Raptors Notes: Ingram, Poeltl, Quickley, Ownership
After attempting just nine shots from the floor in the Raptors‘ Game 1 loss in Cleveland on Saturday, Brandon Ingram was determined to be more aggressive against Cleveland’s defense in Game 2. However, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes, Ingram wasn’t effective in Toronto’s second straight loss on Monday, missing all six of his shot attempts in the first half and finishing the game with just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting.
“Of course it would happen if you ask for more shots, that you would miss more shots,” Ingram said after Game 2. “I liked the looks that I had. I’ll continue to be aggressive. I’ll do a better job of keeping the defense off balance by getting my teammates involved and still shooting the shots that I need to shoot. It’s game to game. You make adjustments. I won’t miss all my shots.”
A star player seeking more shots and then not making the most of them could be a source of friction in some locker rooms, writes Grange, but he says that’s not the case in Toronto. Although the team heads home down 2-0 in the series and with its leading scorer averaging just 12.0 PPG on 33.3% shooting, Ingram’s teammates – including Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett – know they need the All-Star forward to find his groove to have a chance to upset the Cavaliers.
“I just told him, ‘Stay in it. Stay in it. We need you,'” Barrett said of his message to Ingram in Monday’s second half. “He’s got us here, man. Like, the whole season, it’s been amazing for us. He’s been an All-Star. So just told him to stay in it, keep his head in it, that we need him. Because you know when I have my off nights, you know he’s right there to pick me up.”
Here are a few more items of interest on the Raptors before Thursday’s Game 3:
- After veteran big man Jakob Poeltl played just nine minutes in Game 2 and was benched in favor of rookie Collin Murray-Boyles at the start of the second half, head coach Darko Rajakovic wouldn’t say on Wednesday whether he might change his starting lineup for Game 3, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). However, he did tell reporters that he expects more out of his veteran center. “He needs to be part of the solution for us,” Rajakovic said of Poeltl. “He needs to be more aggressive. He needs to dominate the glass. … He’s going to be a big part of Game 3 and I believe he’s going to perform really well.”
- Will Immanuel Quickley be available for Game 3 after missing the first two games of the series with a hamstring injury? The Raptors haven’t put out their injury report yet, but the starting point guard did some individual on-court work after Wednesday’s practice, tweets Lewenberg. Rajakovic said Quickley is “getting better every day,” according to Grange (Twitter link).
- Rogers Communications, the Canadian media and communications giant that currently controls 75% of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Raptors’ parent company, intends to buy the remaining 25% later this year, as Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico details. Once that purchase is completed, Rogers will look to bring in minority investors for its sports assets, per Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri. In addition to the Raptors, MLSE also controls the NHL’s Maple Leafs, MLB’s Blue Jays, and MLS’ Toronto FC. Staffieri estimated that the company’s sports assets, which would likely include media properties such as Sportsnet, will have a total value exceeding $18 billion USD.
Doug Christie Expected To Remain Kings’ Head Coach
It has been a disappointing season for the Kings, who take a 22-59 record – tied for the fourth-worst mark in the league – into the final day of the regular season. However, despite some speculation about his job status, Sacramento plans to keep head coach Doug Christie through the offseason, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
As Amick writes, Christie took over as interim coach of the Kings in December 2024, when the team fired Mike Brown. Christie, a former NBA guard, was promoted to the full-time position last summer, signing a three-year deal which features two guaranteed seasons.
The Kings feel like they didn’t have a great way to evaluate Christie’s performance in his first full season as head coach, according to Amick, since the roster had issues entering 2025/26 and several key players sustained significant injuries throughout the season.
Anthony Slater of ESPN confirms the news (via Twitter), adding that the team liked how some of its young players developed under Christie this season.
The Kings are expected to resume trade talks involving veterans like Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan this summer, Amick reports. Sacramento had “extensive” discussions with the Raptors about Sabonis ahead of the February deadline, but the Kings were unwilling to take on the salary of Jakob Poeltl at the time, per Amick.
The Kings haven’t decided what they’re going to do with DeRozan entering the offseason, team sources tell Amick. Only $10MM of the veteran wing’s $25.74MM salary for next season is guaranteed.
