The Raptors used four players who could be considered point guards last year: Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Dalano Banton. Only one of them is currently signed to the Raptors.
That would be Flynn, whose role in the Raptors cinematic universe has always been a point of contention. VanVleet in particular travels to Houston in unrestricted free agency. Banton is on his way to Boston. Dowtin remains a question mark as a restricted free agent because the Raptors made him a qualifying offer to remain a two-way player. He can 1) accept the offer and stay in the same position as last year – start the countdown over; 2) sign an offer sheet with another team and give the Raptors an opportunity to complete it in order to keep it; 3) agree to another deal with the Raptors, which would likely be a minimum value deal with a partial guarantee and an opportunity to compete for a roster spot; or 4) sign abroad.
That’s a lot of words to say about Jeff Dowtin Jr., but why stop on a good cause? The Raptors reached an agreement with Dennis Schröder shortly after the VanVleet news broke, so the Raptors have replaced some of those outgoing minutes. The Raptors could give Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam the playing keys, leave supporting roles to Schroeder, Flynn and maybe Dowtin, and go from there. They also have Markquis Nowell, the 5’7″ future Raptors cult hero, in a two-way deal.
Alternatively, they can look at a roster where 10 of the 14 full-time spots are reserved for either centers or forwards who rely on front players rather than swingmen and try to strike a balance. This can be done through a big deal with one of their two most successful veterans, Siakam or OG Anunoby, or through a smaller deal.
The larger trades are likely to be as much about future rewards as the current rostering. Here are some names that might make sense for smaller deals.
Ricky Rubio. (David Richard/USA Today)
veterans
Malcolm Brogdon, Boston ($22.5 million, contracted through 2024–25): Brogdon is probably the best player the Raptors have landed in a trade without involving any of their three forwards, and also the most complicated. He suffered a partial tendon rupture in his right elbow at the end of the playoffs and has a history of leg and knee injuries.
He’s excellent when he’s healthy. He was the sixth man of the year, averaging 14.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists in just 26 minutes per game. He would instantly become the Raptors’ top marksman, hitting more than 38 percent of his three-pointers in five of his seven trades. He is also 30 and has questions about his health.
Possible trade: Brogdon for Gary Trent Jr.
Delon Wright, Washington ($8.2 million, UFA in 2024): Replace one Bench Mob Guard with another. The Wizards cleared their point guard backlog by relinquishing Monte Morris to Detroit, but it’s safe to assume there will be very few bottlenecks in Washington. Wright is used to deflecting the ball and offers above-average attack point defense, which is useful for maintaining Anunoby’s defensive workload.
The problem with trading for Washington is that they are in pure rebuild mode and will therefore be looking for additional draft value at any time.
Possible trade: Wright for Otto Porter Jr., Joe Wieskamp and a 2026 second-round pick
Ricky Rubio, Cleveland ($6.1 million, UFA in 2025): Just for the vibe, baby. You want good mojo? Sign Rubio. The Cavaliers just added Ty Jerome as a cheap replacement for Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, while Caris LeVert brings them some additional playful vibes.
They probably want the extra veteran, but maybe in the future they want a lower salary and a player who helped a team win a championship when he was last healthy. (Probably not.)
Possible trade: Rubio for Porter
Devonte’ Graham, San Antonio ($12.1 million, UFA in 2025): The best reason for this trade? Perhaps the Raptors could recoup the remaining second-round pick they owe the Spurs from the Jakob Poeltl trade. Being more of a shoot first guard, he is not the ideal player alongside Victor Wembanyama.
Graham could spend a few minutes in Toronto or, worst-case scenario, eventually be bought out. Just two seasons ago he was averaging almost 15 points per game, so he could still be valuable. Last year, he had a 36.7 percent hit rate on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, so he wouldn’t contradict the Raptors’ needs.
Possible trade: Graham and Lamar Stevens for Porter and Thaddeus Young (trade could not be finalized until late August or later)
Payton Pritchard (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Restyling of the 2020 vintage
Payton Pritchard, Boston ($4 million, RFA in 2024): Honestly, it sounds like Pritchard would rather stay in Boston than Brogdon. Given that a limited free hand would give the team team control of him next season off, the Celtics likely see him as a more reliable long-term replacement for Derrick White than Brogdon.
Given the abundance of playmakers the Celtics had, Pritchard acted more as an off-ball threat than a lead guard during his first three years in the league. He was good at it, scoring on 40 percent of his 647 3-point attempts in his career.
Possible trade: Pritchard for Precious Achiuwa
Killian Hayes, Detroit ($7.4 million, RFA in 2024): A top-flight defensive player who hasn’t shown consistent shooting ability for the first three years of his career (27.4 out of 3)? The joke is too easy to end.
Hayes was good enough to enter the lottery in 2020 and played in a squad that lacked talent throughout his career. Detroit is full of young guards/playmakers: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser. The top three of those players have been the top five picks for the past three years. Hayes doesn’t appear to be a priority in Detroit.
Possible trade: Hayes for Chris Boucher
Cole Anthony, Orlando ($5.5 million, RFA in 2024): The trade below is perhaps my favorite of them all. Anthony is in a similar position in Orlando as Hayes is in Detroit. In Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black, the Magic have their playmakers of the future. It’s hard to imagine that they would try to keep Anthony long-term.
Unlike Hayes, Anthony is more of a shooting player than one who focuses on defense, but adding a sixth man to complement Barnes or to support Gary Trent Jr. makes perfect sense. The Raptors would have a year to assess the suitability of two former first-rounders who likely don’t want to keep the Magic in Orlando.
Possible trade: Anthony and Chuma Okeke for Boucher
Kira Lewis Jr, New Orleans ($5.7 million, RFA in 2024): Lewis’ career was severely impacted in December 2021 when he tore his cruciate ligament in a game against Denver. After returning from injury last year, he only played 235 minutes in the regular season and never managed to break rotation regularly.
For the Raptors to make a move, it would definitely have to be in a low-risk area for aviators. Last year, too, he failed to boast big numbers in his 13 G-League games.
Possible trade: Lewis for Porter
(Top Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)