The Toronto Raptors made a bold move last year by moving the remains of their championship core, which included professions of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and others. As the franchise hit the rebuild button, it was only natural that the team would get younger, while also suffering some losses. On the bright side, the Raptors have young pieces they can build around. With the franchise led by Scottie Barnes and 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year RJ Barrett, the team is in good hands.

As a rebuilding team, Toronto must find the much-needed pieces to complete its core. With the makeup of the Raptors roster heading into the 2024-2025 NBA season, the team still needs many changes to achieve its goal. While some players are grizzled veterans who can make an impact, the Raptors are also preparing for the future, which means trading those veterans for younger, hungrier players.

The Raptors aren’t really aiming to win right now. This should put other suitors on the lookout for the veterans on this Raptors team. In fact, some of these veterans have plenty of playoff experience. For this article, let’s take a look at three Raptors trade candidates heading into the 2024-25 season.

Everyone will agree that Bruce Brown is a legitimate championship piece for any contender. But for a rebuilding team like the Raptors, it’s safe to say the NBA champion would be better off playing elsewhere. Brown has yet to see any action for the Raptors this season, after undergoing knee surgery.

At 28, Brown may still be useful. However, he doesn’t exactly fit the Raptors’ young, developing core. As the Raptors aim to get younger, trading Brown for a few prospects could be the move for the rebuilding franchise.

Brown already has plenty of playoff experience under his belt for suitors to be interested in his availability. Just ask the Denver Nuggets how important he is during their championship run in 2023.

After winning an NBA championship, Brown signed a two-year contract worth $45 million with the Indiana Pacers. The Raptors acquired him at the trade deadline in a deal involving Pascal Siakam. The Raptors would then exercise their $23 million club option on Brown. With an expiring deal, it makes sense to get the most out of Brown before he walks away with nothing in return.

When it comes to anchoring the defense, Jakob Poeltl holds down the fort for the Raptors. Poeltl’s rim protection has been one of the highlights of the Raptors’ rebuilding phase as of late. But more importantly. Poeltl is also having a career season as of late. During the 2024-2025 seasonthe Austrian center achieves 13.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

While Poeltl’s performance has been excellent for Toronto, his growing value should also make him a trade asset. At 29 years old, the Raptors would prefer someone younger to build around their promising core. On the other hand, any title contender who wants to win now should give some calls regarding Poeltl’s availability, especially those who need to bolster their frontcourt.

Poeltl’s size and defensive intensity are attractive aspects of his game. As the Raptors monitor the situation of Brandon Ingram and Andrew Wiggins, it’s a safe bet that Poeltl will be tapped if a deal ever comes to fruition. be concluded.

Hailing from Canada, there is no doubt that Kelly Olynyk is a favorite among the Toronto fanbase. While Olynyk should easily serve as a veteran while providing productive minutes on the court, he has also been dealing with injuries as of late. The 6-foot-11 center is already 32 years old and ultimately doesn’t fit into the Raptors’ timeline.

While it may be heartbreaking, the Raptors need to get some pieces back while Olynyk continues to have some value on the market. The Canadian national team stalwart deserves to play for a contender at this stage of his career. His toughness and perimeter shooting are aspects that can help any competitor looking to space the court.

On top of that, his veteran presence and experience will be beneficial to any team that wants to make a splash in the playoffs.

Olynyk recently signed a two-year contract extension worth approximately $26 million. His salary should be easy to move around. With many promising big men in the league, the Raptors should use Olynyk as a trading piece in order to materialize their plans to build toward the future.