Stand pat? trade for has been star? All in?

[ArthurVandelay]

I don’t think you full grasp that like 90% of players have “no value”. This isn’t a unique “problem” to Toronto.

I mean if you build up your young asset base you do have young guys that have alot of value....Rockets for example have many assets to play with because they have alot of good young assets via draft....They cashed some of their assets to get KD with Green/10th pick....

Spurs as well would be able to combine some young guys to get an upgrade if it were to come available as well as OKC who have a slew of draft picks from other teams to offer up as well....

Our asset base is not the worst in the NBA i am not saying that at all....But its also not really super positive either to win in any trade if a player like Giannis was ever truely on the market for example....Unless he hand picked to want to be here....We are prolly looking at a flawed star to gamble on and hope it works out for us....Which it might...But its also possible we get outbid for the flawed stars in trades depending on what teams are willing to offer...

So you named 2 teams. How does refute my point that most of the players in the nba don’t have value?

Like IQ “doesn’t have value”, but how many guys in his price range do?

Jrue? Grant? Poole? Middleton?

Sure, a guy like Brunson who took a discount does, or Sengun who took his max off his rookie deal, but the vas majority of guys who have gotten extensions don’t have positive value.

There are a small number of players with “good contracts”. Most are neutral (like IQ, and Poeltl), and then you got your negatives.

In your theoretical of trading for a star we have all our picks, which is the main piece (and salaries) teams want back in trades

IQ isn’t neutral. Last summer he was constantly brought up as the contract that distorted the market and expectations of FA.

Poeltl at $19m is neutral. Poeltl at $30m is going to be awful.

[Clutch0z24]

So you named 2 teams. How does refute my point that most of the players in the nba don’t have value?

Like IQ “doesn’t have value”, but how many guys in his price range do?

Jrue? Grant? Poole? Middleton?

Sure, a guy like Brunson who took a discount does, or Sengun who took his max off his rookie deal, but the vas majority of guys who have gotten extensions don’t have positive value.

There are a small number of players with “good contracts”. Most are neutral (like IQ, and Poeltl), and then you got your negatives.

In your theoretical of trading for a star we have all our picks, which is the main piece (and salaries) teams want back in trades

Teams want draft picks or young good prospects....We would yes be forced to give up all our picks for a star while some teams that collected actually good young talents would not have to give up every pick they have because they have a mix of both.....if that star unless they hand pick Raptors we can easily be outbid by teams all it takes is 2 or 3 teams to be able to outbid us on the trade market to miss out on that player....So it really does not matter if its only a few teams i named....Im simply saying we have to trade for flawed stars that everyone on the board hates to trade for because them are the only type of players we maybe have the assets to get....And even that idk if other teams can outbid us in that department as well...

With playing the trade game it is alot easier when you have the most assets in the room....We atm have mid level assets in terms of players to trade in the grand scheme of things....I don't see any team looking to aquire IQ/Yak/Dick/JaKobe/Mogbo/Ochai or really be after them because they are not vets that are impactfull (Yak & IQ Would be ok but at that price tag not many want) players to help your team win in that department nor are they young players with a ton of potential.....Hard to really make a + Winning trade for a big time upgrade with what we have...

Who are some teams with picks and young good prospects? We’ve went over OKC and SAS. What other teams?

Lol you really want me to go through every team with assets above us now?....All this to try and say the Raptors have some sort of elite stock pile?
I will just ask Grok to make it easier and Copy/Paste what it tells me...

This is Groks answer feel free to argue with it...

Tier 1: Elite Asset Hoards (Contenders for Any Blockbuster Trade)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., protected from Philadelphia 2026, Denver 2027, Clippers 2027 swap, Dallas 2028 swap). Strong swap rights add flexibility.
Young Prospects: Jalen Williams (All-Star level), Chet Holmgren (defensive anchor), Cason Wallace (versatile guard), Nikola Topic (high-upside rookie).
Why #1: Unmatched depth in picks and proven young talent; they can outbid anyone without gutting the core.

Utah Jazz
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., from Cleveland/Minnesota 2027 and 2029, Cleveland 2028 swap, Phoenix 2031). Valuable multi-team swaps.
Young Prospects: Ace Bailey (explosive scorer), Keyonte George (playmaker), Cody Williams (wing defender), Isaiah Collier (guard upside), Walker Kessler (rim protector).
Why Top-Tier: Massive pick volume pairs with a rebuilding young group full of lottery talent.

Brooklyn Nets
Draft Assets: +7 extra first-round picks (e.g., from New York 2027/2029/2031, Philadelphia 2028, Houston/Dallas/Phoenix 2029 least favorable, Denver 2032). Heavy on unprotected picks from contenders.
Young Prospects: Egor Demin (skilled big), Nolan Traore (point guard), Cam Thomas (scorer), Noah Clowney (stretch forward), Ziaire Williams (athletic wing).
Why Top-Tier: Arguably the league's best pick collection, with a decent influx of recent draftees.


Tier 2: Strong Mix (Can Swing Big Trades)

San Antonio Spurs
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Boston 2028 swap, Dallas/Minnesota 2030, Sacramento 2031 swap). Solid unprotected options.
Young Prospects: Victor Wembanyama (generational talent), Stephon Castle (two-way guard), Dylan Harper (scorer), Jeremy Sochan (versatile defender), Carter Bryant (wing).
Why Here: Wemby elevates them immensely; picks provide ammo for complements.

Houston Rockets
Draft Assets: +3-4 extra first-round picks (e.g., Phoenix 2027 unprotected, 2029 from Phoenix/Dallas, 2027 Brooklyn swap). Net positive with high-value swaps.
Young Prospects: Alperen Sengun (skilled big), Reed Sheppard (sharpshooter), Amen Thompson (athletic freak), Jabari Smith Jr. (stretch forward), Tari Eason (defender).
Why Here: Balanced rebuild with All-Star-caliber youth and picks from underperformers.

Detroit Pistons
Draft Assets: Neutral (minimal extras; some second-round influx but no major firsts owed/owned beyond own).
Young Prospects: Cade Cunningham (star guard), Jaden Ivey (explosive scorer), Ron Holland (defensive wing), Ausar Thompson (versatile), Jalen Duren (rebounder).
Why Here: Deepest young rotation in the league; lacks picks but prospects are trade chips themselves.


