NBA Trade Deadline 2018: 5 Conley or Gasol trades the Grizzlies have to consider

2. Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, Bebe Nogueira and Toronto’s 2020 first round pick to Memphis; Marc Gasol and Mario Chalmers to Toronto

With the Toronto Raptors currently blitzing the NBA, they might be reluctant to make a big time move. While a trade for Gasol might not put the Raptors over the top in the East, he’s the kind of player that could help complete the offensive transformation this team is aiming to achieve. Gasol is a unique passer that keeps the offense flowing. With less of a burden to create his own shots in Toronto, he can focus on getting open for efficient looks and creating for teammates. Gasol’s skill set should mesh well with the games of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and he’s a clear upgrade over Jonas Valanciunas on both ends of the floor. Although Valanciunas is effective, particularly on the offensive end, his all-around floor game hasn’t grown much. He’s still sluggish on defense and can’t stay on the floor against stretchy teams.

The Raptors would lose some of the depth that has made them so potent in this trade, but one silver lining for them would be that they could cut down their overcrowded rotation. Toronto’s bench has been effective all season, but this team legitimately plays eleven or twelve guys almost every game! That’s not going to be feasible later in the season.

For Memphis, the best assets in this trade would  be Toronto’s future first and Delon Wright. By 2020 the Raptors could be on the decline making that pick potentially valuable. Wright is a ferocious defender and a great athlete who’s shot the ball well from deep this season. He might not be ready to take on starter minutes yet, but he’s capable of providing solid minutes at the one. Taking on the two years and over $34 million remaining on Jonas Valanciunas’ deal is far from ideal,  but draft compensation down the road makes that an easier pill to swallow.