Paul Millsap (Photo : Twitter)
The Toronto Raptors were involved in a wild trade scenario that sought to address their power forward position.
Blake Griffin is the superstar that the Toronto Raptors could acquire in what was called a four-team blockbuster trade (that would probably not happen).
In a trade scenario from Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, the Raptors trade for Blake Griffin and also Kosta Koufos (the deal involved the Sacramento Kings and Charlotte Hornets as well). The deal is not cheap though, as they would have to send Jonas Valanciunas, Norman Powell and Patrick Patterson.
Favale himself questioned the wisdom of the hypothetical move. Valanciunas is a young but established center and Norman Powell's game is starting to get noticed. What's more, Blake Griffin has a player option that could make him a free agent. True, it would make a Big Three that could rival the Cavs (Griffin, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan) but the price is too steep.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri could trade for a possible free agent, but someone that he has a good chance of keeping. Frankly, Griffin's chances of staying north are slim, but Ujiri could find a better alternative.
Early in free agency, Zach Lowe of ESPN reported that the Atlanta Hawks offered Paul Millsap in their sudden trade frenzy to carve out cap space in order to keep Al Horford. The Hawks just signed Dwight Howard, a player they coveted long ago (and also a hometown product) and wanted to trade Millsap to re-sign Kent Bazemore and Al Horford.
The Hawks may be placed in a no-win situation with Millsap since he is also an impending free agent. "Millsap now knows the Hawks tried to move him, and his trade value declines every day," Lowe wrote. |Trading a player like Millsap is painful. He emerged last season as one of the 15 or 20 best players in the league, at worst."
Depending on how the season plays out, the Raptors could have a golden opportunity. The Hawks are banking on a lot of risky situations: Dwight Howard is their center, they handed over the point guard reins to Dennis Schroder. If the Hawks falter at the start, Millsap may look at other options in the East.
If the Raptors pick up on their great showing from last season (they were two games away from the NBA Finals), Millsap may want to transfer North and in that situation, the Hawks may want to work a trade with the Raptors.
The Raptors are capped out with the huge DeRozan deal and they need the Bird Rights for Millsap so there is an incentive for them to trade, but the Hawks could lose Millsap for nothing.
An offer of Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross could be a reasonable haul for Millsap. It won't cripple the Raptors and they add a legitimate top 20 player in their frontcourt.
