The rookie-scale contract extension deadline passed on Monday with the Toronto Raptors and Ochai Agbaji not getting anything of that nature accomplished. That should be unsurprising news. It is also the type of development that Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers will want to pay attention to.
Toronto is crowded on the wings with plenty of players who head coach Darko Rajakovic will surely want to feature in the rotation. Agbaji should still be one of those guys, but his path to consistent minutes is fair less clear than before.
What the Raptors do not have a ton of, by comparison, is shooting. Toronto ranked 23rd in the NBA during the 2024-25 season in terms of 3-point percentage with 34.8. That was a similar number to what they posted in the preseason, shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc. Enter the Lakers.
The deal should make sense for both sides here, with the Raptors likely being the team that needs a bit more convincing. Even so, there is an argument to be made as to why the potential trade would work for both Toronto and Los Angeles.
Lakers-Raptors trade proposal exchanges scoring upside for defensive reliability
It should be no secret to anyone that the Lakers are in the market for a two-way wing. That much was told over and over during the offseason, with a focus being put on Andrew Wiggins in particular.
The problem with Wiggins is not only would he be expensive, but the Miami Heat have proven to be difficult trade partners in the past. That necessitates the Lakers to explore what backup plans may be available around the NBA. That is where Agbaji comes in.
The Raptors wing has the raw physical gifts to provide good defense on that end. While far from elite at the matter, Agbaji should even be capable of defending the point of attack for the Lakers.
Offensively, there is an effective slashing ability that can be maximized by Luka Doncic and his playmaking. Agbaji is also coming off the best shooting season of his career in 2024-25, knocking down 39.9 percent from beyond the arc on 4.0 attempts per game.
Again, the Raptors really would need the bigger sell on this deal. The Lakers must provide some form of draft capital heading to Toronto. The specifics of that are certainly debatable.
What Knecht brings, apart from his shooting ability, is three more years (including this season) of team control on his contract. If the Raptors do not intend to keep Agbaji this summer, this lets them not lose the asset altogether.
The biggest problem with Knecht being the centerpiece heading to Toronto is the defensive end. The Raptors are attempting to build a defensive-identity with their roster, and the Lakers marksman is lacking in that department.
However, variety should always be welcomed. That is exactly what Pelinka would need to sell Bobby Webster on to get the gears moving on this conversation.