Raptors Trade Candidates Part 4: Kelly Olynyk

 OK I've officially dropped the less talked about from the title. As we move closer and closer to the trade deadline, it looks like anyone who isn't 26 or younger is up for grabs at the right price on the Raptors. Kelly is a guy they went to get last year for veteran leadership and some minutes at the backup 5. He's been ok in his limited tenure in Toronto but a back injury early this season has zapped the little mobility he had left. It is hard to see teams giving up meaningful assets for Kelly at this stage of his career, but he can still contribute a solid 15 minutes a game and provide shooting and playmaking in the frontcourt. There's another year after this one on Kelly's contract and the guys in Toronto seem to like him pretty well so there's no urgency to get a deal done. Still, I think if a team calls and offers future assets, the Raptors have to listen. Lets see who these teams might be: 

Golden State Warriors

This is an interesting one and maybe the best fit for Kelly as a player. The Warriors got off to a hot start to the season but since have fallen to .500 and are struggling to keep pace in the West. Kelly has his limitations for sure but the Warriors thrive on smart, ball moving players and Kelly fits that description perfectly. Although he's not going to provide much, if anything, on defense, Kelly can fill the Draymond Green role on offense admirably when Draymond sits. The Warriors desperately need front court depth and are loaded with guards, Kelly fills that hole as well. The issue with a Kelly trade to the Warriors is trying to match his $12.8m salary. Although they just got Dennis Schroder, his tenure in Golden State hasn't gone very well so far and they might be looking for a quick do-over on that trade. That's the only salary on their books that matches Kelly 1 for 1. The Raptors would likely be looking to buy out Schroder so this would essentially just be washing Kelly off the books for next season. It does come into question if Kelly is really worth giving up another rotation player for. Kelly swaps a guard for a forward which GSW needs, but is he really good enough to move the needle? Is this a move worth making? From the Raptors perspective, toss in a second and you take this and run. Probably means it's not going to happen. 

Orlando Magic

The Magic are the NBA nerd's favorite team for this season and for good reason. They play super hard on defense every night and that's afforded them the ability to win games even with all of their best players sidelined with injury. One thing the Magic do lack is shooting. While Kelly won't embody the defensive principles that have gotten the Magic this far, he does give them a jolt of offense for limited minutes and can help stabilize some young bench units.  The Magic have salaries in Gary Harris and Corey Joseph who aren't getting a ton of minutes and aren't young players that figure into their future. Each of these players are on the books for next season though and the Raptors might be looking for better draft compensation to take them on. Still, if you're the Magic, how many shooters are there available on the trade market at this deadline? It might be hard to find someone as ready to insert as Kelly. Yes, this is me just doing a sales pitch at this point. 

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers are my favorite Kelly Olynyk trade destination simply because they have an expiring matching salary in PJ Tucker. Lets face it, this season the Raptors should be looking to take on expiring salaries and whatever draft capital they can for their veteran players, this trade would fit that bill perfectly. In terms of fit, Kelly gives the Clippers another playable body in a very thin front court. The Clippers don't have a big man option who provides shooting and Kelly can help play in some 5 out lineups if you can stomach the defense for a stretch. For the Raptors, no chance PJ plays. This is all about trying to squeeze a second round pick out of a veteran, nothing more. 

That's that today! Going through this exercise, it's more about if a team sees value in Kelly than what they can offer the Raptors. At this point I am sure the Raptors are fine with heading into next season with his leadership and locker room presence but if a second round pick or two is floated I bet they hop right on that. Either way, I have had fun watching Kelly Olynyk fool NBA players with old man YMCA moves and will continue to do so whether he's on the team or not in Feb.