Raptors Rumors: Poeltl, Davis, Gafford, Bitadze, Sabonis, More
The Raptors have signaled to potential trade partners that they’re interested in upgrading their frontcourt, but they’re not looking to part with current center Jakob Poeltl in a potential deal, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Poeltl, who signed an extension in the offseason and will become trade-eligible on January 7, has struggled to perform at his usual level this fall — his 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game are his lowest marks since 2020/21, and his on/off numbers haven’t been nearly as strong as in the past. He has been battling a nagging back issue, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter video link), who confirmed during a TV appearance that Toronto would ideally like to add more frontcourt depth while hanging onto Poeltl.
Whether the Raptors look to add a minor depth piece or are prepared to roll the dice on a higher-impact (and higher-salary) player could come down to how they perform in the coming weeks, leading up to the February 5 trade deadline, Fischer writes.
According to Fischer, the Raptors and Hawks are viewed as the teams that have had the most interest in Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, with Atlanta viewed as a longer shot due to the fact that Dallas likely wouldn’t have much interest in Trae Young or Kristaps Porzingis as the centerpiece of a deal. The Hawks also have “zero intention” of including their valuable 2026 first-round pick (the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ selections) in an offer, Fischer adds.
While that could open up the door for the Raptors to become the frontrunner for Davis, Lewenberg – echoing earlier reporting from Michael Grange – suggests Toronto may have more interest in another Mavs big man, Daniel Gafford, and have “already checked in” on Gafford. Like Grange, Lewenberg also mentions Magic center Goga Bitadze as a possible target for the Raptors.
If the Raptors do aim higher, Davis isn’t their only potential target. Fischer hears from sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking that Toronto also has some interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and adds that the Raptors would likely be among the teams inquiring on Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo if he ends up on the trade block.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- According to Lewenberg, the odds of the Raptors making an in-season deal are “pretty high.” Besides seeking frontcourt help, the team would also like to avoid being a taxpayer, Lewenberg explains. Toronto is currently operating over the tax line by less than $1MM.
- If the Raptors make a “smaller-scale type of deal,” swingmen like Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick would be probable trade candidates, per Lewenberg, who notes that the club has a logjam on the wing.
- Lewenberg also points out that the Raptors have all their future first-round picks available if they decide to take a bigger swing on the trade market. The only future pick Toronto has traded away is its 2031 second-rounder (the club also owes its 2026 second-rounder to Indiana, but it’s top-55 protected, so it’s unlikely to change hands).
Raptors Notes: Giannis, AD, Trade Options, Barrett, Battle
The Raptors are one of only seven NBA teams that fully control all of their own future first-round picks, which is why they can’t be ruled out as a potential suitor for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, or any other star who comes available in the future, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
However, Koreen argues Toronto should avoid both Antetokounmpo and Davis because the Raptors still wouldn’t be good enough to contend for a title after the potential acquisition.
A deal for Antetokounmpo would likely start with the Bucks asking for Scottie Barnes and draft picks, Koreen writes, and while Barnes is probably unlikely to ever reach Antetokounmpo’s level as a perennial MVP candidate, he’s also nearly seven years younger, makes less money, and has a less extensive injury history. There’s also the significant question of whether Antetokounmpo or the Bucks would be open to the idea.
If Barnes isn’t involved, Koreen continues, the Raptors could try to offer a package of RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Collin Murray-Boyles and picks; ignoring whether the Bucks would accept such a trade, Toronto would be left without a true center, the team’s primary position of weakness, would have less depth, and fewer ways to improve the roster going forward.
Davis would certainly cost less to acquire from an asset standpoint, considering he’s older, less impactful, and has a longer injury history than Antetokounmpo, Koreen notes. But the trade would still require giving up two starters to make the money work, hurting the Raptors’ depth, and although Davis is obviously a major upgrade over Poeltl, he doesn’t like to play center and they share a couple of weaknesses (contract situations and injuries), Koreen observes.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca covers similar ground, writing that Davis would probably make more sense to pursue from a cost-acquisition standpoint, but noting that there are logical reasons why a deal might not appeal to Toronto, Dallas or Davis. While it remains to be seen whether or not the Raptors will target a major move, they will certainly be active ahead of the February 5 deadline — they’re currently less than $1MM above the luxury tax line and will undoubtedly dip below that threshold in some fashion, per Grange.