Atlantic Notes: George, Knicks, Poeltl, Queta, Stevens
Paul George has come back strong from his 25-game league suspension for violating the league’s drug policy, averaging 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in his last seven games. However, it’s unlikely the Sixers forward has meaningfully increased his trade value, according to Adam Aaronson of PhillyVoice.com.
Aaronson notes that George will soon turn 36 years old and will make over $54.1MM next season while holding a player option worth more than $56.5MM for the following season. George’s injury history would also likely discourage any potential suitors this offseason.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks coach Mike Brown doesn’t anticipate making a starting lineup change in the postseason, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reports. “I don’t believe in never ever. But right now we’re going to start that five and that’s how I foresee it,” the coach said. “If I feel I need to make a change at any time, I’ll make a change. But I don’t feel that way right now.” There were discussions about moving Landry Shamet into the lineup. Earlier this season, Brown downsized his starting five, replacing Mitchell Robinson with Josh Hart.
- Jakob Poeltl was handed a three-year contract extension last offseason to remain with the Raptors. Now, the big man appears to be an awkward fit for Toronto’s rotation and cap sheet, The Athletic’s Eric Koreen opines. Poeltl has appeared in just 42 games due to a back ailment. He’s also not a scoring threat outside the paint and isn’t a good enough defensive player in the paint to make up for that, Koreen adds. Making a move involving Poeltl will be complicated due to his contract being guaranteed through 2028/29.
- Celtics forward Jaylen Brown is lobbying for Neemias Queta to receive consideration for the Most Improved Player award. “Neemi’s been great,” Brown said, per The Athletic’s Jay King. “He’s been just consistently getting better, protecting the rim, finishing, making those little shots, rebounding. He’s been great. In my opinion, he’s probably one of the most improved players this year. And I don’t know if he’s up for the award, but he should be.” Queta has started 72 of 73 games, averaging career bests in points (10.2), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.3) per game.
- Celtics top executive and former head coach Brad Stevens guided Butler to two NCAA Tournament championship games. However, Stevens indicated he has no interest in going back to the college ranks, Brian Robb of MassLive.com tweets. “I’m not motivated to do anything but what I’m doing,” he said.
Atlantic Notes: Fultz, George, McCain, Minott, Tatum
The Raptors were down three starters on Monday vs. Utah, with Brandon Ingram (right heel inflammation), Immanuel Quickley (plantar fasciitis), and Jakob Poeltl (injury load management) all sidelined, notes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). However, rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles returned following an 11-game absence due to a thumb injury, and newly signed point guard Markelle Fultz made his Toronto debut.
The Raptors were outscored by 15 points during Fultz’s 16 minutes of action, and he had more turnovers (3) than points (2). However, there were also some “flashes of high-level play,” according to Grange. The former No. 1 overall pick contributed five assists and pair of steals off the bench in a victory over the Jazz. Notably, it was his second game of the day, as he had also suited up in the morning for the Raptors 905 in the G League before officially being promoted to the NBA.
“He’s (a) point guard. You can see that he’s comfortable getting the team into the offense and organizing, and he had five assists,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It was awesome to see him out there, knowing that he played a game this morning.”
While it remains to be seen whether Fultz will stick with the Raptors beyond his initial 10-day contract, he has made a positive impression on the organization with his attitude since he originally joined Toronto’s G League affiliate.
“What I’ve been most impressed about was his level of professionalism and humility,” Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said, per Grange. “You know, a former No. 1 pick, he could come in here and have a crazy chip on his shoulder, act like he owns the place. But he walked right in and said, ‘Coach, what do you need me to do? I said, ‘Lead, defend, and be the play-maker that we know you all are.’ And he’s been awesome, just awesome.”
We have more from around the Atlantic:
- Paul George served the 25th and final game of his suspension on Monday, meaning he’s eligible to return to the Sixers‘ lineup on Wednesday vs. Chicago. Head coach Nick Nurse said on Monday that George has “conditioned hard” during his absence, adding that he has no ramp-up concerns about the veteran forward, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports.
