Raptors must look to trade Thad Young after latest decision
The Toronto Raptors’ move to Thad Young was a real rollercoaster ride. While it initially looked like a steal after reviving the bench in the 2021-22 season, the fact that Toronto gave up a first-round pick, namely Malaki Branham, to sign someone who wasn’t even in the Rotation was, less enviable the day.
The Raptors faced a dilemma amid the chaos surrounding the departure of Fred VanVleet and the arrival of Dennis Schroder. They could have either eaten a nice million dollars by cutting Young or guaranteed him a salary of around $8 million for the 2023-24 season.
Masai Ujiri opted for the latter as Young is officially in the squad for the 2023/24 season. However, given his status in this revamped roster, it’s become clear that the Raptors and Young would be best served if they parted ways through a trade. There’s no point in putting a young squad in charge of a player who won’t be playing.
With Toronto (perhaps) still needing another backcourt and Chris Boucher and Otto Porter Jr.’s contracts looking pretty unsightly, the Raptors could be in a swap mood. If that’s the case, Young could be another name Masai Ujiri has thrown into the rumor mill.
Will the Toronto Raptors trade Thad Young?
Young averaged just 5.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game with the Raptors but played a key role in the 2021-22 roster as a bench tie and veteran glue man. Before Jakob Poeltl came on, Young even made a few starts as a small ball center at the beginning of the season.
Young has moved around quite a bit in the league but has eluded a championship. Several teams across the NBA would likely be interested in filling one of their bench seats with a proven veteran who still has viable spare PF minutes to play.
The Raptors shouldn’t expect much in return for Young, who is a negative asset given his age and contractual requirements, but recouped a second-round pick from a contender just months after Jae Crowder was substituted for five seconds might be worth trying to pin it down.
The Raptors may need to bid farewell to Young if they want to field the strongest and most complete roster possible, as it could also help one of the league’s oldest and most respected players get better ring chances while building a deeper roster Raptors- Team.
- Published on 07/08/2023 at 22:00
- Last updated on 08/07/2023 at 22:00