Tier 3: Solid but Not Elite (Useful for Targeted Deals)

Orlando Magic
Draft Assets: -3 net (owes to Memphis/others in 2026, 2029 swap, 2030 unprotected). Liabilities limit flexibility.
Young Prospects: Paolo Banchero (All-Star forward), Franz Wagner (two-way wing), Jalen Suggs (defender), Anthony Black (playmaker), Tristan da Silva (shooter).
Why Here: Premium young talent offsets pick debt; they're building, not trading away.

Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Assets: +2 net (e.g., Boston/Milwaukee 2029, Milwaukee 2030 swap; owes protected 2026 to Chicago).
Young Prospects: Shaedon Sharpe (athletic scorer), Scoot Henderson (guard), Donovan Clingan (rim protector), Yang Hansen (big), Toumani Camara (defender).
Why Here: Rebuilding with upside; picks from contenders add value.

Washington Wizards
Draft Assets: +4 extra first-round picks (e.g., OKC/Houston/Clippers 2026 least favorable, Golden State 2030 protected, Phoenix 2030 swap).
Young Prospects: Alex Sarr (versatile big), Bilal Coulibaly (defender), Bub Carrington (guard), Kyshawn George (wing), Tre Johnson (scorer).
Why Here: Pick-heavy but young core is raw/unproven.

Charlotte Hornets
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Dallas 2027 protected, Miami 2027 lottery-protected, Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota 2029 least favorable).
Young Prospects: LaMelo Ball (star playmaker), Brandon Miller (scorer), Tidjane Salaun (athletic forward), Kon Knueppel (shooter), Liam McNeeley (wing).
Why Here: Ball and Miller headline a promising group; picks provide rebuild fuel.

We rank mid tier it says which would be above majority of the win now teams but below the teams that were stockpiling picks, young guys with high draft picks....Which is exactly what i was saying.....This is Groks answer not mine But it seems to be a trend where all of Groks takes much smarter than you or i with information seems to agree with my takes more so than your takes when it comes to basketball....so feel free to argue with Grok to why we have better assets.

[wegotthabeet]

Buy low, like Portland did with Deni.

This is the move, but way easier said than done. Also it only looks like a buy low retrospectively. At the time it was 1 lottery pick, 1 future pick and two 2nds for a guy who only started looking good by year 4.

Right idea, but who is that guy currently? You’re looking for someone young < 25, on team that’s misusing him and looking to get worse before they get better. Who you targeting?

[MEDIC]

I think the worst possible.thing you can do is "nothing". All of the other options are possibilities.

Moves need to be made. Even if it's simply to shed salary.

I would actually disagree. I think they got lucky with the Ingram trade, as he and Barnes have probably meshed better than anyone expected, mostly because Barnes has been so willing to defer to BI on offence.

I think right now, they just need to continue to build value in their players, with more consistent winning, and play. They also have all of their draft picks, and generally have been one of the better teams at drafting. They just need to continue to build their asset base, and prep for a future deal.

Their contract situation is not as bad as it has been made out by the media, and their early season success has quieted all of those concerns.

The only real contract problem could be Yak, if he does have long term back issues, but if that is the case, no team is trading for him.

All of the other contracts are manageable.

I still think this roster lacks balance. Too many wings. Not enough size. Even if you beleived in all of the young players, we don't need them all.

Yak is breaking down & we have zero big man depth in the organization. Not even on the 905. Drafting a rookie C next season won't fix that problem.

Also.......I think its very important to find a way to retain Mamu. That might mean moving some salary.

[Los_29]

Teams want draft picks or young good prospects....We would yes be forced to give up all our picks for a star while some teams that collected actually good young talents would not have to give up every pick they have because they have a mix of both.....if that star unless they hand pick Raptors we can easily be outbid by teams all it takes is 2 or 3 teams to be able to outbid us on the trade market to miss out on that player....So it really does not matter if its only a few teams i named....Im simply saying we have to trade for flawed stars that everyone on the board hates to trade for because them are the only type of players we maybe have the assets to get....And even that idk if other teams can outbid us in that department as well...

With playing the trade game it is alot easier when you have the most assets in the room....We atm have mid level assets in terms of players to trade in the grand scheme of things....I don't see any team looking to aquire IQ/Yak/Dick/JaKobe/Mogbo/Ochai or really be after them because they are not vets that are impactfull (Yak & IQ Would be ok but at that price tag not many want) players to help your team win in that department nor are they young players with a ton of potential.....Hard to really make a + Winning trade for a big time upgrade with what we have...

Who are some teams with picks and young good prospects? We’ve went over OKC and SAS. What other teams?

Lol you really want me to go through every team with assets above us now?....All this to try and say the Raptors have some sort of elite stock pile?
I will just ask Grok to make it easier and Copy/Paste what it tells me...

This is Groks answer feel free to argue with it...

Tier 1: Elite Asset Hoards (Contenders for Any Blockbuster Trade)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., protected from Philadelphia 2026, Denver 2027, Clippers 2027 swap, Dallas 2028 swap). Strong swap rights add flexibility.
Young Prospects: Jalen Williams (All-Star level), Chet Holmgren (defensive anchor), Cason Wallace (versatile guard), Nikola Topic (high-upside rookie).
Why #1: Unmatched depth in picks and proven young talent; they can outbid anyone without gutting the core.

Utah Jazz
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., from Cleveland/Minnesota 2027 and 2029, Cleveland 2028 swap, Phoenix 2031). Valuable multi-team swaps.
Young Prospects: Ace Bailey (explosive scorer), Keyonte George (playmaker), Cody Williams (wing defender), Isaiah Collier (guard upside), Walker Kessler (rim protector).
Why Top-Tier: Massive pick volume pairs with a rebuilding young group full of lottery talent.

Brooklyn Nets
Draft Assets: +7 extra first-round picks (e.g., from New York 2027/2029/2031, Philadelphia 2028, Houston/Dallas/Phoenix 2029 least favorable, Denver 2032). Heavy on unprotected picks from contenders.
Young Prospects: Egor Demin (skilled big), Nolan Traore (point guard), Cam Thomas (scorer), Noah Clowney (stretch forward), Ziaire Williams (athletic wing).
Why Top-Tier: Arguably the league's best pick collection, with a decent influx of recent draftees.