- Former Sixers guard Jared McCain scored 13 points off the bench on Monday to help the Thunder beat his old team. As Tony Jones of The Athletic writes, McCain admitted that it felt “a little weird” to be going up against the 76ers after having been traded out of Philadelphia just last month. “It was nice to come back, but it will definitely always feel weird coming back here,” he said. “It’s like a nostalgic feeling to come back and not live here. Hopefully, there is some closure that comes soon. But I still don’t think I have closure yet.”
- Acquired at February’s trade deadline in what was essentially just a salary-dump deal for Boston, Josh Minott may be carving out a role with the Nets going forward, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscription required). As Lewis explains, Minott’s defensive tenacity and overall competitiveness is a welcome addition to a Brooklyn team that wants to be competitive next season, and his $2.6MM option for 2026/27 is extremely team-friendly.
- With Celtics star Jayson Tatum acknowledging that he’s frustrated by not yet being able to do everything he used to on the basketball court, Jay King of The Athletic checks in on Tatum’s early progress. The veteran forward’s defensive and rebounding numbers have been strong, King notes, but he’s taking more three-pointers and fewer free throws than he typically would.
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, CMB, Alvarado, Clowney, MPJ
Jakob Poeltl doesn’t know the root cause of the back problems that caused him to miss 33 games this season, but the Raptors‘ starting center appears to be at full strength now and is grateful the issue seems to be behind him, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
Poeltl is averaging 13.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 0.9 steals while shooting 70.8% from the field in his last nine appearances (27.9 minutes per game). The 30-year-old logged a season-high 36 minutes in Sunday’s victory over Detroit, finishing with 21 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), 18 rebounds and five assists in a matchup against All-Star Jalen Duren.
“I felt fine, honestly,” said Poeltl, who hadn’t played 36 minutes in a game since Dec. 1, 2024. “Every game’s a little bit different, like you have different energy and stuff. I felt good on Sunday. Felt fine afterwards. Obviously, after a big game, you feel your body aching a little bit, but I think that’s normal for everybody, so I wasn’t too worried.”
Poeltl admits the uncertain nature of his back injury presented several challenges, Grange writes.
“I think the hardest part about it was that there wasn’t a steady timeline,” he said. “With most injuries, you kind of know how long it’s gonna take, and sometimes it takes a bit longer or sometimes it takes a little less time but, generally, you know what the recovery process is.
“But what the time was exactly in this scenario was a big question mark. Like, we almost made up some timelines, kind of hoping that this would be when I would feel better again but, realistically, it wasn’t something that time was just gonna fix. So, I think that was the hardest part.”
Poeltl being healthy has given Toronto a boost at both ends of the court, but he’ll face some difficult matchups over the next few weeks, starting with Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic on Friday in Denver, Grange notes.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles won’t play Friday, but he should return from his left thumb sprain in the near future, Grange tweets. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said the rookie forward/center, who has been scrimmaging and doing reconditioning work, is “very close” to playing again. Friday will mark Murray-Boyles’ 10th consecutive absence due to the thumb, which he originally injured in January.
- Regardless of whether he’s playing or not, Jose Alvarado brings consistent energy to the Knicks, according to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Star point guard Jalen Brunson doesn’t take Alvarado’s impact for granted. “Absolutely, it helps the team no matter what,” Brunson said after practice Thursday. “You kind of wish he was on the court because he’s a little bit quieter than on the bench. He does so much for this team on and off the court. It’s constant energy. Kind of regardless of how he’s playing, he always has the energy. That’s a skill, that’s a skill that makes someone last in the league a long time. It’s great to have him.”
- Nets forward Noah Clowney, who suffered a right wrist sprain in Wednesday’s loss to Oklahoma City, was out for Friday’s matchup with New York and will likely miss Sunday’s contest at Sacramento as well, head coach Jordi Fernandez told reporters, including Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). Fernandez added that Clowney would be reevaluated following Sunday’s game.
- When asked whether Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. could play again this season — he’s out at least two-to-three weeks after suffering a right hamstring strain — Fernandez essentially gave a non-answer, as Lewis relays (via Twitter). “So, two or three weeks and then obviously there’s a ramp up to go back to a competition level,” Fernandez said. “We cannot predict but it’ll be close. So we’re going to go through these two, three weeks, put the work in and then we’ll see where we are.”