- As for potential trade targets, Grange suggests the Raptors try packaging some combination of Ochai Agbaji and other salaries to find a backup center who is also capable of filling in as a starter when Poeltl is unavailable, as Sandro Mamukelashvili is more of a “face-up power forward” than a true big man. The Raptors have expressed some interest in Davis’ teammate Daniel Gafford in the past, according to Grange, who says the “most enticing” hypothetical trade target might be Magic center Goga Bitadze. Grange lists five other big men the Raptors could consider as well.
- Barrett, who has been sidelined since November 23 due to a right knee sprain, will return to basketball activities sometime this week, the Raptors announced on Monday (Twitter link via Grange). Barrett received a PRP injection to promote healing in his knee last week. The Toronto native is the team’s third-leading scorer.
- Second-year sharpshooter Jamison Battle, who sprained his left ankle on Dec. 5 and missed the past two games, was active for Monday’s contest at Miami, tweets Zulfi Sheikh of Sportsnet. Battle is only averaging 8.1 minutes per game across 17 appearances, but he has been highly efficient offensively in a very small sample size; he is 12-for-15 on twos (80%) and 13-for-22 on threes (59.1%).
And-Ones: Undervalued Players, Calf Strains, Beverley, Morris
John Hollinger of The Athletic lists seven “undervalued” players from around the NBA who are making an outsized impact relative to their contracts. The seven players are specifically “hard-playing, unheralded guys with a little bit of extra edge to them,” as Hollinger puts it.
Raptors backup point guard Jamal Shead is the first player listed, which isn’t surprising. As Hollinger writes, Shead made an immediate impact as a rookie due to his strong defense, but his offensive improvements in year two have made him a key part of Toronto’s rotation.
While the 23-year-old’s shooting is still a “work in progress,” he is processing the game at a higher level in 2025/26.
“Just going left and making reads,” Shead said of his offseason improvement. “It’s not always about scoring, it’s about if they’re trying to push me left or right in the ball screen, can I still make the read out of that? I’m understanding the pace of the game and how to really create for my teammates. … Impacting defense is what I’m going to do regardless, but I’m impacting offense this year a lot more too.”
Suns guard Jordan Goodwin, Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, and Hornets center Moussa Diabate are among the other players highlighted by Hollinger.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- In an interesting and in-depth story for Yahoo Sports, Tom Haberstroh takes a look at the increase in players missing time with calf strains this season. While there are two very famous examples (Kevin Durant and Tyrese Haliburton) of players with calf injuries later tearing their Achilles tendon, those cases have been the exception and not the rule. “The interesting thing is, historically, a calf strain is thought of as this completely separate injury from an Achilles tear,” said Dr. Scott Ellis of the Hospital of Special Surgery (HSS) in New York. “When you have somebody with an Achilles rupture, nine times out of 10 — actually, even more, 99% of the time — they don’t have anything that you could pick up structurally in an imaging exam on their Achilles.”
- Longtime NBA guard Patrick Beverley, who spent last season in Israel, has reached a contract agreement with the Greek club PAOK, reports Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops.net. According to Miloradovic, Beverley is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki — where the team is based — on Saturday evening to finalize the deal, which is pending a physical. Beverley, whose last NBA stint was with Milwaukee in 2023/24, was arrested last month in Texas and charged with assault of a family/household member. TMZ reported that Beverley was accused of punching his sister in the eye and choking her for between 20 and 30 seconds.
- Veteran NBA guard Monte Morris, who spent time with the Pacers earlier this season, officially signed with the Greek EuroLeague team Olympiacos last week. Eurohoops.net passes along some highlights from Morris’ introductory press conference.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, George, Martin, Wolf, Demin
Joel Embiid has produced well below his career rates for most of the season, but he flashed his former Most Valuable Player form on Friday, pouring in 39 points in the Sixers‘ 10-point win over Indiana.