Tier 2: Strong Mix (Can Swing Big Trades)

San Antonio Spurs
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Boston 2028 swap, Dallas/Minnesota 2030, Sacramento 2031 swap). Solid unprotected options.
Young Prospects: Victor Wembanyama (generational talent), Stephon Castle (two-way guard), Dylan Harper (scorer), Jeremy Sochan (versatile defender), Carter Bryant (wing).
Why Here: Wemby elevates them immensely; picks provide ammo for complements.

Houston Rockets
Draft Assets: +3-4 extra first-round picks (e.g., Phoenix 2027 unprotected, 2029 from Phoenix/Dallas, 2027 Brooklyn swap). Net positive with high-value swaps.
Young Prospects: Alperen Sengun (skilled big), Reed Sheppard (sharpshooter), Amen Thompson (athletic freak), Jabari Smith Jr. (stretch forward), Tari Eason (defender).
Why Here: Balanced rebuild with All-Star-caliber youth and picks from underperformers.

Detroit Pistons
Draft Assets: Neutral (minimal extras; some second-round influx but no major firsts owed/owned beyond own).
Young Prospects: Cade Cunningham (star guard), Jaden Ivey (explosive scorer), Ron Holland (defensive wing), Ausar Thompson (versatile), Jalen Duren (rebounder).
Why Here: Deepest young rotation in the league; lacks picks but prospects are trade chips themselves.


Tier 3: Solid but Not Elite (Useful for Targeted Deals)

Orlando Magic
Draft Assets: -3 net (owes to Memphis/others in 2026, 2029 swap, 2030 unprotected). Liabilities limit flexibility.
Young Prospects: Paolo Banchero (All-Star forward), Franz Wagner (two-way wing), Jalen Suggs (defender), Anthony Black (playmaker), Tristan da Silva (shooter).
Why Here: Premium young talent offsets pick debt; they're building, not trading away.

Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Assets: +2 net (e.g., Boston/Milwaukee 2029, Milwaukee 2030 swap; owes protected 2026 to Chicago).
Young Prospects: Shaedon Sharpe (athletic scorer), Scoot Henderson (guard), Donovan Clingan (rim protector), Yang Hansen (big), Toumani Camara (defender).
Why Here: Rebuilding with upside; picks from contenders add value.

Washington Wizards
Draft Assets: +4 extra first-round picks (e.g., OKC/Houston/Clippers 2026 least favorable, Golden State 2030 protected, Phoenix 2030 swap).
Young Prospects: Alex Sarr (versatile big), Bilal Coulibaly (defender), Bub Carrington (guard), Kyshawn George (wing), Tre Johnson (scorer).
Why Here: Pick-heavy but young core is raw/unproven.

Charlotte Hornets
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Dallas 2027 protected, Miami 2027 lottery-protected, Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota 2029 least favorable).
Young Prospects: LaMelo Ball (star playmaker), Brandon Miller (scorer), Tidjane Salaun (athletic forward), Kon Knueppel (shooter), Liam McNeeley (wing).
Why Here: Ball and Miller headline a promising group; picks provide rebuild fuel.

We rank mid tier it says which would be above majority of the win now teams but below the teams that were stockpiling picks, young guys with high draft picks....Which is exactly what i was saying.....This is Groks answer not mine But it seems to be a trend where all of Groks takes much smarter than you or i with information seems to agree with my takes more so than your takes when it comes to basketball....so feel free to argue with Grok to why we have better assets.

you used AI. That is hilarious. I actually enjoyed reading that. Cody Williams (wing defender), Collier (guard upside). Lmao.

Are you starting to see the flaws in your argument? It’s one thing to say it, but I need you to prove it. Stop using AI, if you watch basketball you wouldn’t need to use it. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with a simple list of teams with young players and picks. You can’t do that.

The majority of those prospects are not good at all. I can use silly wording to hype up our young players too. No one is trading a star player for Collier or Hansen or Tristan Da Silva or Holland or Salaun.

Not only that, in your list you have players no longer on their rookie contract. Suggs, Franz, Ball etc. And some players are about to be on much more expensive contracts like Banchero, Chet, Smith etc. These players are no longer assets.

Some of those players are also older than RJ Barrett and IQ.

[YogurtProducer]

I mean if you build up your young asset base you do have young guys that have alot of value....Rockets for example have many assets to play with because they have alot of good young assets via draft....They cashed some of their assets to get KD with Green/10th pick....

Spurs as well would be able to combine some young guys to get an upgrade if it were to come available as well as OKC who have a slew of draft picks from other teams to offer up as well....

Our asset base is not the worst in the NBA i am not saying that at all....But its also not really super positive either to win in any trade if a player like Giannis was ever truely on the market for example....Unless he hand picked to want to be here....We are prolly looking at a flawed star to gamble on and hope it works out for us....Which it might...But its also possible we get outbid for the flawed stars in trades depending on what teams are willing to offer...

So you named 2 teams. How does refute my point that most of the players in the nba don’t have value?

Like IQ “doesn’t have value”, but how many guys in his price range do?

Jrue? Grant? Poole? Middleton?

Sure, a guy like Brunson who took a discount does, or Sengun who took his max off his rookie deal, but the vas majority of guys who have gotten extensions don’t have positive value.

There are a small number of players with “good contracts”. Most are neutral (like IQ, and Poeltl), and then you got your negatives.

In your theoretical of trading for a star we have all our picks, which is the main piece (and salaries) teams want back in trades

IQ isn’t neutral. Last summer he was constantly brought up as the contract that distorted the market and expectations of FA.

Poeltl at $19m is neutral. Poeltl at $30m is going to be awful.

Poeltl at $19M right now and $30M when the extension kicks in is essentially the same % of the cap wise. If one is neutral, it’s impossible for the other to be bad.

[YogurtProducer]

Who are some teams with picks and young good prospects? We’ve went over OKC and SAS. What other teams?

Lol you really want me to go through every team with assets above us now?....All this to try and say the Raptors have some sort of elite stock pile?
I will just ask Grok to make it easier and Copy/Paste what it tells me...

This is Groks answer feel free to argue with it...

