>The Pelicans should still be searching for a way to turn Brandon Ingram into a starting center before the season begins. Poeltl could be one of the best to become available.
>The 28-year-old Poeltl averaged 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 65.6 percent overall for the Raptors last season. However, they originally acquired him to play alongside Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and others. Now that they’re rebuilding around Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, he might not be a long-term fit in Toronto anymore.
>Poeltl is a big, talented defender who’s making less than $20 million per season over the next three years. He had a swing rating in the 98th and 91st percentiles since arriving in Toronto (plus-14.1 and plus-9.6 overall), so he could help solve the Pelicans’ starting center issue.
>Meanwhile, Brown would give New Orleans a veteran who can play a number of roles off the bench. He’s on an expiring $23 million contract, which means he’ll come off the books right as Trey Murphy III’s rookie-scale deal expires.
>New Orleans could have a starting five of Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Murphy, Zion Williamson and Poeltl with CJ McCollum, Brown, Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi, Daniel Theis and others off the bench. An extra first-round pick in what projects to be a talented 2026 draft class would almost certainly convey from the Pacers, too.
>The Raptors would continue to get younger and add some more offensive pop around Barnes, with Ingram (26) and Hawkins (22) joining a core that now includes Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji and others.
>Toronto still would have Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher and rookie Jonathan Mogbo in its big-man rotation to fill the void left by Poeltl’s departure. A starting five of Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes and Olynyk would feature a ton of floor-spacing, length and offensive talent.
>If the Raptors and Ingram can find common ground on a new contract, this is a potential buy-low opportunity for the former All-Star.
Personally not a fan of adding Ingram if it means getting rid of further draft capital but I can concede that the 2026 Pacers pick probably won’t be all that good barring bad luck and adding Ingram is a straight up talent upgrade…but there’s a question regarding fit since BI works best with the ball in his hands, and he’s missed a lot of games due to injury in recent seasons. Plus you have to worry about whether he’s going to re-sign and for how much (which is not an issue this team should be having this early into the retool around Scottie).
Getting Hawkins does mitigate that risk and he’s an interesting shooting prospect but you’re obviously not making this move for Hawkins.
NatsuAru
This is a “win now” move.
Ingram is not going to buy in to a development team, and giving up draft capital when we JUST got into a rebuild is straight foolishness.
I know people here are gonna get beyond upset when they realize this team is losing, but giving up a pick, Poeltl AND Bruce just to gather a few more wins for a possible playoff exit is counter-intuitive. Not with a team that hasn’t even proven itself at all.
We have a young squad. They should allow them to develop with the vets they have, and then decide to make moves depending on how the season goes. If they somehow get to the playoffs just on their own, then amazing. But I won’t lose sleep over them losing while improving their game.
AnybodyNormal3947
No thank you. We are not good enough both in debth and talent to spend Ober the luxury tax for Brandon while trading away our only start caliber center.
That trade would be a journey to nowhere fast.
Tbh it gives me the Rudy gay vibes
BubblyPhilosophy3476
noo… whats with everyone wanting to rush a rebuild? it would be stupid to handicap ourselves again like we did with jak
delta_vel
This makes no sense to me for multiple reasons.
For one, why would we create such a major hole at our centre position.
Two, why would we be making this move when it only moves us into the middle of the pack, during Scotty’s prime contract?
We need as many young prospects and picks as we can get to either a) develop and keep or b) develop and flip via trades to upgrade the roster with younger players around Scotty.
No thanks for this trade, unless we want to be the next John Wall era Wizards
GuessableSevens
I would do this trade if we could give Ingram to a 3rd team for a FRP, FRP swap, ane bad salary. Then it would be Hawkins + FRP swap for Poeltl and bad salary which is totally worth it.
SDK04
Eww, we need a 2025 FRP, not more mediocrity and losing a pick.
555mister
Pels would never give up Hawkins. Pure value wise, this trade would be insane for us but it obviously doesn’t fit the teams direction or cap.
vaalbarag
Don’t like it with Ingram heading into free agency next summer… puts us right back into the same untenable cap situation we had with Siakam and this group. That said, I’d be more interested in they replaced Hawkins with Missi… but still no.
