New Simons/Grant/Ayton/Williams scenario build...

[Pattycakes]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

I actually like RJ a lot but with Deni and Camara already, it would create a logjam. Pick would be better

[Ell Curry]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

I actually like RJ a lot but with Deni and Camara already, it would create a logjam. Pick would be better

Ah, then I can't see it. Honestly Clingan and Avdija are the only guys I'd give up a 1st for on the Portland roster, and Avdija isn't a great fit with Barnes (and we have a young, versatile backup 4 who can defend and pass but can't shoot yet in Mogbo so it's not even a great fit. Clingan for a 2026 1st say top 10 protected would suit us, but probably not you, the only reason to do that deal is if the pick is unprotected or say top 3 protected and you risk having the 15th pick for a shot at say the 4th or 5th pick and getting a cornerstone guy.

Probably would have to have RJ go to a 3rd team in any deal if he's judged a bad fit there.

It makes sense there's no Toronto-Portland deal. We're optimistic again now that we're tanking and have seen some improvement from Agbaji and Dick and promise from Mogbo and Walter, but end of the day we're not logical trade partners with both teams looking for a star above else (us to pair with Barnes, you to have a cornerstone). We could definitely use a backup center, but doesn't make sense to part with a first at this stage for Timelord, and Ayton's contract is so big, we'd have to send RJ and Olynyk out and we don't need 2026 cap space that bad (our wild swing at SGA in 2027 or never getting a free agent is probably our plan, nobody good comes to Toronto by choice).

[Myth]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

I actually like RJ a lot but with Deni and Camara already, it would create a logjam. Pick would be better

Ah, then I can't see it. Honestly Clingan and Avdija are the only guys I'd give up a 1st for on the Portland roster, and Avdija isn't a great fit with Barnes (and we have a young, versatile backup 4 who can defend and pass but can't shoot yet in Mogbo so it's not even a great fit. Clingan for a 2026 1st say top 10 protected would suit us, but probably not you, the only reason to do that deal is if the pick is unprotected or say top 3 protected and you risk having the 15th pick for a shot at say the 4th or 5th pick and getting a cornerstone guy.

Probably would have to have RJ go to a 3rd team in any deal if he's judged a bad fit there.

It makes sense there's no Toronto-Portland deal. We're optimistic again now that we're tanking and have seen some improvement from Agbaji and Dick and promise from Mogbo and Walter, but end of the day we're not logical trade partners with both teams looking for a star above else (us to pair with Barnes, you to have a cornerstone). We could definitely use a backup center, but doesn't make sense to part with a first at this stage for Timelord, and Ayton's contract is so big, we'd have to send RJ and Olynyk out and we don't need 2026 cap space that bad (our wild swing at SGA in 2027 or never getting a free agent is probably our plan, nobody good comes to Toronto by choice).

I assume that like me, he meant taking the Lakers pick would be better, not having Toronto send a pick.

[Ell Curry]

I assume that like me, he meant taking the Lakers pick would be better, not having Toronto send a pick.

Yeah, I was just talking generally about a Raptors-Blazers deal. I would take a 1st if I was Portland too, they should just keep taking shots in the draft over and over until they get a guy who could be an all-star, but I could also see them ending up with a shooter like Tre Johnson or Ace Bailey in the draft and then RJ Barrett becomes a plausible gamble if he's cheap.

[jbk1234]

Lakers - Jerami Grant, Davion Mitchell, TOR 2nd
Raptors - Robert Williams, Gabe Vincent, Thybulle, Lakers 1st rounder
Blazers - RJ Barrett, Hachimura, Max Christie

Raptors hit the tank hard this year, get a 1st rounder, a backup center and take on 23M in bad money for one year which is fine, still leaves 28M to sign a couple minimum guys (Chomche and Battle), extend Agbaji (8-10M more than his 6M option) and pay their 2 draft picks (say 11M combined if they pick 5th and 35th). The #5 pick will probably be an offensively talented perimeter player who takes RJ's role. 35M in expiring money to make a trade of Olynyk + Vincent + Thybulle + firsts for someone at the deadline if the team is good and there's a fit, or let them all expire and use cap space, or trade those expirings for a neutral value big money guy expiring in 2027 and make a run at SGA.

Lakers get an upgrade at forward and a defensive center.

Portland gets a 26, 24 and 21 year old for Grant.

Yeah, Portland's taking that 1st or they're cutting the Raptors out.

[Blazinaway]

With Mo Wagner now out for the year seems like a Blazers trade could perhaps become more probable. We have backup C's as well as shooting in a guy like Ant, could get interesting