Tier 1: Elite Asset Hoards (Contenders for Any Blockbuster Trade)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., protected from Philadelphia 2026, Denver 2027, Clippers 2027 swap, Dallas 2028 swap). Strong swap rights add flexibility.
Young Prospects: Jalen Williams (All-Star level), Chet Holmgren (defensive anchor), Cason Wallace (versatile guard), Nikola Topic (high-upside rookie).
Why #1: Unmatched depth in picks and proven young talent; they can outbid anyone without gutting the core.

Utah Jazz
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., from Cleveland/Minnesota 2027 and 2029, Cleveland 2028 swap, Phoenix 2031). Valuable multi-team swaps.
Young Prospects: Ace Bailey (explosive scorer), Keyonte George (playmaker), Cody Williams (wing defender), Isaiah Collier (guard upside), Walker Kessler (rim protector).
Why Top-Tier: Massive pick volume pairs with a rebuilding young group full of lottery talent.

Brooklyn Nets
Draft Assets: +7 extra first-round picks (e.g., from New York 2027/2029/2031, Philadelphia 2028, Houston/Dallas/Phoenix 2029 least favorable, Denver 2032). Heavy on unprotected picks from contenders.
Young Prospects: Egor Demin (skilled big), Nolan Traore (point guard), Cam Thomas (scorer), Noah Clowney (stretch forward), Ziaire Williams (athletic wing).
Why Top-Tier: Arguably the league's best pick collection, with a decent influx of recent draftees.


Tier 2: Strong Mix (Can Swing Big Trades)

San Antonio Spurs
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Boston 2028 swap, Dallas/Minnesota 2030, Sacramento 2031 swap). Solid unprotected options.
Young Prospects: Victor Wembanyama (generational talent), Stephon Castle (two-way guard), Dylan Harper (scorer), Jeremy Sochan (versatile defender), Carter Bryant (wing).
Why Here: Wemby elevates them immensely; picks provide ammo for complements.

Houston Rockets
Draft Assets: +3-4 extra first-round picks (e.g., Phoenix 2027 unprotected, 2029 from Phoenix/Dallas, 2027 Brooklyn swap). Net positive with high-value swaps.
Young Prospects: Alperen Sengun (skilled big), Reed Sheppard (sharpshooter), Amen Thompson (athletic freak), Jabari Smith Jr. (stretch forward), Tari Eason (defender).
Why Here: Balanced rebuild with All-Star-caliber youth and picks from underperformers.

Detroit Pistons
Draft Assets: Neutral (minimal extras; some second-round influx but no major firsts owed/owned beyond own).
Young Prospects: Cade Cunningham (star guard), Jaden Ivey (explosive scorer), Ron Holland (defensive wing), Ausar Thompson (versatile), Jalen Duren (rebounder).
Why Here: Deepest young rotation in the league; lacks picks but prospects are trade chips themselves.


Tier 3: Solid but Not Elite (Useful for Targeted Deals)

Orlando Magic
Draft Assets: -3 net (owes to Memphis/others in 2026, 2029 swap, 2030 unprotected). Liabilities limit flexibility.
Young Prospects: Paolo Banchero (All-Star forward), Franz Wagner (two-way wing), Jalen Suggs (defender), Anthony Black (playmaker), Tristan da Silva (shooter).
Why Here: Premium young talent offsets pick debt; they're building, not trading away.

Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Assets: +2 net (e.g., Boston/Milwaukee 2029, Milwaukee 2030 swap; owes protected 2026 to Chicago).
Young Prospects: Shaedon Sharpe (athletic scorer), Scoot Henderson (guard), Donovan Clingan (rim protector), Yang Hansen (big), Toumani Camara (defender).
Why Here: Rebuilding with upside; picks from contenders add value.

Washington Wizards
Draft Assets: +4 extra first-round picks (e.g., OKC/Houston/Clippers 2026 least favorable, Golden State 2030 protected, Phoenix 2030 swap).
Young Prospects: Alex Sarr (versatile big), Bilal Coulibaly (defender), Bub Carrington (guard), Kyshawn George (wing), Tre Johnson (scorer).
Why Here: Pick-heavy but young core is raw/unproven.

Charlotte Hornets
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Dallas 2027 protected, Miami 2027 lottery-protected, Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota 2029 least favorable).
Young Prospects: LaMelo Ball (star playmaker), Brandon Miller (scorer), Tidjane Salaun (athletic forward), Kon Knueppel (shooter), Liam McNeeley (wing).
Why Here: Ball and Miller headline a promising group; picks provide rebuild fuel.

We rank mid tier it says which would be above majority of the win now teams but below the teams that were stockpiling picks, young guys with high draft picks....Which is exactly what i was saying.....This is Groks answer not mine But it seems to be a trend where all of Groks takes much smarter than you or i with information seems to agree with my takes more so than your takes when it comes to basketball....so feel free to argue with Grok to why we have better assets.

you used AI. That is hilarious. I actually enjoyed reading that. Cody Williams (wing defender), Collier (guard upside). Lmao.

Are you starting to see the flaws in your argument? It’s one thing to say it, but I need you to prove it. Stop using AI, if you watch basketball you wouldn’t need to use it. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with a simple list of teams with young players and picks. You can’t do that.

The majority of those prospects are not good at all. I can use silly wording to hype up our young players too. No one is trading a star player for Collier or Hansen or Tristan Da Silva or Holland or Salaun.

Not only that, in your list you have players no longer on their rookie contract. Suggs, Franz, Ball etc. And some players are about to be on much more expensive contracts like Banchero, Chet, Smith etc. These players are no longer assets.

Some of those players are also older than RJ Barrett and IQ.

Some people AI usage might be tough t tell but with Clutch the change in punctuation is almost jarring.

And it considers guys like Cade an asset, so isn’t Scottie to? If Saulun is for Charlotte, then isn’t JKW, Dick, Agbaji, CMB, Shead, etc.?

All AI does it take public forums to make those posts. They’re wildly skewed to bigger markets and more “widely known” prospects that get discussed more. It doesn’t tell us anything lol

[Los_29]

Lol you really want me to go through every team with assets above us now?....All this to try and say the Raptors have some sort of elite stock pile?
I will just ask Grok to make it easier and Copy/Paste what it tells me...

This is Groks answer feel free to argue with it...

Tier 1: Elite Asset Hoards (Contenders for Any Blockbuster Trade)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., protected from Philadelphia 2026, Denver 2027, Clippers 2027 swap, Dallas 2028 swap). Strong swap rights add flexibility.
Young Prospects: Jalen Williams (All-Star level), Chet Holmgren (defensive anchor), Cason Wallace (versatile guard), Nikola Topic (high-upside rookie).
Why #1: Unmatched depth in picks and proven young talent; they can outbid anyone without gutting the core.

