Charlotte Hornets
Toronto Raptors Receive: F Gordon Hayward, F/C P.J. Washington, G James Bouknight, 2023 First-Round Pick (DEN via CHA), 2024 First-Round Pick (Swap – CHA), 2026 First-Round Pick (Swap – CHA), 2028 First-Round Pick (Swap – CHA), 2029 First-Round Pick (CHA)
Charlotte Hornets Receive: F/C Pascal Siakam
The Stepien rule is a good rule. It states that teams can’t go back-to-back years without a first-round pick. It’s intended to protect the futures of NBA franchises.
It may be a good rule, but it’s downright annoying when you propose hypothetical trades for a living.
The Charlotte Hornets owe their 2027 pick elsewhere already. That means they can’t trade their 2026 or 2028 picks outright, which in turn makes constructing a package a little difficult here. We still feel this is a viable trade.
After all, the Raptors still receive two first-round picks and three swaps here, but they also receive much better young players than we had them getting from the Mavericks. P.J. Washington feels like a perfect compliment for Barnes as a floor-spacing combo big.
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Meanwhile, James Bouknight has more potential than any other player to change hands in this article due to his strong shot-creating abilities.
If that doesn’t entice the Raptors, they’ll pass on this deal. They’re not getting enough draft capital back to justify it unless they see that potential in Bouknight.