“He’s worked at it,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said, per Tony Jones of The Athletic. “The practices this week have helped. His own individual work away from practice has helped. I think him being able to do all of that is a great sign that he’s starting to feel good. I have always said that he’s best when he’s driving. I think he drove a lot to draw fouls early. The best thing was his variety. The 39 points were great, but they came with him scoring through a lot of different schemes. He read the different stuff most of the night, pretty good.”
Friday’s game was the Sixers first in five days, and Embiid believes his knees have held up better when he has more time in between appearances.
“I feel good,” Embiid said. “I’ve been able to be consistent, and that’s the big thing. I’ve been able to do the same thing over and over again this week and not have to take a break. I’ve talked about this before, but the plan of having me play a game and then having two days off seems to be working. So, I’ve been able to get on the court and do a lot of work.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nurse has increasingly used Paul George as a point forward, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. George has racked up 13 assists over the last three games. “I’m comfortable with the ball,” George said. “I think more than anything, it’s just continue to prove to myself and remain confident as I continue to trust my body and gain confidence on the floor that my body can still produce. So it’s just adding to the confidence, and just chipping away at the work put into this season so far to get ready for this season.”
- Earlier this week, Raptors two-way player Alijah Martin is the G League’s most recent Player of the Week, per the NBA (Twitter link). Martin averaged 26.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in three Raptors 905 wins. This year’s No. 39 overall pick has appeared in just two games with the NBA team.
- Nets rookie big man Danny Wolf had 17 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Dallas on Friday. He’s averaging 13.5 PPG in his last six outings. Wolf benefited from a stint in the G League, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. “When he had the opportunity to play with Long Island, he took advantage of his minutes,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “And now that he’s in the rotation, he’s taking advantage of his minutes. So I’m very happy with him. He’s a special player because at his size he can do so many different things. And still trying to figure it out because he’s showing me what he’s capable of doing. He’s capable of doing a lot of things — good things.”
- Another Nets rookie, Egor Demin, only played two-plus minutes in the fourth quarter on Friday as the team fell apart in crunch time, Lewis notes. “He was trying to fix mistakes by trying to make things happen. And this is not how you want to do things,” Fernandez said. “I need him to play with better readiness and better physicality. And this is not the way that the team needs him to play. So, he’s got to be better. Otherwise, the minutes are going to go down, and somebody else will take advantage. I know he cares; he’s always responded and punched back. So, he’s way better than what he performed.”
Afseth’s Latest: Mavs, AD, Klay, Giannis, Morant, Kessler, More
Although Dallas’ front office is open to listening to offers on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and D’Angelo Russell, the Mavericks aren’t “aggressively shopping” any of those four veterans, sources tell Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com.
As Afseth details, rival teams have gotten the impression that the Mavericks are currently evaluating not only their play to this point in the season but also their options on the trade market. They’re viewed as being “opportunistic” instead of a seller, Afseth writes, and whatever moves Dallas makes will be geared toward improving the team’s “long-term outlook.”
According to Afseth, the Mavs want to see Kyrie Irving play alongside Cooper Flagg and believe the star guard can complement the rookie forward and assist in Flagg’s development. Irving’s name is notably not among the aforementioned group.
While the Pistons, Hawks and Raptors are reportedly expected to among the suitors for Davis, sources who spoke to Afseth expressed skepticism about Davis’ fit in Detroit and Atlanta, with Toronto viewed as the best on-court landing spot of the group. Still, as Marc Stein recently reported and Afseth confirms, a Davis trade shouldn’t be viewed as an inevitability.
“The Mavericks are going to want to see how this team looks with AD and Kyrie,” one source told Afseth. “There is no sense in trying to just get rid of AD. The market has to be where they want to make a deal. If there isn’t a good enough deal on the table, I don’t see a deal getting done. They’d get another look at the trade market or evaluate an extension in the summer.”
Here are a few more highlights from Afseth’s rumor round-up:
- While Thompson’s on-court contributions have been up and down during his time in Dallas, he has remained a “positive” presence despite the organizational turmoil following the Luka Doncic trade, Afseth reports. If Dallas does end up having serious discussions about Thompson, the team is expected to be “considerate” of Thompson’s desire to play for a contender, Afseth adds.