Utah Jazz
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., from Cleveland/Minnesota 2027 and 2029, Cleveland 2028 swap, Phoenix 2031). Valuable multi-team swaps.
Young Prospects: Ace Bailey (explosive scorer), Keyonte George (playmaker), Cody Williams (wing defender), Isaiah Collier (guard upside), Walker Kessler (rim protector).
Why Top-Tier: Massive pick volume pairs with a rebuilding young group full of lottery talent.

Brooklyn Nets
Draft Assets: +7 extra first-round picks (e.g., from New York 2027/2029/2031, Philadelphia 2028, Houston/Dallas/Phoenix 2029 least favorable, Denver 2032). Heavy on unprotected picks from contenders.
Young Prospects: Egor Demin (skilled big), Nolan Traore (point guard), Cam Thomas (scorer), Noah Clowney (stretch forward), Ziaire Williams (athletic wing).
Why Top-Tier: Arguably the league's best pick collection, with a decent influx of recent draftees.


Tier 2: Strong Mix (Can Swing Big Trades)

San Antonio Spurs
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Boston 2028 swap, Dallas/Minnesota 2030, Sacramento 2031 swap). Solid unprotected options.
Young Prospects: Victor Wembanyama (generational talent), Stephon Castle (two-way guard), Dylan Harper (scorer), Jeremy Sochan (versatile defender), Carter Bryant (wing).
Why Here: Wemby elevates them immensely; picks provide ammo for complements.

Houston Rockets
Draft Assets: +3-4 extra first-round picks (e.g., Phoenix 2027 unprotected, 2029 from Phoenix/Dallas, 2027 Brooklyn swap). Net positive with high-value swaps.
Young Prospects: Alperen Sengun (skilled big), Reed Sheppard (sharpshooter), Amen Thompson (athletic freak), Jabari Smith Jr. (stretch forward), Tari Eason (defender).
Why Here: Balanced rebuild with All-Star-caliber youth and picks from underperformers.

Detroit Pistons
Draft Assets: Neutral (minimal extras; some second-round influx but no major firsts owed/owned beyond own).
Young Prospects: Cade Cunningham (star guard), Jaden Ivey (explosive scorer), Ron Holland (defensive wing), Ausar Thompson (versatile), Jalen Duren (rebounder).
Why Here: Deepest young rotation in the league; lacks picks but prospects are trade chips themselves.


Tier 3: Solid but Not Elite (Useful for Targeted Deals)

Orlando Magic
Draft Assets: -3 net (owes to Memphis/others in 2026, 2029 swap, 2030 unprotected). Liabilities limit flexibility.
Young Prospects: Paolo Banchero (All-Star forward), Franz Wagner (two-way wing), Jalen Suggs (defender), Anthony Black (playmaker), Tristan da Silva (shooter).
Why Here: Premium young talent offsets pick debt; they're building, not trading away.

Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Assets: +2 net (e.g., Boston/Milwaukee 2029, Milwaukee 2030 swap; owes protected 2026 to Chicago).
Young Prospects: Shaedon Sharpe (athletic scorer), Scoot Henderson (guard), Donovan Clingan (rim protector), Yang Hansen (big), Toumani Camara (defender).
Why Here: Rebuilding with upside; picks from contenders add value.

Washington Wizards
Draft Assets: +4 extra first-round picks (e.g., OKC/Houston/Clippers 2026 least favorable, Golden State 2030 protected, Phoenix 2030 swap).
Young Prospects: Alex Sarr (versatile big), Bilal Coulibaly (defender), Bub Carrington (guard), Kyshawn George (wing), Tre Johnson (scorer).
Why Here: Pick-heavy but young core is raw/unproven.

Charlotte Hornets
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Dallas 2027 protected, Miami 2027 lottery-protected, Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota 2029 least favorable).
Young Prospects: LaMelo Ball (star playmaker), Brandon Miller (scorer), Tidjane Salaun (athletic forward), Kon Knueppel (shooter), Liam McNeeley (wing).
Why Here: Ball and Miller headline a promising group; picks provide rebuild fuel.

We rank mid tier it says which would be above majority of the win now teams but below the teams that were stockpiling picks, young guys with high draft picks....Which is exactly what i was saying.....This is Groks answer not mine But it seems to be a trend where all of Groks takes much smarter than you or i with information seems to agree with my takes more so than your takes when it comes to basketball....so feel free to argue with Grok to why we have better assets.

you used AI. That is hilarious. I actually enjoyed reading that. Cody Williams (wing defender), Collier (guard upside). Lmao.

Are you starting to see the flaws in your argument? It’s one thing to say it, but I need you to prove it. Stop using AI, if you watch basketball you wouldn’t need to use it. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with a simple list of teams with young players and picks. You can’t do that.

The majority of those prospects are not good at all. I can use silly wording to hype up our young players too. No one is trading a star player for Collier or Hansen or Tristan Da Silva or Holland or Salaun.

Not only that, in your list you have players no longer on their rookie contract. Suggs, Franz, Ball etc. And some players are about to be on much more expensive contracts like Banchero, Chet, Smith etc. These players are no longer assets.

Some of those players are also older than RJ Barrett and IQ.

Some people AI usage might be tough t tell but with Clutch the change in punctuation is almost jarring.

And it considers guys like Cade an asset, so isn’t Scottie to? If Saulun is for Charlotte, then isn’t JKW, Dick, Agbaji, CMB, Shead, etc.?

All AI does it take public forums to make those posts. They’re wildly skewed to bigger markets and more “widely known” prospects that get discussed more. It doesn’t tell us anything lol

Exactly, just for fun I used AI and they included everyone you included plus IQ.

And yeah it’s quite a massive difference going from Clutch’s posts to AI. It was a bit refreshing to see the i’s capitalized.

