"The largest anchor weighing the Raptors down is Jakob Poeltl. He is on one of the league's worst contracts, paying him for the next five years increasingly larger amounts, while also being largely unavailable this season due to a back injury. To find a new home for Poeltl, the Raptors will need to find a team willing to take on his long-term money and ready to accept payment to do so."
"They can - and all it would take is one single trade. A secondary issue is the contract of Immanuel Quickley. "IQ" is a good player for Toronto, but he has a lofty contract that is restricting Toronto's salary flexibility, and it has become a barrier itself in trade talks. If the Raptors are going to make a significant trade, they would desperately want it to include Poelt or Quickley."
"The New Orleans Pelicans are in need of a defensive center to pair with the likes of Zion Williamson and Derik Queen, and they have never been afraid of long-term money. They also have a bad contract of their own in Jordan Poole, although it is shorter in length than Quickley's. And in terms of a big target, Trey Murphy III is the apple of many teams' eye."
The Toronto Raptors sit fourth in the Eastern Conference and remain two games behind second, but long-term contracts are constraining present flexibility. Jakob Poeltl occupies a large, increasingly expensive five-year contract while being largely unavailable this season due to a back injury, creating an urgent need to move his salary to a willing team. Immanuel Quickley's sizable contract further restricts salary flexibility and complicates trade talks. The New Orleans Pelicans could match needs: they want a defensive center, tolerate long-term money, and possess tradable contracts and a coveted wing in Trey Murphy III. A trade sending Poeltl and Quickley for Murphy would clear cap space and upgrade the wing.
Read at Raptors Rapture
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