- The future of Giannis Antetokounmpo is the biggest storyline on the trade market, but Afseth hears there haven’t been any new developments on that front. Some rival executives still view the Knicks as the favorites to land Antetokounmpo if he’s made available, but the Heat and Spurs are among the other potential suitors for the two-time MVP.
- Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who returned from a 10-game absence on Friday, is not currently available on the trade market, per Afseth. Should that change, the Heat are not viewed as being a strong fit for the two-time All-Star, Afseth continues.
- The Rockets, Timberwolves and Kings are among the teams keeping an eye on point guards ahead of the February 5 deadline, according to Afseth.
- The Pacers have done background work on Jazz center Walker Kessler, according to Afseth, who says Tyrese Haliburton is a fan of the fourth-year big man. Kessler, who is out for the year following shoulder surgery, was seeking $120MM+ on a long-term rookie scale extension before the season began, Afseth reports. Kessler will be a restricted free agent next offseason.
Magic, Knicks Advance To Cup Semifinals
The Magic and Knicks advanced to the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas with victories on Tuesday. They’ll face each other in the East semifinal on Saturday at 5:30 ET, the league confirmed (via Twitter).
Orlando was carried by a big outing from offseason acquisition Desmond Bane. He scored 37 points, while Jalen Suggs added 20 points and Paolo Banchero supplied 18. The Magic trailed by 13 after the first quarter, pulled within one by halftime, then outscored Miami 61-51 in the second half.
The Heat had four starters with at least 19 points, led by Norman Powell‘s 21.
The Knicks moved on with a 117-101 win over the Raptors. Jalen Brunson was the star of the game with 35 points. Josh Hart contributed 21 points and Karl-Anthony Towns tossed in 14 with 16 rebounds. Brandon Ingram led the Raptors with 31 points.
New York took control in the second quarter, outscoring Toronto 34-13.
The teams that were eliminated on Tuesday will now play each other on Monday, as the Heat will host the Raptors at 7:30 ET, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press tweets.
The Suns and Thunder will square off in the first of the Western Conference quarterfinals on Wednesday, with the Lakers and Spurs playing in the late game. The winners of those two contests will face one another in the West semifinal on Saturday.
Raptors’ Quickley To Miss NBA Cup Game With Illness
Raptors point guard Immanuel Quickley will miss his team’s NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Knicks on Tuesday due to an illness, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.
It’s a big blow to Toronto’s chances of advancing. The Raptors are already without RJ Barrett, who is sidelined by a right knee sprain. The good news is that reserve point guard Jamal Shead, who was listed as questionable with a right quad contusion, will play tonight.
Quickley has started all 25 games for Toronto, averaging 16.5 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 assists and 1.2 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. Shead figures to receive the bulk of his minutes with Ja’Kobe Walter also seeing plenty of action.
Pistons, Hawks, Raptors Expected To Be Anthony Davis Suitors
A number of Eastern Conference contenders, including the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors, are expected to be among the suitors for Mavericks big man Anthony Davis at this season’s trade deadline, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
As Charania details, Atlanta, Toronto, and especially Detroit all look like potential playoff teams in a wide-open Eastern Conference, and may view Davis as the sort of player who could turn them into a legitimate championship contender.
Davis has battled injuries over the course of his career, especially since being traded from the Lakers to Mavericks at last season’s trade deadline. But he’s healthy now, having played in five of six games since returning from a calf strain late last month, including both ends of a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
In spite of a two-point outing in Oklahoma City last week, Davis has registered solid overall averages of 18.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks in 28.4 minutes per night in his first five games back from that calf injury.
Potential suitors will likely be somewhat wary of Davis’ maximum-salary deal, which includes a $54.1MM cap hit this season and a $58.5MM salary in 2026/27, along with a $62.8MM player option for ’27/28. However, the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors would each be capable of stacking contracts to send out enough outgoing salary to accommodate him.