[Boogie!]

unless youre making a kawhi type trade, we do not have enough actual productive depth that we can consolidate multiple of our borderline all-star pieces (rj, quickley, etc etc) to trade for an available star that will take us to contender status. right now, our strength lies in our combination of above average talent, that as we've seen only works when they're all playing together. because of this, the only logical move is to let them build more chemistry, but add more productive bench depth through smaller transactions that don't require us to give up a lot. we're not contending either way this year, but at least to make us more competitive we can't be throwing out completely unproductive wings like dick, ochai on a nightly basis. walter has given me some hope with his shooting ability and solid defense, but we definitely need an upgrade over dick, and someone that can play extended run when a guy like walter is just having a bad night.

[ArthurVandelay]

So you named 2 teams. How does refute my point that most of the players in the nba don’t have value?

Like IQ “doesn’t have value”, but how many guys in his price range do?

Jrue? Grant? Poole? Middleton?

Sure, a guy like Brunson who took a discount does, or Sengun who took his max off his rookie deal, but the vas majority of guys who have gotten extensions don’t have positive value.

There are a small number of players with “good contracts”. Most are neutral (like IQ, and Poeltl), and then you got your negatives.

In your theoretical of trading for a star we have all our picks, which is the main piece (and salaries) teams want back in trades

IQ isn’t neutral. Last summer he was constantly brought up as the contract that distorted the market and expectations of FA.

Poeltl at $19m is neutral. Poeltl at $30m is going to be awful.

Poeltl at $19M right now and $30M when the extension kicks in is essentially the same % of the cap wise. If one is neutral, it’s impossible for the other to be bad.

Essentially is a very liberal term in this situation

The cap is estimated going up 7% next season and 10% thereafter. Your statement will come close to validity in 2029-30 in the final year of his contract at 34 years of age. Of course if estimates don’t come to fruition, like this season, it will be even worse.

This contract will age terribly. Just like Raptors were only ones willing to give up a first, they were the only ones willing to sit him to this extension. If they can get off it they should. The silver lining for me is I didn’t realize/forgot there was one more season of $19.5m.

https://www.salaryswish.com/salary-cap
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/20214/jakob-poeltl

[Clutch0z24]

Who are some teams with picks and young good prospects? We’ve went over OKC and SAS. What other teams?

Lol you really want me to go through every team with assets above us now?....All this to try and say the Raptors have some sort of elite stock pile?
I will just ask Grok to make it easier and Copy/Paste what it tells me...

This is Groks answer feel free to argue with it...

Tier 1: Elite Asset Hoards (Contenders for Any Blockbuster Trade)

Oklahoma City Thunder
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., protected from Philadelphia 2026, Denver 2027, Clippers 2027 swap, Dallas 2028 swap). Strong swap rights add flexibility.
Young Prospects: Jalen Williams (All-Star level), Chet Holmgren (defensive anchor), Cason Wallace (versatile guard), Nikola Topic (high-upside rookie).
Why #1: Unmatched depth in picks and proven young talent; they can outbid anyone without gutting the core.

Utah Jazz
Draft Assets: +5 extra first-round picks (e.g., from Cleveland/Minnesota 2027 and 2029, Cleveland 2028 swap, Phoenix 2031). Valuable multi-team swaps.
Young Prospects: Ace Bailey (explosive scorer), Keyonte George (playmaker), Cody Williams (wing defender), Isaiah Collier (guard upside), Walker Kessler (rim protector).
Why Top-Tier: Massive pick volume pairs with a rebuilding young group full of lottery talent.

Brooklyn Nets
Draft Assets: +7 extra first-round picks (e.g., from New York 2027/2029/2031, Philadelphia 2028, Houston/Dallas/Phoenix 2029 least favorable, Denver 2032). Heavy on unprotected picks from contenders.

Young Prospects: Egor Demin (skilled big), Nolan Traore (point guard), Cam Thomas (scorer), Noah Clowney (stretch forward), Ziaire Williams (athletic wing).
Why Top-Tier: Arguably the league's best pick collection, with a decent influx of recent draftees.


Tier 2: Strong Mix (Can Swing Big Trades)

San Antonio Spurs
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Boston 2028 swap, Dallas/Minnesota 2030, Sacramento 2031 swap). Solid unprotected options.
Young Prospects: Victor Wembanyama (generational talent), Stephon Castle (two-way guard), Dylan Harper (scorer), Jeremy Sochan (versatile defender), Carter Bryant (wing).
Why Here: Wemby elevates them immensely; picks provide ammo for complements.

Houston Rockets
Draft Assets: +3-4 extra first-round picks (e.g., Phoenix 2027 unprotected, 2029 from Phoenix/Dallas, 2027 Brooklyn swap). Net positive with high-value swaps.
Young Prospects: Alperen Sengun (skilled big), Reed Sheppard (sharpshooter), Amen Thompson (athletic freak), Jabari Smith Jr. (stretch forward), Tari Eason (defender).
Why Here: Balanced rebuild with All-Star-caliber youth and picks from underperformers.

Detroit Pistons
Draft Assets: Neutral (minimal extras; some second-round influx but no major firsts owed/owned beyond own).
Young Prospects: Cade Cunningham (star guard), Jaden Ivey (explosive scorer), Ron Holland (defensive wing), Ausar Thompson (versatile), Jalen Duren (rebounder).
Why Here: Deepest young rotation in the league; lacks picks but prospects are trade chips themselves.


Tier 3: Solid but Not Elite (Useful for Targeted Deals)

Orlando Magic
Draft Assets: -3 net (owes to Memphis/others in 2026, 2029 swap, 2030 unprotected). Liabilities limit flexibility.
Young Prospects: Paolo Banchero (All-Star forward), Franz Wagner (two-way wing), Jalen Suggs (defender), Anthony Black (playmaker), Tristan da Silva (shooter).
Why Here: Premium young talent offsets pick debt; they're building, not trading away.

Portland Trail Blazers
Draft Assets: +2 net (e.g., Boston/Milwaukee 2029, Milwaukee 2030 swap; owes protected 2026 to Chicago).
Young Prospects: Shaedon Sharpe (athletic scorer), Scoot Henderson (guard), Donovan Clingan (rim protector), Yang Hansen (big), Toumani Camara (defender).
Why Here: Rebuilding with upside; picks from contenders add value.

Washington Wizards
Draft Assets: +4 extra first-round picks (e.g., OKC/Houston/Clippers 2026 least favorable, Golden State 2030 protected, Phoenix 2030 swap).
Young Prospects: Alex Sarr (versatile big), Bilal Coulibaly (defender), Bub Carrington (guard), Kyshawn George (wing), Tre Johnson (scorer).
Why Here: Pick-heavy but young core is raw/unproven.