Raptors Notes: Walter, Mamukelashvili, CMB, Barnes, Poeltl
Ja’Kobe Walter is finding his niche with the Raptors, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The 2024 first-round pick was Baylor’s leading scorer in his lone college season, but he recognizes he needs to impact the game on the other end of the court to have a significant NBA role.
“I was always a defender, but I didn’t know I was going to be aiming towards being the main guy,” Walter told Grange. “When I got here, they were telling me that they see the length and tools that I have, and just make sure I use them all the time. When I got to Toronto is when I really started focusing and realizing that I wanted to be the stopper type guy.”
At 6’4″ and 180 pounds, Walter is on the smaller side for a shooting guard, but he has a 6’10” wingspan and is an aggressive on-ball defender, Grange notes. His swing skill will likely be his outside shot — the 21-year-old has converted 35.3% of his three-point attempts this season.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic was complimentary of Walter’s performance following Thursday’s victory in Chicago and said the second-year wing is earning the trust of his coaching staff and teammates.
“I thought he played a very good game. I thought he did an outstanding job defensively. I thought he was in the right spots on offense, took the right shots,” Rajakovic said. “There is a growing confidence inside this group that he’s ready for this challenge.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- A bruised rib has Sandro Mamukelashvili in a good deal of pain, but he’s determined to play through the injury because he’s eager to get his first real playoff experience, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “I’m mentally blocking it out,” Mamukelashvili said of his injury. “There are no issues. I’m telling myself there is nothing hurting and however many minutes I get, I’ll go out there and play like I’m a hundred percent healthy.” The 26-year-old forward/center technically made the postseason as a rookie with Milwaukee, but he was ineligible to suit up because he was on a two-way contract. Mamukelashvili has been one of the most impactful reserves in the league this season, Koreen writes, averaging 11.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists on .525/.383/.764 shooting in 55 games (22.5 minutes per contest). The Georgian big man should be in line for a substantial pay raise this summer — he holds a $2.8MM player option for 2026/27 he seems likely to decline.
- Collin Murray-Boyles has similarly been playing through a thumb injury, Koreen adds. The lottery pick is having an impressive rookie season, appearing in 45 games (22.2 MPG) and averaging 8.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.9 BPG while playing solid, switchable defense, according to Koreen. “That’s why I was drafted — to make an impact,” Murray-Boyles said when asked about the rarity of a rookie playing significant minutes for a winning team. “(I) don’t take it lightly.”
- All-Star forward Scottie Barnes was out Sunday for personal reasons, but he’s not on the injury report and is expected to return for Tuesday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, as Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca relays (Twitter links). Jakob Poeltl (lower back strain injury management) is out against the Thunder on the front end of a back-to-back — Toronto faces San Antonio on Wednesday.
Jakob Poeltl To Return Wednesday
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl will return to the court tonight in his first action since December 21 as the team faces off against the Pistons, Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy notes (via Twitter).
Head coach Darko Rajakovic indicated that Poeltl will be on some form of minutes restriction, though it’s not clear what his limit will be. Toronto has prioritized caution with the back issues that have limited the Austrian big man to just 21 games this season; according to Murphy, Poeltl’s main goal is simply to be loose out there and try to play without thinking about the injury.
The lingering back strain has made it difficult for Poeltl to get a rhythm during the time he’s been on the court. He is playing his fewest minutes since the 2019/20 season and scoring at his lowest rate since 2021/22, though he’s managed to be efficient in his time, posting a career-high 69.1% true shooting percentage.
Rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili have split much of the starting center responsibilities in Poeltl’s absence, with Mamukelashvili starting 11 games and Murray-Boyles starting 19, including the last 15 games that he’s suited up for.
Murray-Boyles will miss tonight’s game with a thumb injury, and it’s unconfirmed whether Poeltl will step straight back into the starting lineup.
While returning against the East-leading Pistons is no easy feat, Poeltl will not have to go against Detroit’s physical center tandem of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, as both will be serving the first games of their respective suspensions for their involvement in Monday’s brawl against the Hornets.
