Toronto Raptors
Toronto gets: K.J. McDaniels, Donatas Motiejunas
Houston gets: Patrick Patterson
You have to feel for Patrick Patterson. He consistently has gotten moved from the bench to the starting lineup only to be moved to the bench again, but has never complained. He just wants to help his team win, and he does that with his floor-spacing ability and underrated ball-handling skills.
While he may not start for Houston, he gets a change of scenery with a coach that likes his floor spacing 4s (7 Second or Less anyone?). Houston offers him a better chance of starting and/or getting more playing time.
I tried to trade Ross to Houston because I think he could be a starter on a lot of teams, but Toronto derailed that hype train when they signed DeMarre Carroll this past offseason to a 4-yr deal. That didn’t work, but Toronto gets another high-flying, 3PT shooting, young, athletic wing in McDaniels; and a PF who has openly criticized another team that tried to trade for him.
While locker room chemistry is important, and you’d much rather have a Patrick Patterson type than a loudmouth in the media, Toronto is willing to take a gamble on both McDaniels’ and Motiejunas’ flashes of potential so far in their young NBA careers; especially with no surefire immediate difference makers in this year’s draft.
Next: Philadelphia 76ers