Charlotte Hornets
Draft Assets: +3 extra first-round picks (e.g., Dallas 2027 protected, Miami 2027 lottery-protected, Utah/Cleveland/Minnesota 2029 least favorable).
Young Prospects: LaMelo Ball (star playmaker), Brandon Miller (scorer), Tidjane Salaun (athletic forward), Kon Knueppel (shooter), Liam McNeeley (wing).
Why Here: Ball and Miller headline a promising group; picks provide rebuild fuel.

We rank mid tier it says which would be above majority of the win now teams but below the teams that were stockpiling picks, young guys with high draft picks....Which is exactly what i was saying.....This is Groks answer not mine But it seems to be a trend where all of Groks takes much smarter than you or i with information seems to agree with my takes more so than your takes when it comes to basketball....so feel free to argue with Grok to why we have better assets.

you used AI. That is hilarious. I actually enjoyed reading that. Cody Williams (wing defender), Collier (guard upside). Lmao.

Are you starting to see the flaws in your argument? It’s one thing to say it, but I need you to prove it. Stop using AI, if you watch basketball you wouldn’t need to use it. It shouldn’t be hard to come up with a simple list of teams with young players and picks. You can’t do that.

The majority of those prospects are not good at all. I can use silly wording to hype up our young players too. No one is trading a star player for Collier or Hansen or Tristan Da Silva or Holland or Salaun.

Not only that, in your list you have players no longer on their rookie contract. Suggs, Franz, Ball etc. And some players are about to be on much more expensive contracts like Banchero, Chet, Smith etc. These players are no longer assets.

Some of those players are also older than RJ Barrett and IQ.

Its about the draft picks the teams in the upper tier have....They have draft picks from other teams as well as their own....If you were smart you would know thats the reason they are in a higher tier than us. Again you overhype all our players to the max and you prolly actually believe in the little brain you have that we have more trading power than all the teams in the upper tiers on the list. You think we are top 3 in the entire NBA in assets? If so again the lack of basketball knowledge from you continues to be showing.

Its actually hard to have any kind of basketball discussions with people that just have such a bias view and lack giving any other teams credit. You have low IQ when it comes to the game of basketball in general and the fact you don't realize it is funny to witness....You do realize the upper tier teams have like 5+ draft picks from other teams in their hands right? that has more value than IQ, Yak and Gradey Dick....

Again you continue to argue about stuff that goes off topic of the thread with me. We don't have the assets to get Giannis okay? Thats the whole point im making....Other teams would have the assets to get Giannis....Which means we could get outbid by many teams in many trades if these kind of players hit the market....None of them are hand picking to come to Toronto so yes we need assets better than other teams to have a chance...Now if you think we do have the assets to get Giannis go live in the fantasy land you live in but leave me out of it....No matter how much you wanna kick and scream about it facts are we are more so in mid area in the NBA in terms of assets not near the top....

We don't have a horrible collections of assets i never said that....I said we don't have the assets to be picky and choosy with which stars we go after because we might just have enough to land flawed stars....But that also remains to be seen and we will see how Bobby does at the trade deadline.

[YogurtProducer]

IQ isn’t neutral. Last summer he was constantly brought up as the contract that distorted the market and expectations of FA.

Poeltl at $19m is neutral. Poeltl at $30m is going to be awful.

Poeltl at $19M right now and $30M when the extension kicks in is essentially the same % of the cap wise. If one is neutral, it’s impossible for the other to be bad.

Essentially is a very liberal term in this situation

The cap is estimated going up 7% next season and 10% thereafter. Your statement will come close to validity in 2029-30 in the final year of his contract at 34 years of age. Of course if estimates don’t come to fruition, like this season, it will be even worse.

This contract will age terribly. Just like Raptors were only ones willing to give up a first, they were the only ones willing to sit him to this extension. If they can get off it they should. The silver lining for me is I didn’t realize/forgot there was one more season of $19.5m.

https://www.salaryswish.com/salary-cap
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/20214/jakob-poeltl

12.6% this year, but was 14.3% in year 1.
15.6% in 2027 (assuming 174M cap)
14.2% in 2029 (assuming $191M cap)

Those cap assumptions are pretty mild to. If they go up the full 10% the last year could be closer to 13.5% or so.

[Merit]

Reclamation project for me. We are perfectly situated it with a balanced SL that can absorb a 2 for 1 deal. And it allows for a pivot if it doesn't work (as compared to going the Giannis route).

I've been lower on scotty than most so that probably informs my choice. I'd prefer to try something konda bold with him and then it either works or we move on and pivot to rebuild.

I'm not excited about being a team that is 10 to 15 league-wide with Scottie for 10 years. I'd rather give it a big shot for the next 3 seasons and if it doesn't work out....move on.

Mamu and shead have been huge this year and we'll need one or two more players come out of nowhere like that for the reclamation route to work. Walter still has time. CMB looks solid. So it still looks to me like it's RJ and/or IQ that will have to be traded for said reclamation (which by no means is meant to pile on the hate both players have gotten unfairly this season....it's just that the guard position is where the upgrade makes the most sense)

A high ceiling dynamic guard seems to be what's missing most on paper. This is mostly because Scotty has proven not to be what ppl were expecting on offense. So we need more playmaking from our guards than was planned on when we got IQ and RJ.

I have noticed that Scotty was given more PG duties on offense the past 2 games. I'm pretty sure it's been intentional. So they probably need 10 games (if i'm correct) to evaluate that.

I think people are finally coming around on RJ. I really like IQ and think he’d be phenomenal value if his contract was 5 mil less. As it stands, he’s by no means an albatross, and still works well alongside Jak and with the full starting 5.

[ArthurVandelay]

Poeltl at $19M right now and $30M when the extension kicks in is essentially the same % of the cap wise. If one is neutral, it’s impossible for the other to be bad.

Essentially is a very liberal term in this situation

The cap is estimated going up 7% next season and 10% thereafter. Your statement will come close to validity in 2029-30 in the final year of his contract at 34 years of age. Of course if estimates don’t come to fruition, like this season, it will be even worse.

