2 Realistic Trades the Raptors Can Make This Offseason

The Toronto Raptors are expected to listen to trade offers this offseason as they look to take that next step in the Eastern Conference.

The Raptors should be searching for deals of all sizes as they are in position to take flight in the next phase of their ascension towards winning their first championship since 2019.

Here's a look at two possible deals the Raptors can make this offseason:

Gradey Dick Gets Change of Scenery

Gradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins rounded out the lottery for the 2023 NBA draft. While both have shown signs of promise with their original teams, it's possible that both could benefit from playing elsewhere.

Both players entered the league as three-point specialists, but neither has lived up to those expectations. Dick averaged 14.4 points as a starter in the 2024-25 campaign. He reverted to a bench role this past season and averaged only six points per game.

Hawkins has failed to reach that next step in his evolution. He has remained a bench player throughout most of his tenure with the Pelicans, and he saw a similar regression in his stats, going from 10.8 points in 2024-25 to 5.1 points per game this past season.

With a year remaining on each of their contracts before hitting restricted free agency, it might be wise for the Pelicans and Raptors to make a swap to see if a change of scenery will do either player some good.

Offloading Jakob Poeltl's Contract

The Raptors and Kings were involved in dialogue around the trade deadline for Domantas Sabonis, but a deal ultimately did not come to fruition. The two teams could try again this offseason by sending Sabonis to Toronto along with point guard Devin Carter for Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and the No. 19 overall pick in this year's NBA draft.

This deal does a few things for the Raptors. It gets them a center with more size while taking away the financial burden the team will have with Quickley and Poeltl for the next several seasons. It also opens the door for a potential RJ Barrett extension, as his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

The deal will also thrust Jamal Shead into the starting lineup and give Carter, a former lottery pick, the chance to come off the bench and get legitimate rotation opportunities.

Shead started for the Raptors in the playoffs and held his own. His defensive presence at the beginning of the game rather than in the second unit could be the change that helps the Raptors take the next step as a team.

Ultimately, the Raptors should find deals that kill multiple birds with one stone.