Why the Raptors Would Do It
They turn RJ Barrett into two high-level, two-way guards who fit Scottie Barnes’ timeline
Toronto ends up with:
Desmond Bane
One of the league’s best movement shooters
Hyper-efficient floor spacer (40%+ from 3 on high volume)
Perfect offensive fit next to Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley—opens the floor immediately
Dejounte Murray
20–6–6 level playmaker
Secondary ball-handler who can take pressure off Scottie & Quickley
Very strong point-of-attack defender at his best
On a long-term deal that aligns with the Raptors’ core age group
Getting two established guards who complement Toronto’s biggest star is a massive win considering they’re only moving RJ Barrett (good but not a long-term #2 option) and depth pieces.
They diversify their skill set instead of relying on RJ Barrett’s inconsistent shot creation
RJ has been good for Toronto, but:
He’s not an elite shooter
Needs the ball to be effective
Overlaps a bit with Barnes’ preferred play style
Murray + Bane give Toronto:
Shooting (Bane)
Defensive versatility (Murray)
Spacing to maximize Barnes as a point forward
Less redundancy, more complementary skill sets
This trade builds a MUCH more coherent offensive structure.
They add a valuable future asset — the 2026 swap from Washington (via Magic)
The Wizards project to be one of the worst teams in the league in 2026.
A swap option with a bad team’s pick could easily turn into:
A top-10 pick, or
At minimum an upgrade from Toronto’s own pick
For a team that is still rebuilding around Barnes, this is real long-term value.
They keep their main young core intact
Toronto is not giving up:
Scottie Barnes
Immanuel Quickley
Gradey Dick
Ochai Agbaji
Their own future 1sts
They upgrade talent without sacrificing the rebuild structure.
The trade keeps Toronto competitive now without sacrificing upside
Bane + Murray make Toronto:
Immediately more competitive in the East
Significantly better in half-court offense
Stronger defensively in the backcourt
More balanced around Scottie Barnes
But the pick swap also maintains future flexibility.
Orlando finally gets a true, high-level primary scorer in Brandon Ingram
The Magic have:
Size
Defense
Depth
Playmaking-by-committee
…but they still do not have a reliable go-to offensive engine in the halfcourt—especially in the playoffs.
Brandon Ingram immediately becomes:
Their best pure scorer
A legitimate No. 2 option next to Paolo Banchero
A player who can create a shot at all three levels
Someone who can run late-game offense (something they lack now)
This solves Orlando’s biggest hole without costing them any cornerstone players.
Ingram fits Orlando’s age timeline perfectly
Paolo Banchero: 22
Franz Wagner: 23
Jalen Suggs: 23
Wendell Carter Jr.: 25
Brandon Ingram: 27
He’s old enough to raise Orlando’s ceiling right now but young enough to grow with their core for 5+ years.
Orlando is dealing from areas of surplus, not weakness
In this trade they give up:
A pick swap (not an outright 1st)
Role players / rotation-level prospects (Jonathan Mogbo, Isaac Jones)
They keep all of:
Paolo
Franz
Suggs
Wagner
Anthony Black
Wendell Carter
Jett Howard
All their main future 1st
RJ Barrett fits the Pelicans’ frontcourt-driven roster FAR better than Dejounte Murray
The Pelicans’ core is built around:
Zion Williamson
Trey Murphy
Herb Jones
Those three need a bigger wing/forward who can score downhill, guard size, and take pressure off Zion — not another undersized guard.
RJ Barrett gives them exactly what they lack:
6’6” strong wing
Finishes through contact
Can defend 2–4
Physical slasher who fits a Zion-led system
Dejounte Murray is a good player, but New Orleans already has CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels, Jose Alvarado, and Hawkins at guard.
RJ plugs a real hole. Murray duplicated what they already had.
Pelicans clean up roster balance by trading from surplus (guards) to fill a weakness (big wing scoring)
The Pelicans have:
Jose Alvarado
Hawkins
(Murray in your trade)
Not enough wings with size behind Herb & Trey:
This is their REAL issue against OKC, Minnesota, Denver, Lakers, etc.