This contract will age terribly. Just like Raptors were only ones willing to give up a first, they were the only ones willing to sit him to this extension. If they can get off it they should. The silver lining for me is I didn’t realize/forgot there was one more season of $19.5m.

https://www.salaryswish.com/salary-cap
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/20214/jakob-poeltl

12.6% this year, but was 14.3% in year 1.
15.6% in 2027 (assuming 174M cap)
14.2% in 2029 (assuming $191M cap)

Those cap assumptions are pretty mild to. If they go up the full 10% the last year could be closer to 13.5% or so.

So his contract becomes more of the cap as he gets older. Awful might be too strong of a term, but this is bad isn't imo.

[Merit]

regardless of any moves made, i would factor in darko being able to make it work.

almost everyone thought a combination of rj/bi/scottie would clog things up and not be able to work but darko has those 3 playing great together.

he's completely streamlined rj as a scorer and you can see how much he impacts the game now.

if we make a deal, i like the odds of it working on the offensive end.

as of right now, i don't trade rj unless we get a bonafide guard/wing scorer.

so if we get trae/lamelo - darko will use them to their most efficient abilities.

Would love to get Melo. Trae would be a lot of fun to watch, but I’m not sure how to account for him defensively.

Agree with you!

[PushDaRock]

IQ isn’t neutral. Last summer he was constantly brought up as the contract that distorted the market and expectations of FA.

Poeltl at $19m is neutral. Poeltl at $30m is going to be awful.

Poeltl at $19M right now and $30M when the extension kicks in is essentially the same % of the cap wise. If one is neutral, it’s impossible for the other to be bad.

Essentially is a very liberal term in this situation

The cap is estimated going up 7% next season and 10% thereafter. Your statement will come close to validity in 2029-30 in the final year of his contract at 34 years of age. Of course if estimates don’t come to fruition, like this season, it will be even worse.

This contract will age terribly. Just like Raptors were only ones willing to give up a first, they were the only ones willing to sit him to this extension. If they can get off it they should. The silver lining for me is I didn’t realize/forgot there was one more season of $19.5m.

https://www.salaryswish.com/salary-cap
https://www.spotrac.com/nba/player/_/id/20214/jakob-poeltl

The point is he's been between 12-14% of the cap on his current contract and will be 14-16% on the extension. That's not much of a difference. Obviously, whether it ages poorly or not will depend on his health and whether he regains his form. 29/30 also isn't fully guaranteed and if he continues to have injury issues going forward, we will only be on the hook for 5m that season.

[Tofubeque]

Had an epiphany while thinking about Quickley trades. The trouble is we as Raptors fans want to send out underperforming players - we’d never get anything back for them, they don’t have value.

Meanwhile there is a big contract that we’ve totally rehabilitated the value on, and that’s Brandon Ingram. He’s playing awesome, hasn’t missed a game and is leading all-star votes for a top 4 seed. I like watching him but this might be the best he’ll ever look.

If we want to catch the Thunder, we need a Paul George to trade away for the future MVP. Just need a dumb superstar to play GM, force a team to trade for Brandon because he hits middies and was a Laker, and for that team to have a secretly elite guard prospect they’ll part with. Profit.

[mdenny]

Had an epiphany while thinking about Quickley trades. The trouble is we as Raptors fans want to send out underperforming players - we’d never get anything back for them, they don’t have value.

Meanwhile there is a big contract that we’ve totally rehabilitated the value on, and that’s Brandon Ingram. He’s playing awesome, hasn’t missed a game and is leading all-star votes for a top 4 seed. I like watching him but this might be the best he’ll ever look.

If we want to catch the Thunder, we need a Paul George to trade away for the future MVP. Just need a dumb superstar to play GM, force a team to trade for Brandon because he hits middies and was a Laker, and for that team to have a secretly elite guard prospect they’ll part with. Profit.

In regards to fans.....trade values don't flunctuate like alot of loud and wrong fans think. IQ's trade value isn't different now than it was in the summer. It's not a fantasy pool.

There's a common sarcastic comment that ppl make when a struggling player has a good game....something to the effect of "pump that trade value". I get the feeling that some ppl actually think such a thing is happening. It's not.

[CPT]

I don’t think we’re in the top tier of assets, but I think we have enough to make basically any trade we want.

Like, can OKC, HOU, SAS, and a few other teams beat our best offers? Sure. But at a certain point, if they want to pay $1.50 on the dollar, you just have to let them.

As for what I’d hope to do, it’s either 2 or 4, which are kind of the same to me. I dislike pretty much all available options (Trae, LaMelo, Sabonis, Davis), but I would take any of them at the right price.

[TGM]

I think trade value for star players has really shifted in the last 12-18 months once teams started to appreciate how killer the tax apron can be.

I mentioned this in a thread a year ago, that the new way to build a team will be with 20-30 million dollar players. RJ is a guy that fits that bill. Also, not just because RJ has been playing well lately, but I really get Derozan vibes with the guy. He wants to be in Toronto, is a Toronto guy and his game keeps improving as each year goes buy. In 2-3 years from now he could very well be our championship version of Kris Middleton.

I hope the Raps don't force a trade for the sake of it. We should see what we can do with IQ, Jak, Dick, Mogbo, Ochai and maybe up to two first round picks. Thats probably the type of trade capital we should be willing to put on the table. The Kings keep coming back as the team I want to link up with.

IQ, Jak, Dick, Ocha, Mogbo, one unprotected first and one first that is protected that if it doesn't convey within 2 years becomes 2 2nds.

I think Kings don't mind a bit of a shake up and they have some contracts they want and some they want to get rid of. IQ can be a 20-8 guy for them at PG, Dick has some upside as does Mogbo. Getting 2 first doesn't hurt either.

Something like Sabonis, Monk, Carter and Westbrook. Monk no longer gets PT on the team. Westbrook has been a beast and will get dealt at the deadline, but I don't see anyone giving a first. Carter is another guy buried on the bench. So the real value is Sabonis who is coming back from injury. This is the kind of deal that doesn't mess up team chemistry too much, but also lets us get a step closer.

Westbrook - Shead - Carter
RJ - Monk - Walter
Ingram -Battle
Barnes - CMB
Sabonis - Mamu - Bamba

This is a good line-up to make a 2nd round run. We will still have some decent players to work with and haven't broken the bank. We have 3 40 million players in Ingram, Barnes and Sabonis. If things in 2027 look good we can also crack the tax and add one more star.