A Detroit package would likely start with Tobias Harris‘ expiring salary ($26.6MM); Atlanta could offer Kristaps Porzingis‘ $30.7MM expiring salary; and Toronto could use RJ Barrett ($27.7MM), who has one additional year left beyond this one. Hawks guard Trae Young ($46MM) and Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley ($32.5MM) could also be trade candidates, depending on the structure of a deal.
The Pistons and Hawks would have more salary-matching leeway than the Raptors, who are operating just $1MM below the first apron and would have to match any incoming salary nearly dollar for dollar.
All three teams have plenty of tradable draft picks that could be used to sweeten potential offers. The Pistons and Raptors control all their own future first-rounders, while Atlanta has traded away its own 2027 pick but controls a pair of 2026 selections, including the most favorable of the Pelicans’ and Bucks’ first-rounders, which would be a guaranteed top-five pick if the season ended today.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who represents Davis, recently met with Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, the Mavericks’ co-interim general managers and sought clarity about the team’s plans for his client, according to Charania. The Mavs’ lead executives conveyed to Paul that they’re keeping their options open for now and will make a decision based in part on how the club performs in the next few weeks.
Dallas hasn’t ruled out the idea of hanging onto Davis and extending him during the offseason, Charania notes.
RJ Barrett Receives PRP Injection, Out At Least One More Week
Raptors wing RJ Barrett recently received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in his sprained right knee, and while he’s making progress in his recovery, he will be out at least one more week, the team announced on Monday (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Andscape).
As Spears notes, Toronto hosts New York in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup on Tuesday, and the Raptors will be without Barrett, their third-leading scorer. Jamison Battle (left ankle sprain) is doubtful for Tuesday’s matchup, while key reserve Jamal Shead is questionable because of a right quad contusion.
The No. 3 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Barrett was off to a solid start to 2025/26 prior to sustaining the injury on November 23 vs. Brooklyn. Through 17 games, the 25-year-old guard/forward averaged 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 30.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .506/.356/.725.
It’s been an unusual season for Toronto, which won its first game, lost four in a row, won four straight, lost another, reeled off nine consecutive victories, and has now dropped five of its past six games. Despite the recent downturn, the Raptors are still 15-10, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, though only one game separates them from the No. 9 spot.
Barrett has missed the past eight games due to the knee sprain. The Raptors have gone 3-5 so far without the Toronto native available.
Second-year guard Ja’Kobe Walter has started each of the past five games for Toronto with Barrett sidelined, but has struggled mightily in the past two, going 0-for-9 from the floor in 37 combined minutes. The Raptors were minus-40 when the 21-year-old was on the court over that two-game span.
Raptors Notes: Recent Slide, Barnes, Ingram, Battle
The Raptors have lost four of their last five games and were pummeled by Charlotte on Friday, 111-86. Head coach Darko Rajakovic suggested after the blowout defeat that he felt the schedule caught up to his team — it was Toronto’s fifth game in seven nights.
“Physically, we were worn down,” Rajakovic said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN (Twitter link). “I’m really proud of our guys tonight. We tried. But when you’re trying and you’re missing layups and wide open shots, it’s hard to keep it up. We didn’t quit. We continued fighting but we didn’t have enough in the tank.”
We have more on the Raptors:
- Rajakovic believes Scottie Barnes should be a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award, per Lewenberg (Twitter link). “He’s guarding point guards, wings, fives. He’s doing it all,” the coach said. “There’s a reason why he was voted Defensive Player of the Month and he needs to be in consideration for Defensive Player of the Year. Obviously it’s early in the season but he’s trending that way.”
- Brandon Ingram has suffered a number of long-term injuries over the course of his career, but he’s not a fan of load management. He expects to play every night that he’s healthy this season, Lewenberg tweets. Ingram has appeared in all 24 of the Raptors’ games so far this season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 33.8 minutes per contest. “It’s intentional to not miss games because I have no reason to,” Ingram said. “If I hear from the training staff and they tell me my body doesn’t look good, I’ll listen. But so far, my body’s been feeling good. I’m doing everything in my control to be ready for games.”
- Jamison Battle suffered a left ankle sprain in Friday’s game. X-rays were negative and he’s considered day-to-day, Lewenberg tweets.