Swapping Murray → Barrett gives them:
More length
Better lineup versatility
More playoff-ready physicality
Less backcourt congestion
It solves the Pelicans’ biggest roster imbalance.
RJ Barrett complements Zion’s game better than Murray
RJ Barrett’s strengths:
Downhill attacker
Elite finishing season in 2024–25
Strong physical driver
Can play off Zion as a cutter or secondary scorer
Guards bigger wings
Murray’s strengths:
Ball handling
Midrange creation
Guard defense
But Zion is the primary ball-handler, so Murray becomes redundant. RJ fits the Zion as point forward system at a much higher level.
RJ is younger and more in-line with their timeline
Core ages:
Zion – 25
Trey Murphy – 24
Herb Jones – 25
Jordan Hawkins – 22
RJ Barrett – 24
RJ fits the Pelicans’ long-term youth core better. Murray’s timeline matches a win-now team — but New Orleans is still building.
Pelicans get a player under stable long-term control
RJ Barrett:
Long-term contract
At a predictable number
Age 24 with room to grow
Dejounte Murray:
Slightly more expensive
Older
His next contract could be even larger
This gives the Pelicans better cap stability as they prepare to pay Trey Murphy.
⭐ Summary: Why the Pelicans Say Yes
Because they turn a guard they don’t truly need into a young, physically strong, starting-caliber wing who fits their roster, Zion’s play style, and their long-term timeline MUCH better.
RJ Barrett gives the Pelicans:
Size
Physicality
Wing scoring
Better defensive matchups
Better roster balance
A player aligned with their young core
Murray is good — but RJ Barrett is the better fit for what New Orleans actually needs.
They finally get the steady, high-IQ veteran point guard they’ve been missing
Detroit’s biggest problem for years has been:
Turnovers
Poor decision-making
No true floor general
No one to organize their young scorers
Tyus Jones is literally the best “pure organizer” PG in the league.
Low turnover rate (league’s best for years)
High assist-to-turnover ratio
Gets everyone in their spots
Doesn’t need high usage
Elevates young players (what he did for Memphis & Washington)
He’s the exact stabilizer Detroit has been missing for Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Duren, and Sheppard.
Detroit has talent. What they lack is structure. Tyus gives them that Day 1.
Tyus Jones can play next to OR behind Cade Cunningham
This is key.
Tyus is one of the rare PGs who:
Can run a team when Cade is off the floor
AND
Can play off-ball as a shooter next to Cade
This lets Detroit play:
Cade + Tyus or Tyus with the second unit
Either way, Detroit’s offense becomes functional for all 48 minutes.
The Pistons desperately need a “professional” player on court
Detroit has been:
The youngest roster in the NBA
Very inconsistent
Lacking in veteran leadership
Constantly changing coaches
Tyus Jones is respected league-wide as:
A leader
A teacher
A film junkie
A guy who raises floor for rebuilding teams
He fits the “adult in the room” profile the Pistons have been missing.
They give up almost nothing meaningful
In your trade structure, Detroit is not losing:
Cade
Ivey
Duren
Ausar
Sasser
A first-round pick
The outgoing asset is either a second-round pick or their pick-swap rights already belonging to Utah (depending on your version).
Either way, Detroit is essentially getting Tyus Jones for negligible cost.
That’s fantastic value.
Tyus is a perfect “bridge PG” for a rebuilding team
Even if Detroit doesn’t keep Tyus long-term:
He raises their floor immediately
Helps their young stars grow
Can be flipped at the deadline for assets
Doesn’t block any young guards’ development
He’s the ideal short-to-mid-term veteran addition for a rebuild.
⭐ Summary: Why the Pistons Say Yes
Detroit makes this trade because they get one of the best stabilizing point guards in the NBA for almost no meaningful cost, giving their young core the structure, leadership, and offensive organization they desperately need.
Tyus Jones brings:
Stability
Leadership
Elite decision-making
A perfect fit next to Cade
The adult influence this roster has lacked
And Detroit doesn’t sacrifice their future to get him.