I do think that Poeltl+Brown are a great target for the Pelicans, but it’s more likely to me if there’s a third-team who is interested in Ingram, and right now it seems like that market is pretty weak. Even more likely the Pelicans move on from trying to trade Ingram, and move McCollum instead.
fdisfragameosoldiers
And who pray tell is going to be our starting center afterthis trade? 🤔 Makes no sense for the Raptors
dgoat_19
I love the idea of Poeltl on the Pelicans but Ingram doesnt make sense on the Raptors, honestly he doesnt make sense on any team it feels like
GeneralLou15
Pelicans look desperate right now. We know they have never paid the tax in their history. For me, I’d expect only boucher and brown going out. Ingram and a couple of seconds and / or a frp swaps going to the raptors. I’d use the leverage of ingam walking for nothing. Otherwise, I don’t want pels ” sloppy second” stress max they gonna have to offer.
kpeds45
Lol, why does Toronto do this??? Give up our center, and a pick, for a guy who isn’t going to make us better than we would be with Poeltl instead of him.
RoseGardenForever
I’m so out on Ingram, his availability is terrible, and his contract is expiring. You either trade all that to be a middle of the road team, then let him walk or shell out a max to keep him. Lose lose for Toronto
Decent_Pack_3064
We be worse off without a starting center
EducatorReasonable38
With a developing young core and assuming Barnes grows to a 1st all nba talent, this team can be dangerous in a 2-3 seasons
okuokuoku00
Classic Bleacher Report: How to make other teams better by cherry picking from Toronto with complete disregard for what the Raptors need
Loan_Wolfie
The difference between the Raptors with Poeltl and without was massive last season. It took several years to replace Gasol / Ibaka, I can’t see them wanting to go back to having nothing at centre again. Unless Baines becomes available /s
djkhan23
Oh hell no.
TommTTT
Bleacher Report are idiots. Raptors just traded Pascal who is at the same level as Ingram.
SadInternal9977
US trade articles are always set up to help US teams at Toronto’s expense. This trade makes no sense on the court or financially. We already have a new young core to pay and now need to build around them with guys on rookie contracts not max guys that are going to push us toward the aprons for nothing. Raptors just got out of expensive commitments for a play in team and i doubt FO wants to go back there.
22 Comments
The article in question: [https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10129124-blockbuster-trades-we-can-still-see-ahead-of-2024-25-nba-season](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10129124-blockbuster-trades-we-can-still-see-ahead-of-2024-25-nba-season)
>The Pelicans should still be searching for a way to turn Brandon Ingram into a starting center before the season begins. Poeltl could be one of the best to become available.
>The 28-year-old Poeltl averaged 11.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 65.6 percent overall for the Raptors last season. However, they originally acquired him to play alongside Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and others. Now that they’re rebuilding around Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, he might not be a long-term fit in Toronto anymore.
>Poeltl is a big, talented defender who’s making less than $20 million per season over the next three years. He had a swing rating in the 98th and 91st percentiles since arriving in Toronto (plus-14.1 and plus-9.6 overall), so he could help solve the Pelicans’ starting center issue.
>Meanwhile, Brown would give New Orleans a veteran who can play a number of roles off the bench. He’s on an expiring $23 million contract, which means he’ll come off the books right as Trey Murphy III’s rookie-scale deal expires.
>New Orleans could have a starting five of Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, Murphy, Zion Williamson and Poeltl with CJ McCollum, Brown, Jose Alvarado, Yves Missi, Daniel Theis and others off the bench. An extra first-round pick in what projects to be a talented 2026 draft class would almost certainly convey from the Pacers, too.
>The Raptors would continue to get younger and add some more offensive pop around Barnes, with Ingram (26) and Hawkins (22) joining a core that now includes Quickley, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ochai Agbaji and others.
>Toronto still would have Kelly Olynyk, Chris Boucher and rookie Jonathan Mogbo in its big-man rotation to fill the void left by Poeltl’s departure. A starting five of Quickley, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes and Olynyk would feature a ton of floor-spacing, length and offensive talent.
>If the Raptors and Ingram can find common ground on a new contract, this is a potential buy-low opportunity for the former All-Star.
