Toronto Attached Two Draft Picks to Move DeMarre Carroll
On July 13, 2017, Toronto sent veteran forward DeMarre Carroll, a future first-round draft choice and a future second-round selection to Brooklyn for center Justin Hamilton. The Raptors official announcement gives all four components, and contemporary reporting details the pressure of managing luxury-tax exposure while keeping a competitive team around Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Brooklyn accepted the Carroll contract in exchange for younger draft options. The first became No. 29 in 2018, used on Džanan Musa, while the second became No. 40 Rodions Kurucs. Both selections were actual players rather than expired protections. Justin Hamilton had averaged 6.9 points for Brooklyn in 2016-17, but Toronto’s primary rationale was financial, not acquiring its next leading scorer.
Carroll Provided Brooklyn a Starting Veteran Wing
Carroll joined a rebuilding Nets squad and occupied meaningful minutes on the perimeter. He supplied defensive experience, spacing and leadership for a team still developing its identity after the earlier Boston draft-pick trade. His direct Brooklyn seasons therefore count as more than a salary obligation, although the real long-term attraction was the two added draft rights. Musa and Kurucs each eventually appeared for the Nets, allowing the front office to assess young wings without spending an extra future first-rounder of its own. Those players did not all become stars, and Carroll’s subsequent NBA seasons with other franchises are not Brooklyn trade returns. The inherited Brooklyn A- grade values the combination of veteran service and two additional development chances obtained for a replaceable center.
Toronto Gained Payroll Flexibility More Than Playing Value
Toronto received Hamilton but waived him later that summer rather than inserting him into its 2017-18 rotation. That is an important distinction: the center was the formal incoming player but the financial benefit from clearing Carroll’s contract was the central objective. The Raptors continued advancing toward a later championship through additional trades, none of which should be credited entirely to this one salary move. Toronto’s inherited C- grade reflects losing a veteran and two draft choices without receiving a significant direct playing return. Brooklyn had to absorb a larger contract but acquired the rights to No. 29 and No. 40, along with a credible veteran wing. A sound analysis separates immediate cap accounting from actual basketball production rather than treating Hamilton as a two-year Toronto starter.
Final Verdict
Nets Win. Brooklyn earns A- after taking DeMarre Carroll and two picks that became 2018 No. 29 Džanan Musa and No. 40 Rodions Kurucs. Toronto receives C- for Justin Hamilton and financial relief; Hamilton did not become its next regular starting center. The Nets used available cap space to collect legitimate development assets.