The Toronto Raptors are not exactly going anywhere this season. They are 15-25 on the season, which has them sitting at 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Their -1.8 point differential is nothing to write home about either; it is tied with the Brooklyn Nets for 10th in the East. Their -1.6 net rating ranks 1oth in the NBA as well. Opponents are shooting 38.8 percent from deep against the Raptors this season, so perhaps they are getting a little unlucky. However, there aren't many other indicators to suggest there's a big run coming for this Toronto franchise.
In fact, it would incentivize the Raptors to begin losing more games than they win. They owe their first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs due to last year's (puzzling) trade for Jakob Poeltl at the deadline in 2023 if it falls outside of the top six. The Raptors are currently tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the NBA, but the Grizzlies are without Ja Morant for the rest of the season and are down Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart for a few weeks. It would take a lot of skill to finish this season with a worse record than them.
One way to accomplish that is by trading their good players! Toronto has already traded OG Anunoby along with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and a second-round pick from the Detroit Pistons that will in all likelihood be the 31st pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They followed that up by agreeing to a blockbuster trade to send Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers.
The Raptors shouldn't be done making moves. There is another player on their roster that they should absolutely look to trade before the trade deadline.
Raptors must trade Bruce Brown
Toronto's incentive to tank has already been outlined above. Another is their paltry record and standing in the Eastern Conference. But the biggest reason why the Raptors should look to trade Bruce Brown is his contract situation. Brown is effectively an expiring contract with him being owed $23 million next season with a team option. If the Raptors are not comfortable paying him that figure in 2024-25, they could look to flip him and use that hefty cap number this season ($22 million) to bring back some extra draft capital if there's a team looking to shed long-term money.
There won't be a shortage of suitors looking for a player like Brown, either. Recent history indicates a player like Brown could fetch the Raptors another first-round pick. The Pacers traded Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics for a first-round pick (which eventually became Ben Sheppard, the 26th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Belmont University) and Aaron Nesmith. Nesmith has emerged as a legit rotation player for the Pacers the last couple of seasons.
The priority for the Raptors should be to find players like that, someone who can contribute around their franchise cornerstone in Scottie Barnes the way the Pacers found Nesmith to grow alongside Tyrese Haliburton. Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett already fit that bill. Presumably, 2023 first-round pick Gradey Dick will get a bump in playing time and join those three as the next version of the Raptors' young core. But it can't hurt to look for another player to join them. Brown can help them find that player.
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