Personally not a fan of adding Ingram if it means getting rid of further draft capital but I can concede that the 2026 Pacers pick probably won’t be all that good barring bad luck and adding Ingram is a straight up talent upgrade…but there’s a question regarding fit since BI works best with the ball in his hands, and he’s missed a lot of games due to injury in recent seasons. Plus you have to worry about whether he’s going to re-sign and for how much (which is not an issue this team should be having this early into the retool around Scottie).
Getting Hawkins does mitigate that risk and he’s an interesting shooting prospect but you’re obviously not making this move for Hawkins.
This is a “win now” move.
Ingram is not going to buy in to a development team, and giving up draft capital when we JUST got into a rebuild is straight foolishness.
I know people here are gonna get beyond upset when they realize this team is losing, but giving up a pick, Poeltl AND Bruce just to gather a few more wins for a possible playoff exit is counter-intuitive. Not with a team that hasn’t even proven itself at all.
We have a young squad. They should allow them to develop with the vets they have, and then decide to make moves depending on how the season goes. If they somehow get to the playoffs just on their own, then amazing. But I won’t lose sleep over them losing while improving their game.
No thank you. We are not good enough both in debth and talent to spend Ober the luxury tax for Brandon while trading away our only start caliber center.
That trade would be a journey to nowhere fast.
Tbh it gives me the Rudy gay vibes
noo… whats with everyone wanting to rush a rebuild? it would be stupid to handicap ourselves again like we did with jak
This makes no sense to me for multiple reasons.
For one, why would we create such a major hole at our centre position.
Two, why would we be making this move when it only moves us into the middle of the pack, during Scotty’s prime contract?
We need as many young prospects and picks as we can get to either a) develop and keep or b) develop and flip via trades to upgrade the roster with younger players around Scotty.
No thanks for this trade, unless we want to be the next John Wall era Wizards
I would do this trade if we could give Ingram to a 3rd team for a FRP, FRP swap, ane bad salary. Then it would be Hawkins + FRP swap for Poeltl and bad salary which is totally worth it.
Eww, we need a 2025 FRP, not more mediocrity and losing a pick.
Pels would never give up Hawkins. Pure value wise, this trade would be insane for us but it obviously doesn’t fit the teams direction or cap.
Don’t like it with Ingram heading into free agency next summer… puts us right back into the same untenable cap situation we had with Siakam and this group. That said, I’d be more interested in they replaced Hawkins with Missi… but still no.
I do think that Poeltl+Brown are a great target for the Pelicans, but it’s more likely to me if there’s a third-team who is interested in Ingram, and right now it seems like that market is pretty weak. Even more likely the Pelicans move on from trying to trade Ingram, and move McCollum instead.
And who pray tell is going to be our starting center afterthis trade? 🤔
Makes no sense for the Raptors
I love the idea of Poeltl on the Pelicans but Ingram doesnt make sense on the Raptors, honestly he doesnt make sense on any team it feels like
Pelicans look desperate right now. We know they have never paid the tax in their history. For me, I’d expect only boucher and brown going out. Ingram and a couple of seconds and / or a frp swaps going to the raptors. I’d use the leverage of ingam walking for nothing. Otherwise, I don’t want pels ” sloppy second” stress max they gonna have to offer.
Lol, why does Toronto do this??? Give up our center, and a pick, for a guy who isn’t going to make us better than we would be with Poeltl instead of him.
I’m so out on Ingram, his availability is terrible, and his contract is expiring. You either trade all that to be a middle of the road team, then let him walk or shell out a max to keep him. Lose lose for Toronto
We be worse off without a starting center
With a developing young core and assuming Barnes grows to a 1st all nba talent, this team can be dangerous in a 2-3 seasons
Classic Bleacher Report: How to make other teams better by cherry picking from Toronto with complete disregard for what the Raptors need
The difference between the Raptors with Poeltl and without was massive last season. It took several years to replace Gasol / Ibaka, I can’t see them wanting to go back to having nothing at centre again. Unless Baines becomes available /s
Oh hell no.
Bleacher Report are idiots. Raptors just traded Pascal who is at the same level as Ingram.
US trade articles are always set up to help US teams at Toronto’s expense. This trade makes no sense on the court or financially. We already have a new young core to pay and now need to build around them with guys on rookie contracts not max guys that are going to push us toward the aprons for nothing. Raptors just got out of expensive commitments for a play in team and i doubt FO wants to go back there.
Why would BI join us?