Toronto Raptors Receive: F Jaren Jackson Jr., F Brandon Clarke
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: F/C Pascal Siakam
The Toronto Raptors spent 2021-22 without a center. Does this trade remedy that? For that matter, was it a problem that needed remedying?
Is Jaren Jackson Jr. a center? What about Brandon Clarke? This deal raises a lot of questions. A closer inspection reveals that most of them are rhetorical.
They’re also irrelevant.
Jaren Jackson Jr. would be a great fit as the Raptors’ new starting 5. He’s not a traditional center, but he does provide the rim protection of one. He also spaces the floor in a way that many teams covet at that position in 2022. Meanwhile, Brandon Clarke is an archetypical small-ball 5. He provides hustle and multipositional defense in droves.
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If the Raptors were actually interested in moving Siakam, it would be the Grizzlies who declined this deal if anyone did. If they insist on pairing Jackson Jr. with Siakam, they might counteroffer with this next deal.