Raptors Notes: Kessler, Jackson-Davis, CP3, Martin, Poeltl
The Raptors were connected to several notable big men ahead of the trade deadline, but Anthony Davis went to Washington, Domantas Sabonis stayed put in Sacramento, and the cost of acquiring a mid-priced big like Day’Ron Sharpe of the Nets or Goga Bitadze of the Magic was described by sources as “unrealistically high,” according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
“I think, at this point, with this group, we didn’t want to chase,” general manager Bobby Webster said of the Raptors’ approach to the trade deadline. “We didn’t want to be in a situation where you felt like you were overpaying. We’re still on the upward climb … we’ve had a pretty positive start; the group is coming together. There will be a time where we’re gonna push in and consolidate and add some picks, but we just felt the prices at this point were a little high for us.”
Given how many centers the Raptors were linked to in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, it was all the more fascinating that Webster dropped the following tidbit during an appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan (Twitter audio link) after the deadline passed: “I’d probably say the one big thing we went after wasn’t even reported.”
What might that “big thing” have been? According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter links), there were some rumblings that Toronto made a push for fourth-year center Walker Kessler, whom the Jazz haven’t been interested in moving. If Kessler is a legitimate Raptors target, they could pursue him again when he reaches restricted free agency this summer, but their limited cap flexibility would make that challenging.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Toronto did make one addition to its frontcourt at the deadline, sending a second-round pick to Golden State for big man Trayce Jackson-Davis. He was a player the club had on its radar for a while, according to Webster. “We’ve always had our eye on him in the past, but timing matters too,” the Raptors’ general manager said, per Grange. “We called on him before, but Golden State got another big (Kristaps Porzingis) and I think it was sort of time for him to be free. So, when we did the Ochai (Agbaji) deal (to get below the tax), we had the ability. We didn’t have a lot of money to spend, but we looked at anyone under $3MM that we could bring in and he quickly rose to the top of the list.”
- In a separate story for Sportsnet.ca, Grange passes along quotes from Jackson-Davis, who expressed enthusiasm about his new NBA home and said he learned a lot in Golden State playing alongside veterans like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Chris Paul over the past two-and-a-half seasons. Head coach Darko Rajakovic said Jackson-Davis made “really good first impressions” in his first practice in Toronto. “You can see that he’s a very smart player,” Rajakovic said. “He’s picking up things very quickly. … We’re going to allow him to get incorporated into the team and to show us who he is and how best I can use him.”
- The Raptors also acquired Chris Paul at the trade deadline as part of their Agbaji trade, but the veteran point guard won’t suit up for Toronto. He’ll be waived “at the appropriate time,” Webster said on Thursday. Unless Paul has a post-waiver destination lined up, there will likely be no urgency for Toronto to make that move until the team needs its 15th roster spot, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (all Twitter links). Grange suggested that last roster spot could eventually go to two-way player Alijah Martin.
- Raptors starting center Jakob Poeltl, who has been out since December 21 due to back issues that have bothered him all season, is listed as questionable to play on Sunday after practicing on Saturday, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We saw a lot of doctors about it. To be honest, I don’t want to get into too much details about it,” Poeltl said when asked about his back injury, according to Grange. “The point is I’m feeling better now. I did a couple different treatment options. So, yeah, I’m glad to be feeling better.” The veteran big man added that he wasn’t bothered by the fact that his name kept popping up in trade rumors leading up to Thursday’s deadline, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
Injury Notes: Poeltl, Murray-Boyles, White, Wagner, McBride, Duren
The back issues that have limited Jakob Poeltl to just 21 games this season were a major reason why his trade value was so low at the deadline, preventing the Raptors from gaining traction in their talks for Domantas Sabonis. However, Poeltl – who last played on December 21 – may not be out much longer, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).
As Murphy relays, Poeltl is said to be ramping up and reacting “really well” as he works his way back. Toronto has just two more games between now and the All-Star break – Sunday vs. Indiana and next Wednesday vs. Detroit – but the team thinks there’s a chance he could return during that time.
Meanwhile, Raptors rookie big man Collin Murray-Boyles remains active after missing four games in late January due to a left thumb ailment, but that injury is still bothering him, according to Murphy, who notes (via Twitter) that he’ll have to wear a protector on the thumb for five more weeks. Still, Murray-Boyles powered through in Thursday’s win over Chicago, scoring 17 points on 8-of-9 shots from the field in 37 minutes of action.
