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.
NBA Announces Competitors For Slam Dunk, Shooting Stars All-Star Events
The Spurs‘ Carter Bryant, the Lakers‘ Jaxson Hayes, the Heat‘s Keshad Johnson and the Magic‘s Jase Richardson have been named the participants in the All-Star Slam Dunk competition, the league announced in a press release. It will be held next Saturday at the Clippers’ new Intuit Dome.
All four players will be making their event debuts. Richardson, a rookie guard, does have a familial connection with the contest. He is the son of two-time Slam Dunk champion Jason Richardson (2002 and 2003).
The league also announced the teams for the Shooting Stars competition on Saturday. Four teams of three – each featuring two NBA players and one NBA legend – will compete in the event.
- Team All-Star: Raptors star Scottie Barnes and Thunder big man Chet Holmgren will be joined by three-time All-Star Richard Hamilton.
- Team Cameron: Three Duke University alums will team up, with Hawks All-Star Jalen Johnson and Hornets star rookie Kon Knueppel being joined by former 14-year NBA veteran Corey Maggette.
- Team Harper: Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr. pairs up with his sons, Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Celtics swingman Ron Harper Jr.
- Team Knicks: Knicks teammates and All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will team up with Allan Houston, who made two NBA All-Star teams and is now a member of New York’s front office.
The Shooting Stars will feature a two-round format, with all four teams competing in the first round and the top two advancing to the final round.
Teams will compete one at a time and have 70 seconds to score points while rotating through seven designated shooting locations around the court, with all three players on a team shooting at each spot in a set order. The team with the higher score in the final round will be crowned the champion.
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).
Warriors Trade Trayce Jackson-Davis To Raptors
February 5: The trade is official, the Warriors confirmed (via Twitter).
February 4: The Warriors will send backup center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick that originally belonged to the Lakers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania (Twitter link).
Jackson-Davis, 25, saw rotation minutes during his first two seasons, but his role has been reduced this year. He has appeared in just 36 games and is averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night.
He makes $2.2MM this season and his contract includes a $2.4MM team option for 2026/27.
Charania notes that Toronto adds some size to its frontcourt by using the space created by trading Ochai Agbaji earlier in the day while managing to stay out of tax territory.
The Raptors explored several options for another big man, including the Pelicans‘ Yves Missi, the Nets‘ Day’Ron Sharpe and the Magic’s Goga Bitadze, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. However, it would have taken a first-round pick to land any of them and the Raptors were comfortable picking up Jackson-Davis while parting with the second-rounder they acquired when they sent Davion Mitchell to Miami a year ago.
The Jackson-Davis trade, coupled with the deal that sends Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta, gives the Warriors enough roster flexibility to convert two-way guard Pat Spencer to a standard deal, notes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Spencer is just one game away from reaching his limit of 50 active games.
No Trades Involving Morant, Kawhi, Sabonis, Zion, More
The Bucks informed rival teams a few hours ahead of Thursday’s deadline that they wouldn’t be trading superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and several other noteworthy players will remain with their respective teams after the deadline passed at 2:00 pm CT.
Point guard Ja Morant was available on the trade market for at least four weeks, but even after lowering their asking price, the Grizzlies were unable to find a taker for the two-time All-Star, confirms Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (via Twitter). According to Siegel, Memphis will revisit trade talks for Morant in the offseason.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), while a few teams were “intrigued” by the 26-year-old’s talent, none were willing to make a “serious offer.” The Kings, Bucks, Heat and Timberwolves were all linked to Morant in recent days, though there’s no indication that talks ever reached an advanced stage.
As Siegel writes, the Grizzlies were looking for a first-round pick for the two-time All-Star, but no teams were willing to meet that asking price. Miami, for instance, was only willing to give up expiring contracts and second-round picks for Morant, sources tell Siegel.
Morant’s injury history and maximum-salary contract limited his appeal on the trade market, per Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal. The former No. 2 overall pick is on a guaranteed deal that runs through 2027/28.
“You’re committing to several years, and if it doesn’t work, you’re probably carrying that contract until it’s an expiring at least,” one league source told Afseth. “Most teams would want to be compensated just to take that deal on, whether they believe in Morant or not.”
The Clippers made a pair of major trades, swapping James Harden for Darius Garland and sending Ivica Zubac to Indiana for two first-round picks, one second-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin and Isaiah Jackson. All-Star Kawhi Leonard won’t be going anywhere though, tweets NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Two-time All-NBA big man Domantas Sabonis, who was repeatedly linked to Toronto until Sacramento’s talks with the Raptors “flat-lined,” will stay put with the Kings, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The Kings were also unable to find suitable deals for Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk, per Haynes (Twitter link).
Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers), Lauri Markkanen (Jazz), LaMelo Ball (Hornets), and Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones of the Pelicans are among the other noteworthy players whose names came up in trade speculation this season who will remain with their respective clubs.
Of course, we saw a flurry of trades that did transpire in the lead-up to the deadline. The full list can be found here.
Chris Paul To Raptors, Ochai Agbaji To Nets In Three-Team Deal
February 5: The three-team trade is now official, according to the Nets (Twitter link), who have waived veteran wing Haywood Highsmith in order to create a roster spot for Agbaji.
As Gozlan tweets, Brooklyn now has about $8.9MM in cap room remaining and also still has its $8.8MM room exception, which could be used to absorb another salary in a deadline deal.
February 4: The Clippers, Raptors, and Nets are in agreement on a three-team trade that will send guard Chris Paul from Los Angeles to Toronto, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links).
Fourth-year forward Ochai Agbaji is headed from Toronto to Brooklyn in the deal, along with the Raptors’ 2032 second-round pick, says Charania. The Clippers will receive the draft rights to 2019 second-rounder Vanja Marinkovic from the Nets, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), and will send $3.5MM in cash to Brooklyn, per NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link).
The Raptors won’t require Paul to report to the team, according to Charania, who suggests the veteran point guard may be flipped to another club before Thursday’s deadline. If not, he’ll likely be waived.
It’s a cost-cutting move for both the Clippers and Raptors. The Clippers will open up an extra roster spot and create breathing room below their hard cap, which they’ll likely use to promote two-way players Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders to standard contracts. Toronto, meanwhile, will duck below the tax line by swapping out Agbaji’s expiring $6.4MM contract for Paul and his $2.3MM cap hit, creating a $6.4MM trade exception in the process.
The Nets will take advantage of being the NBA’s only team with cap room by taking on a half-season of Agbaji, receiving more than enough cash to cover his remaining salary, and adding another second-round pick to their sizable collection of draft assets in the process. Acquiring Agbaji will bring Brooklyn’s cap room below $9MM, though the team would also have the option of using its $15MM+ in room in a separate deal, then absorbing the Raptors forward using its room exception.
The Nets have a full 15-man roster, so they’ll need to trade or waive a player to create room for Agbaji.
The Clippers announced over two months ago that they were “parting ways” with Paul, who wasn’t a good cultural fit, but that just meant he’d no longer be around the team, not that he was off the roster. L.A. didn’t want to waive him since it would mean eating his guaranteed salary and leaving his $2.3MM cap hit on the team’s books, compromising the front office’s ability to make additional moves around the edges of the roster.
L.A. will now have about $3.4MM below its first-apron hard cap along with a pair of open roster spots, notes cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter links). Toronto will be roughly $3.1MM below the tax line and will also have two openings on its standard 15-man roster.
Latest On Anthony Davis Trade
Rumors began to emerge Tuesday about a “secret Eastern Conference team” that might have interest in trading for Anthony Davis, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (subscription required). Those whispers turned out to be legitimate as the Wizards swooped in to acquire the 10-time All-Star, furthering a shocking roster overhaul that began with a trade for Trae Young four weeks ago.
Stein states that the Mavericks elected to take the “only palatable” trade offer that was available for Davis, who has been sidelined since January 6 with a hand injury. Stein notes that the Raptors also expressed interest in acquiring Davis, but any deal with Toronto would have required Dallas to take on unwanted long-term contracts.
Even though the Mavs got limited value in the two first-round picks they acquired from Washington and no players who fit into their long-term plans, Stein hears that they decided it was best to act now because Khris Middleton has a $33.3MM expiring contract and wouldn’t be able to be included in the deal if the teams waited until summer.
Stein adds that the primary motivation in unloading Davis is to begin constructing the roster around star rookie Cooper Flagg, with one team source saying, “The building-around-Cooper Era starts now for real.” Parting with Davis’ maximum-salary contract — and his desire for an extension this summer — gives Dallas much more flexibility to add players who are a better fit with Flagg’s timeline.
Stein shares a few more tidbits regarding the trade:
- Sources tell Stein the Wizards wanted to add Davis to prove to Young that they’re serious about becoming a playoff contender. Young holds a $49MM player option for next season, and Washington is hoping to work out a long-term extension with him this summer.
- Stein hears that rival teams have expressed interest to Dallas in acquiring Marvin Bagley III, who was in the midst of a productive season as a backup big man with the Wizards. Bagley has a $2.3MM expiring contract.
