Who Says No? B/R's Trade Brings P.J. Tucker Back to the Raptors

Would the Toronto Raptors be willing to part ways with Malachi Flynn and Terence Davis to get P.J. Tucker back from the Houston Rockets?

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Earlier this week we looked at ESPN's proposed trade to send Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry to the Philadelphia 76ers in a trade that would bring back Andre Drummond, Tyrese Maxey, and two first-round picks. While that trade was certainly intriguing, it probably isn't enough to convince the Raptors to sell Lowry amid a playoff chase.

Now we'll take a look at this Bleacher/Report trade that sends P.J. Tucker to Toronto for his third stint with the Raptors:

Toronto Raptors receive: P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr. and David Nwaba

Houston Rockets receive: Malachi Flynn, Terence Davis, Aron Baynes, Patrick McCaw and 2023 second-round pick

The most interesting piece of this trade from Toronto's perspective is Tucker, the Rockets' 35-year-old quasi-center. He would fit the Raptors' new small-ball style and brings a toughness that should mesh well with Toronto's roster.

House Jr. and Nwaba are nice pieces, but they're essentially depth players at wings spots that Toronto already has depth at. Neither of them has been particularly good 3-point shooters this year and they wouldn't do much to move the needle for Toronto.

For Houston, a deal like this would kickstart a rebuild with Toronto's 2020 first-round pick, Flynn, and Davis, a sophomore guard, while Baynes and McCaw are short-term salary fillers to make the deal work.

Who Says No: Toronto

While Tucker would certainly be a nice addition, he shouldn't come at such a high cost. Last month ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the Rockets were looking for three second-round picks or a late first for Tucker and giving up Flynn, Davis, and a second is considerably more than that.

Additionally, while Baynes certainly hasn't done much to impress with the Raptors this season, he's Toronto's lone traditional big and he has shown his value against supersized bigs like Joel Embiid in the past. If Toronto were to play the Philadelphia 76ers in a playoff series, not having anyone of Baynes' size would certainly pose problems for the Raptors.

Further Reading

The Raptors have entered uncharted waters with serious COVID-19 concerns

OG Anunoby is evolving into an even better 3-and-D player

What we know about Toronto's COVID-19 issues