Obligatory Bleacher Report post about a hypothetical trade involving the Raptors

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10122948-a-3-team-trade-to-move-trae-young-put-lakers-back-in-title-contention

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Trae Young and Kelly Olynyk

Los Angeles Lakers Lose: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2028 first-round pick swap, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick swap, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick (via Clippers)

Atlanta Hawks Receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen McDaniels, a 2028 first-round pick swap with Los Angeles, a 2029 first-round pick from Los Angeles and a 2031 first-round pick from Los Angeles

Atlanta Hawks Lose: Trae Young and Garrison Matthews

Toronto Raptors Receive: D'Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Garrison Mathews, a 2030 first-round pick swap with Los Angeles and a 2025 second-round pick from Los Angeles (via Clippers)

Toronto Raptors Lose: Kelly Olynyk and Jalen McDaniels

Blurb on why the Raptors do this:

Raptors Slow Down the Rebuild

This might seem weird for the Raptors since they just extended Olynyk after sending out a first-round pick for him at the trade deadline. But that extension might make him a more attractive target for title contenders, and that trade also brought 24-year-old Ochai Agbaji to Toronto.

If Agbaji pans out, turning Olynyk into D'Angelo Russell's expiring contract, a distant pick swap with the Lakers, a second-round pick and the unproven talent of soon-to-be-21-year-old Jalen Hood-Schifino probably improves that original deal's value.

Russell would have to pick up his $18.7 million player option for 2024-25 to facilitate this deal, but Toronto could be a good spot to boost his value ahead of free agency in 2025. He wouldn't be the first option there, but he'd likely get more on-ball opportunities than he did alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves in L.A.

Since the Raptors are leaning into a Scottie Barnes-centric future, Russell could still get plenty of open catch-and-shoot looks alongside Immanuel Quickley, too.

As for Hood-Schifino, he didn't show much for the Lakers as a rookie, but at 6'6" with a 6'10.25" wingspan, he has great size for a guard. His 43.2 three-point percentage in the G-League was encouraging, too. And Toronto should be interested in surrounding Barnes with as much young shooting as possible.