From ESPN Insider:
Toronto Raptors
Offer: PF Patrick Patterson
Net value: $19.5 millionWhy it works: Legendary sabermetrician Bill James coined the term “challenge trade” for when teams swap players at the same position, hoping to win the exchange of similar talents. Patterson and Morris have largely the same strengths and weaknesses, making this something of a personality/contract challenge trade. The Suns would hope Patterson’s stability would offset any downgrade in talent, while the Raptors would be getting the longer and better contract.
Why it doesn’t: Conventional wisdom holds that Morris is the better player in this swap because of his ability to create his own shot. But that isn’t especially important to Toronto, which has plenty of creators, and Patterson was the more efficient scorer and a slightly better rebounder. So the Raptors might just prefer to keep him and not deal with Morris.
The Raptors need a power forward, and Markieff Morris is a power forward. Once you put those two realizations together, you can probably come to the conclusion that this is just a rumour because it would make sense the Raptors pursue the headcase that is Markieff Morris.
However, would Morris really be an upgrade over Patterson? In certain ways – yes. Morris is bigger, a better post-up scorer and shot-creator; but he is an inferior shooter and rebounder, and his basketball IQ is a notch below PatMan’s.
Taking this one with a grain of salt, because hopefully that’s all it is.
