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The Toronto Raptors may have made the most noise of any team this NBA offseason, outside of the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed the all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, and traded for Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Trading for seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard, assuming it eventually is finalized, really divided NBA fans about how good the Raptors could be. While officially having the sixth-highest odds to win the Eastern Conference, believers think Toronto has a chance to go all the way, while non-believers see them missing the playoffs.
This disparity is enough to push general manager Bobby Webster to continue building the roster to give them real championship aspirations. Playing in the best version of the East fans have seen in decades, it’s going to be extremely difficult to win a playoff series, so putting all your eggs in the basket of a 35-year-old with durability issues may not be the answer.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
As if Webster needed any more incentive to try and win now, the greatest shooter of all time, 12-time All-Star Stephen Curry, appears not to be too fond of his situation in Golden State. After 17 years and four championships with the Warriors, Marcus Thompson II from the Athletic reports him to be growing tired of the consistent mediocrity of his teams and wants to have a real chance at contending for a championship. At this point in the franchise, it doesn’t seem like that chance will come until Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. fully resets.
In recent news, that possibility is more realistic than many may believe. Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reportedly looking to build the team for the post-Steph Curry era, even though Curry is still playing some of his best basketball.
Obviously, if Curry becomes available for a trade, countless teams will be reaching out. It’s worth noting he only has one year left on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If there’s a team that has experience taking a chance on a player for one year, that would be the Raptors, who won a championship in 2019 after trading for Leonard the first time, and ultimately losing him to the Los Angeles Clippers the following summer. The question then becomes: what could Toronto offer for Curry? If Curry is on the move, there’s no secret the Warriors are going to need guarantees for the benefit of their future. That is going to come by way of draft capital, young players, or both.
Raptors - Stephen Curry ($62.6 million)
Warriors - Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million), RJ Barrett ($29.6 million), 2028 First-Round Pick, 2030 First-Round Pick, 2027 Second-Round Pick, and 2029 Second-Round Pick
Here, the Raptors don’t give up any of their bright young stars, but give up nearly all of their remaining future draft capital. They would be left with just the 2027 first-rounder (which is a less favorable swap), the 2032 first-rounder, and the 2028 second-rounder. Some may think Toronto would have to include a swap or two alongside these picks, but because this is a 38-year-old on an expiring deal, it wouldn’t be worth going that far all in, unless Webster was able to get a guaranteed extension from Curry as soon as the trade goes through.
Raptors - Stephen Curry ($62.6 million) and Al Horford ($6.8 million)
Warriors - Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million), RJ Barrett ($29.6 million), Ja’Kobe Walter ($3.8 million), Allen Graves ($4.1 million), and 2028 Second-Round Pick
Toronto gives up no first-round picks in this scenario, but instead they lose two very promising young pieces in Walter (2024 first-round pick) and Graves (2026 first-round pick). This would be a much less likely scenario due to the growth seen by Walter and the potential that Graves showed in Summer League. It would at least allow the Raptors to control their own destiny as far as picks go, but considering they are going all in with Curry and Leonard, that shouldn’t matter too much. At the end of the day, even if this isn’t Webster’s preferred option, if Curry is on the table, the deal needs to get done.
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This disparity is enough to push general manager Bobby Webster to continue building the roster to give them real championship aspirations. Playing in the best version of the East fans have seen in decades, it’s going to be extremely difficult to win a playoff series, so putting all your eggs in the basket of a 35-year-old with durability issues may not be the answer.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
As if Webster needed any more incentive to try and win now, the greatest shooter of all time, 12-time All-Star Stephen Curry, appears not to be too fond of his situation in Golden State. After 17 years and four championships with the Warriors, Marcus Thompson II from the Athletic reports him to be growing tired of the consistent mediocrity of his teams and wants to have a real chance at contending for a championship. At this point in the franchise, it doesn’t seem like that chance will come until Golden State general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. fully resets.
In recent news, that possibility is more realistic than many may believe. Warriors owner Joe Lacob is reportedly looking to build the team for the post-Steph Curry era, even though Curry is still playing some of his best basketball.
Obviously, if Curry becomes available for a trade, countless teams will be reaching out. It’s worth noting he only has one year left on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If there’s a team that has experience taking a chance on a player for one year, that would be the Raptors, who won a championship in 2019 after trading for Leonard the first time, and ultimately losing him to the Los Angeles Clippers the following summer. The question then becomes: what could Toronto offer for Curry? If Curry is on the move, there’s no secret the Warriors are going to need guarantees for the benefit of their future. That is going to come by way of draft capital, young players, or both.
Option 1
Raptors - Stephen Curry ($62.6 million)
Warriors - Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million), RJ Barrett ($29.6 million), 2028 First-Round Pick, 2030 First-Round Pick, 2027 Second-Round Pick, and 2029 Second-Round Pick
Here, the Raptors don’t give up any of their bright young stars, but give up nearly all of their remaining future draft capital. They would be left with just the 2027 first-rounder (which is a less favorable swap), the 2032 first-rounder, and the 2028 second-rounder. Some may think Toronto would have to include a swap or two alongside these picks, but because this is a 38-year-old on an expiring deal, it wouldn’t be worth going that far all in, unless Webster was able to get a guaranteed extension from Curry as soon as the trade goes through.
Option 2
Raptors - Stephen Curry ($62.6 million) and Al Horford ($6.8 million)
Warriors - Immanuel Quickley ($32.5 million), RJ Barrett ($29.6 million), Ja’Kobe Walter ($3.8 million), Allen Graves ($4.1 million), and 2028 Second-Round Pick
Toronto gives up no first-round picks in this scenario, but instead they lose two very promising young pieces in Walter (2024 first-round pick) and Graves (2026 first-round pick). This would be a much less likely scenario due to the growth seen by Walter and the potential that Graves showed in Summer League. It would at least allow the Raptors to control their own destiny as far as picks go, but considering they are going all in with Curry and Leonard, that shouldn’t matter too much. At the end of the day, even if this isn’t Webster’s preferred option, if Curry is on the table, the deal needs to get done.
Continue reading...
