"In a perfect world, we could just enjoy having an abundance of talent on every NBA roster. We could pay players what they want, keep them in town with no worries, and everyone would be happy. But the NBA is just as much a business as it is a sports league. As Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic pointed out once upon a time, he can't make everyone happy like an ice cream man."
"Ochai Agbaji jumps out just as he's in the last year of his rookie-scale contract. He's a nice player who some teams might want the restricted rights, bird rights on. And as we just outlined, like the Raptors have Gradey Dick and Ja'Kobe Walter and if it's time to pay [Ochai] Agbaji and they don't really have room for it, that's somebody you could trade into a team's mid-level exception."
"If they still have it to use and it's a relatively easy trade to make, in terms of the cap mechanics of it all. So those are the two names that jump out. If you know, disaster hits, obviously things, you could probably put any name in there almost, but right now it's [RJ] Barrett in a bigger move or [Ochai] Agbaji in a smaller move for me."
The Toronto Raptors are at or a few million dollars over the luxury tax threshold, creating immediate roster and payroll pressures. Trade options are being considered to avoid or reduce luxury-tax penalties. RJ Barrett represents a larger-move trade candidate because of longer-term implications for the roster. Ochai Agbaji represents a smaller-move option because he is in the final year of a rookie-scale deal and on an expiring contract near $6.3 million, making him easier to move into another team's mid-level exception. Cap mechanics, restricted and bird rights, and existing young wings factor into trade feasibility.
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