The Raptors have interest in Kevin Durant and continue to monitor the market for the Suns star, but they would be unwilling to include starting center Jakob Poeltl in an offer for Durant, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Multiple sources confirmed to Grange that Poeltl wouldn’t be part of any trade the Raptors make for Durant. According to Grange, when Phoenix and Toronto spoke about Durant prior to February’s trade deadline, the Suns asked for Poeltl and received a “firm” no from the Raptors. That stance hasn’t changed in the months since then.
While there have been rumors this month about the Raptors being open to putting Poeltl in the table, Grange suggests those leaks are likely designed to increase bids from other suitors for Durant as the Suns look to maximize their return.
As Grange points out, since reacquiring Poeltl in 2023, the Raptors have struggled to compete when he’s not available. In 2024/25, for example, the club had a net rating of -0.7 during Poeltl’s 1,686 minutes of action, compared to a -6.2 mark in the 2,275 minutes he didn’t play. The gap between Toronto’s net rating with Poeltl on and off the court was even more extreme in ’23/24.
Poeltl, 29, posted new career highs of 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game across 57 outings this past season, making 62.7% of his shots from the field and contributing 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per night as well.
Since the Raptors are looking to build a roster capable of winning in 2025/26, trading Poeltl would run counter to that goal, leaving them with a significant hole to fill in the middle. The more likely scenario, Grange writes, is that Toronto works out a contract extension with the big man at some point before next season tips off.
Poeltl is owed $19.5MM in 2025/26, with a $19.5MM player option for ’26/27. His maximum extension would be worth up to about $122MM over four years if he declines that option as part of an agreement, or up to roughly $88MM over three years if he picks up the option and has the new deal begin in 2027.
The Raptors still have a handful of sizable contracts belonging to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett that could be used for salary-matching purposes in a Durant deal. However, any combination of those two players would have a higher combined cap hit next season than Durant, which would complicate negotiations, since the Suns are operating above the second tax apron. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate multiple player salaries as long as they remain in second-apron territory.
Trade for Sabonis since Giannis is content with being a 1 and done champ…
Also called “loyalty”.
Gross
Reports mostly leaked by the ball clubs are getting out of hand. Make them believable. Poeltl not included….OK Toronto, lol. Again, KD is going where KD wants and will be resigned 100%. Circle back to the spurs again. I haven’t heard Kevin state he could see himself on any other team like I have Spurs on multiple occasions now. Possibly something to that.
Seems like every trade I see linked to TOR says they won’t include Poeltl haha. They must be high or just high on him.
I don’t think the Raptors will get him, but I understand not wanting to trade Poeltl. They still need a good 5 to play next to KD otherwise they don’t really have much of a chance either way. And I understand the number one position the Suns want right now is center. KD also doesn’t have the same trade value as years prior, guys coming back for KD are probably PJ Washington/Daniel Gafford types plus two firsts
Seems the suns are overplaying there hand.
The one thing they seem to be good at lol
Poeltl is TOR’s most irreplaceable player (since he’s the only one capable of playing Center).
Which doesn’t mean he’s good. There’s no point in trading for KD if Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett are the guys you’re putting around him.
We’ve already seen the 2025 Suns with a bunch of scorers and no PG or C.
Sure that is the hold up on a trade. Kind of like a guy saying he would turn down a million dollars because it would make him rich.
Durant trade mandatory requirement
Example
Center piece – like Gobert or Randle
Piece – Donte D
Don’t waste the time like offers from Spurs, Rockets or Heat
Again, don’t waste your time if KD won’t resign.
Trading Gobert for Durant doesn’t get them anywhere. He’s on a decent contract going forward and the team’s identity is defense. They have no other capable centers on the roster. Even if they resign Big Jelly he’s not exactly a rim protector.
Looks like there’s a de-bidding war among the suitors for KD. I’m sure PHX was delusional in its original asks, and that’s always the worst way to solicit best offers. The only good news for PHX is they have time. KD can’t force them into a trade, only a non-trade.
lol these old farts with gigantic contracts that are still capnhota when they are injured half the time.
Part of the problem is these guys keep making all star teams due to their name and this gets them huge maxes.
Raptors don’t need KD and he wouldn’t go there. So don’t even waste your breath. KD is at the end of his basketball playing career. Even if you think he is Bron (you better be right). He has 2-3 competitive yrs left. Only team that pays for that. Is a team that believes can reach the Finals. No other reason to go after KD. Raptors don’t fit the bill …..
KD won’t commit unless the fit is legit.
I don’t know if its true, he won’t go to Minny. Or if that is a made up rumor. Imo Minny is a good fit for him. He futs the team mix well. They are a contender with him for years. And they can provide Phoenix with good value. Spurs and Rockets don’t need KD. They are much better off going after Giannis. Or stay the course and keep adding those high picks. And follow the Thunder model. They both have big futures ahead. And plenty of assets to make a move later. For Suns and Bucks imo. Best time to make a major trade. Would be draft night. They can add most of players they will need.
Phoenix really needs to tear it all down… get some value for Booker and years of practice for you new coach (and owner).
The option to get their own picks back is right there with Houston. It seems like such an obvious way to correct the current mess they have.
All these trade rumors for KD, I can’t see the Suns getting what they want in the first place from any of these teams, none of these are desperate teams to start with on having KD. The East conference has been made a little easier for team to compete for the East with Boston losing Tatum their best player for a good part of the next season. So, the other team in the East are not going to overpay for KD. The West Teams are basically Houston, San Antonio, with a outside shot of Minnesota but none of these team are again not going to over pay for a 37yr old player, Houston wants in to be the veteran leader of the team, KD has said he is not a leader he just wants to play so he is a follower, SA is a team that has some very interesting parts right now with some solid future draft picks, that leaves Minnesota they may be the only team that really wants him to team with Ant Man, the Suns may be able to get a little more than they plan since the Wolves want KD. But again, KD does not want to go to Minnesota. So here sits the Suns with a 37-yr old KD with very limited possible return for him.
See my post below. Pretty much lays it out in an even more simpler way.
Ok so I am going to lay off my “Jimmy for KD” trade posts after this one because
A) I have established so hard that you all know I said it on here and I said it first
and
B) If you can’t predict the following, that’s a skill issue on your end:
1. KD will make it too hard for a team to get him by saying he has “preferred teams”
2. The Suns will ask too much for him
3. All of these teams “in the mix for him” will not agree with the Suns
4. GSW can always offer Jimmy
5. Jimmy is better for the Suns than KD is next year, as KD is not a playmaker, and Jimmy is. Suns could keep the whole roster if the simply swapped out KD for Jimmy.
So from here on, I will lay off with that 1-for-1 trade idea starting after this post. I am not abandoning it, I am just understanding that repeatedly stating the same thing breaks TOS in some cases, but you all know who said it first!!!
Jimmy for KD won’t happen because the warriors have made ZERO rumblings about trading butler and KD doesn’t want to come back probably because he hates draymond and/or Kerr
All fine reasons to believe it won’t happen.
However, history repeats itself, and you were very likely saying identical things about KD never going to GSW in 2015-16. GSW just got Butler, of course there would be not many rumblings about it.
Something to think about. The silly season is upon us….
Davey J
Please go talk to a health professional.