. Gregory is obviously under a considerable amount of scrutiny as he negotiates his first major transaction after landing the Suns' GM job with just one season of full-time NBA experience before he got it.




Among the dynamics apparently not working in Phoenix's favor: We can confirm our Sportsnet colleague Michael Grange's reporting Friday that Toronto — initially presumed to be willing to part with Jakob Poeltl if it meant landing Durant — maintains now that it would not even surrender Poeltl in a deal for the future Hall of Famer.

It remains to be seen how firm that stance is, but league sources say that the Raptors and their very underrated center have mutual interest in hammering out a contract extension in the near future if no trade intervenes.


The Raptors, as we've seen during various recent transaction windows, aren't merely a Durant suitor but have indicated that they're open to various trades in conjunction with a Durant deal as next week's draft approaches. Toronto continues to signal that it's open to moving down from No. 9 in Wednesday's first-round order, sources say, while the Raptors have also made calls to determine what it would take to obtain a second lottery pick. What seems clear: The Raptors have convinced many rival teams that they want to be in position, no matter what, to be able to draft another center.


Another valuable footnote stemming from this week's widespread Durant trade talks: League sources say several teams have registered interest in the Suns' Cody Martin. The veteran swingman could very well factor into any direct or multi-team deal that Phoenix inevitably puts together to ship out the NBA's No. 8 all-time leading scorer.

Miami, to name one example, is known to hold an affinity for Martin, sources say. The Heat certainly developed a familiarity for Martin while Miami rostered his twin brother Caleb.


We've been writing for seemingly weeks now that Phoenix covets a starting-level big man this offseason in addition to all of its other roster objectives. It is unclear, though, whether the Suns will be able to fill that position as part of a Durant deal.

Just like Poeltl in Toronto, Miami is said to be firmly against including standout rookie center Kel'el Ware in their offers for Durant, sources say. Without Ware in a theoretical trade, Phoenix is presumed to be seeking future first-round draft capital from Miami to help deliver Durant to South Beach at long last.