Offseason trades are still a fair bit away, but that has not stopped some publications from tackling the undeniable allure and excitement that comes from hypothesizing trades. Today’s installment of that thought experiment features the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report pitched 30 trades for the upcoming offseason that every team should propose on the first day of the 2025 NBA offseason. The deal the Lakers should call about has already been covered. However, since these are the Lakers we are talking about, the franchise was brought up in several other hypothetical trades, including the following deal with Canada’s lone NBA team.

Raptors offload a key veteran to get younger

The trade proposed by Swartz involves a certain young player once again being on the move after an awkward series of events during the 2024-25 NBA season.

It should be noted that the deal offered by Swartz would only represent the framework for the trade and not the final product. The financials of this potential transaction do not quite work without some additional pieces and help to facilitate the exchange.

However, the overall idea about what both teams would be looking for in this deal is quite simple: the Lakers get their starting center and the Raptors add to their current rebuild. In terms of how this trade plays out for both sides, things are not so straightforward.

Jakob Poeltl would be a fantastic addition to the frontcourt for the Lakers. The Raptors big man has an excellent combination of finishing, defense, and connective playmaking that would fit tremendously with what Los Angeles does.

During the 2024-25 campaign, Poeltl has averaged career highs in points per game, rebounds per game, steals per game, and free throw percentage. The Lakers would certainly be acquiring the 29-year-old in the midst of his prime and adding him to a unit ready to compete for a championship.

For the Raptors, the framework of this package, in terms of the return, is relatively weak to the rumored asking price that Toronto has held for their center. The Lakers have reportedly contacted the Raptors before with regard to Poeltl and got turned away for having an unsatisfying offer.

The lack of draft pick compensation looms large here as a lackluster component of this potential deal. Even the highlight of this trade, Dalton Knecht, would theoretically be weak as the centerpiece.

The Raptors will head into the upcoming season absolutely flooded with wing players. Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, and Ja’Kobe Walter are just some of the main players who will be fighting for key minutes in the rotation. With several young guys already in the mix, it is difficult to understand why adding Knecht to the fold would really prove attractive to Toronto.