Pick #31 - "Raptors are sitting on gold"

[dagger]

Would you trade the 31st pick - top of second round?

Would you do it for four future seconds?

NBA second-round trade landscape

Toronto acquired the No. 31 pick — the first of the second round — in its trade deadline deal that brought Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in exchange for OG Anunoby. “The Raptors are sitting on gold,” one Eastern Conference staffer said.

Toronto could theoretically field trade inquiries for much longer than the four minutes the Raptors will have once the second round begins. Utah, currently holding the No. 32 pick, has been engaged in various trade scenarios to move up into the first round, according to sources. All of Milwaukee (No. 33), Portland (No. 34) and San Antonio (No. 35) are considered creative front offices that will be weighing deals with those picks, sources said. For those teams to stay, or any team looking to move in, there will be plenty of value to add second-round picks onto expensive rosters, with tax savings becoming more and more essential under this new CBA’s second apron and its rash of penalties.

“If you can get a player you like that might be able to help you on a team-favorable second-round contract, it’s pretty interesting,” one general manager told Yahoo Sports. “You can move up, you can move down.”

Price points for a pick in the top of this year’s second round could reach as high as four future second-round picks, multiple team executives told Yahoo Sports. There is precedent of Indiana, which holds the No. 36 pick in Thursday's second round, receiving three second-round picks from Miami in 2019, so the Heat could use the No. 32 pick to select KZ Okpala.

This year, agents are preparing to spend Wednesday night discussing with teams the potential guaranteed money their clients would be searching for, should teams ultimately select their client with a top pick in the second round. A player could also foreseeably get drafted at a certain slot in the second round if he agrees to sign a two-way contract in advance. The hours where Wednesday bleeds into Thursday morning may be rife with clandestine conversations that shape which players teams select before the second round even begins. How smoothly and effectively that process unfolds could be a key determining factor for team personnel on whether they would support the continued two-night format for the NBA Draft in the future.

[YogurtProducer]

I wonder if there is a world where a (elite) team gives a future first for #31. Like a good team like Boston falls in love with a prospect and decides they want them in their locker room immediately.

[MiamiSPX]

Just like Brown was the most sought after player at the last deadline......

[Asif16]

Watch nothing happen and we take a bust with the 31st pick

[Tortiglioni]

[Rapsfan07]

I wouldn't deal the pick. Still some really quality guys down there.

Unless someone is willing to move a late 2025 FRP, it's going to be a no for me.

[SpezNc]

I wouldn't deal the pick. Still some really quality guys down there.

Unless someone is willing to move a late 2025 FRP, it's going to be a no for me.

Yes but because Raptors don’t have any cap issue this season the advantage of high second rounder is not as strong for Raptors compared to a contender trying to avoid luxury tax or 1st apron

I would definitely trade the pick if we could get up to 4 seconds rounder .

Even better if we could recuperate our 2025 2nd rounder .

[Spida888]

Sitting on gold might be overstating it, but maybe there are teams looking to draft Bronny to land a shot with Lebron.

If there's no one the Raps really like, and a team is willing to trade multiple SRPs in the future, then yeah why not. SRPs can be good sweeteners to get a future trade over the hump. A SRP in a strong draft may be better too.

That said, I'm more interested to see what they do with Brown and #19.

[bboyskinnylegs]

Just like Brown was the most sought after player at the last deadline......

don't forget the valuable Dragic expiring contract

[ForeverTFC]

Sitting on gold might be overstating it, but maybe there are teams looking to draft Bronny to land a shot with Lebron.

If there's no one the Raps really like, and a team is willing to trade multiple SRPs in the future, then yeah why not. SRPs can be good sweeteners to get a future trade over the hump. A SRP in a strong draft may be better too.

That said, I'm more interested to see what they do with Brown and #19.

It's not about Bronny. The new CBA created the 2nd round exception that allows teams to sign multiple 2nd round players to multi-year deals at the rookie minimum without touching their MLE. Additionally, I believe you don't have to guarantee any year other than the first. So teams in the apron could get a potential rotation player on a 4 year deal at a cheap price while having the flexibility tp cut them if they don't work out. Additionally, it preserves whatever limited mechanisms they have to add players through FA or trades given the MLE will now be considered a TPE.

High 2nd round picks are worth a ton to contenders and teams with high salaries under this CBA.

[tms]

I was thinking about this myself: teams might go crazy over who's left just from having all night to think about them. It doesn't work like that in the NFL, tho. The media goes Day 2 mock-crazy but teams don't really start moving until ~3 or 4 picks in. Same time, this is the first year so there's no telling what might happen. All I know is #31's worth more in this system. How much remains tbs.

[will]

It hasn't even happened yet. Why are we discussing this?

Or

Yes, I agree. The Raptors are sitting on gold.

[YogurtProducer]

I was thinking about this myself: teams might go crazy over who's left just from having all night to think about them. It doesn't work like that in the NFL, tho. The media goes Day 2 mock-crazy but teams don't really start moving until ~3 or 4 picks in. Same time, this is the first year so there's no telling what might happen. All I know is #31's worth more in this system. How much remains tbs.

Only thing is in the NFL there is so many different positions and teams dont always go BPA that is kind of neuters trades. In the NBA anyteam will draft any player so if you want your guy, you just gotta go for it.

[gerrit4]

Gold is a bit of an overstatement, but I think there will be one or two really good guys available after tonight.

[TorontoBarneys]

I guess the draft being 2 days now will seemingly work in Masai's favor.

[Spida888]

Sitting on gold might be overstating it, but maybe there are teams looking to draft Bronny to land a shot with Lebron.

If there's no one the Raps really like, and a team is willing to trade multiple SRPs in the future, then yeah why not. SRPs can be good sweeteners to get a future trade over the hump. A SRP in a strong draft may be better too.

That said, I'm more interested to see what they do with Brown and #19.

It's not about Bronny. The new CBA created the 2nd round exception that allows teams to sign multiple 2nd round players to multi-year deals at the rookie minimum without touching their MLE. Additionally, I believe you don't have to guarantee any year other than the first. So teams in the apron could get a potential rotation player on a 4 year deal at a cheap price while having the flexibility tp cut them if they don't work out. Additionally, it preserves whatever limited mechanisms they have to add players through FA or trades given the MLE will now be considered a TPE.

High 2nd round picks are worth a ton to contenders and teams with high salaries under this CBA.

Yes, the new CBA does make SRPs more valuable. It makes sense. The whole sitting on gold comment is still a bit much for me though.

[Mr Funk]

Not expecting too much, however it would be really satisfying to see something meaningful transpire with this pick so all of the try hard and redundant cynicism and negativity will fall flat.

[WuTang_CMB]

Raps will fall in love with 31 unless a big offer

[SharoneWright]

[Prestige]

The Raptors need cheap young players now. With Barnes, and BBQ timeline we aren’t in a position to defer for future picks. They need a haul like Indiana or OKC’s young players to get some diamonds or possibly consolidate in a deal.

If I were Masai I’d be trading up and for more FRPs, and possibly 2nds as well.