“I give him a lot of credit,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said (Twitter link via Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca). “… He’s having trouble dribbling the ball, catching the ball, (but) he’s playing through that.”
Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:
- Newly acquired Hornets guard Coby White had played in 11 of Chicago’s last 12 games before being traded to Charlotte, but president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said White is dealing with some calf issues, which the Hornets will tread carefully with. According to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), the 25-year-old may not play for his new team until after the All-Star break.
- Magic forward Franz Wagner is “very close” to returning from the left ankle injury that has sidelined him since January 18 and caused him to miss 24 of the team’s past 26 games, president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on Thursday (Twitter link via Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel). Orlando plays three more times before the All-Star break.
- A pair of doctors who spoke to Jared Schwartz of The New York Post suggest that the full recovery period for a sports hernia procedure like the one Miles McBride is undergoing is usually close to 12 weeks. Reports on Thursday indicated there’s optimism the Knicks guard will be back for the postseason, which will begin in about 10 weeks.
- Pistons center Jalen Duren didn’t play in the second half of Thursday’s loss to Washington due to right knee soreness, per the team (Twitter link). According to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, that knee soreness has been an issue for Duren for “a little bit,” but there’s no indication yet whether it will cost him any additional time (Twitter link via Hunter Patterson of The Athletic).
Domantas Sabonis Likely To Remain With Kings Through Deadline
1:42 pm: The Kings view their Sabonis talks with Toronto as having “flat-lined,” according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. With the caveat that there’s still 24 hours for the situation to evolve, Amick says it now appears highly likely that the big man will remain in Sacramento through the trade deadline.
10:53 am: Talks between the Raptors and Kings have paused for now, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link), who says Toronto has concerns about how much draft capital it would have to give up to move off of Poeltl’s contract.
10:02 am: The Raptors are known to have interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, but it’s been hard to get a feel for just how serious the talks between the two teams are, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who gets the sense that some of the Sabonis trade chatter has been driven by the three-time All-Star’s representatives, who would like to get their client off a rebuilding roster.
While Grange was still hearing from people close to the Kings on Tuesday that Sacramento would be open to making a trade centered around Sabonis and Raptors forward RJ Barrett, he writes that the connection between Barrett and Kings general manager Scott Perry – who drafted the forward as a member of the Knicks’ front office – has been “overblown.”
There also appear to be at least two obstacles in the way of a trade sending Sabonis to Toronto.
One, Chris Haynes said during an NBA TV appearance (Twitter video link), is a gap between the draft compensation the Kings are seeking as part of the return (a first-round pick) and what the Raptors are willing to offer in their package (second-rounders).
The other complication is that the Raptors would likely want to send out center Jakob Poeltl if they’re going to acquire a starting center who has an even more lucrative long-term contract, but Poeltl’s value is extremely limited due to the $100MM+ left on his deal, as well as his health — he has been dealing with back issues all season long.
The Kings reportedly have zero interest in acquiring Poeltl in a Sabonis deal, so the Raptors would have to find a third team willing to take him on and send that team sweeteners (likely draft assets) separate from what Sacramento would want for Sabonis.
“He’s a really hard guy to trade right now,” one source told Grange. “He’s hurt and he’s locked in for five years.”
According to Grange, the Celtics have been fans of Poeltl in the past, and the Pacers – who are searching for a long-term answer at center – are another team he has heard connected to Poeltl.
However, Boston just made a move for another center, agreeing to send Anfernee Simons to Chicago in a deal for Nikola Vucevic, and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) hears that Indiana hasn’t registered any interest in Poeltl.
The Grizzlies, with their newfound cap flexibility as a result of Tuesday’s Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, are considered one possible landing spot for Poeltl, but they’d likely need to be well compensated to take on his contract, especially given his current health situation.
“There’s nothing structural,” a source said of Poeltl’s back injury, per Grange. “There’s no nerve issue, it’s just a confusing injury.”
Sam Amick of The Athletic suggested earlier this week that it wouldn’t be a surprise if nothing happens with Sabonis this week and the Raptors and Kings renew their conversations in the offseason. Grange also thinks the Sabonis rumors “could all add up to nothing,” writing that Toronto may be better off hoping Poeltl gets healthy and can rebuild his value, either as a trade chip or the Raptors’ center of the future.