The Toronto Raptors’ trade for Thad Young has been quite the roller coaster. While it initially looked like a steal after he reinvigorated the bench in the 2021-22 season, the fact that Toronto surrendered a first-round pick that became Malaki Branham to acquire someone who wasn’t even in the rotation last season looks less enviable by the day.
The Raptors were faced with a dilemma amid all of the chaos surrounding Fred VanVleet’s departure and Dennis Schroder’s arrival. They could have either eaten a nice $1 million if they cut Young, or guaranteed his salary for the 2023-24 season at around $8 million.