- At one time, the Wizards were projected to have about $80MM in cap room for the offseason, but Stein states that they were realistic about their chances of landing impact free agents and opted to pursue Young and Davis in “pre-agency” instead. Stein adds that Washington has been searching for a center who allows Alex Sarr to fit into his more natural position of power forward, but Davis has historically preferred to play at the four spot as well so it’s not clear how their duties will be defined.
Trade Rumors: Giannis, Morant, Alvarado, Knicks, Raptors
While Thursday is usually the busiest day of the NBA’s trade deadline week, Tuesday and Wednesday have been more active than usual this season, observes Fred Katz of The Athletic.
There are a number of reasons why that may be the case, but one front office executive who spoke to Katz believes teams are reacting to what happened at last year’s deadline, when physical exams affected two trade agreements. The Sixers and Mavericks slightly reworked the terms of their Caleb Martin/Quentin Grimes deal due to concerns about Martin’s physical, while the Lakers and Hornets rescinded their Mark Williams trade as a result of Williams’ physical.
The Philadelphia/Dallas deal was agreed to and finalized on the Tuesday before the deadline, which allowed the two teams to conduct physical and then amend the terms on Thursday. However, because Los Angeles and Charlotte finalized their deal on Thursday, the issues with Williams’ physical didn’t arise until after the deadline, when negotiations couldn’t be reopened. At that point, the Lakers had just two options: approve the deal anyway or nix it altogether.
Several teams making deals at this year’s deadline may have those situations in the backs of their mind, Katz explains, prompting them to get their business done a little earlier in the week.
Here are more trade rumors from around the NBA, with the deadline just over five hours away:
- The Timberwolves and Heat don’t believe they’re out of the running for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but like Golden State, they remain skeptical that the Bucks are ready to get a deal done today, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link). Fischer, who previously identified Milwaukee as a team to watch on the Ja Morant front, also continues to hear that the Bucks remain engaged with the Grizzlies about the star point guard.
- Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado remains on the Knicks‘ radar, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). While New York reportedly didn’t have much luck selling New Orleans on a deal that included Guerschon Yabusele, the team may have more success with Dalen Terry‘s expiring contract after agreeing to send Yabusele to Chicago. The Knicks have also expressed interest in Yves Missi, but the Pelicans have reportedly insisted on a first-round pick for him to this point. New York’s only tradable first-rounder is Washington’s top-eight protected 2026 pick, which will likely turn into second-rounders.
- It’s been a busy week for the Bulls, who have finalized three trades and agreed to two more, but they may not be done dealing yet. According to Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, the Bulls’ front office was still talking to teams as of Wednesday night, with a “focus” on the Pelicans and Rockets. Chicago has been linked to Zion Williamson and Missi from New Orleans and Tari Eason from Houston, Cowley notes. However, he says the Bulls haven’t made real progress on the Pelicans’ players, and reports have indicated the Rockets are very resistant to moving Eason.
- After agreeing to two minor deals on Wednesday to duck the luxury tax and add Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Raptors are unlikely to make a major move ahead of Thursday’s deadline, Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter video link) and TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter video link) said during TV appearances. Toronto has been linked to several notable big men, but some (Anthony Davis and Jaren Jackson Jr.) have been traded to other teams, while Domantas Sabonis appears likely to remain in Sacramento.
Trade Rumors: Morant, Thomas, Gafford, Hawks, Raptors
While Sacramento has been one of the teams linked to Ja Morant, the Grizzlies guard and his camp don’t have interest in a trade to the Kings, according to Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Morant’s other rumored suitors – the Heat and Timberwolves – would rank much higher on his wish list.
The Kings essentially reciprocate Morant’s tepid interest, says Sam Amick of The Athletic. As Amick explains, Sacramento hasn’t ruled out the possibility of acquiring Morant, but would want Memphis to add draft capital as an incentive to take on his maximum-salary contract, which runs through 2027/28. The Grizzlies, on the other hand, are looking to acquire a draft pick or two in a Morant deal, even if it means taking on some unwanted salary.
The Kings also have potential fit and chemistry concerns about Morant, Amick adds, noting that a deal between the two teams appears unlikely.
While that could just leave Miami and Minnesota in the running for Morant, Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) says he’s been advised not to rule out the Bucks. All three of those teams may need resolution on the Giannis Antetokounmpo situation before they can realistically make a play for the Grizzlies guard.
We have more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Nets guard Cam Thomas wasn’t with the team for its flight to Orlando today and is listed as out for Thursday’s game due to personal reasons, tweets Fischer. Thomas holds a de facto no-trade clause after signing his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2025, but has long been considered a trade candidate and is drawing interest from the Cavaliers and Bucks, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
- The Hawks have maintained interest in Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, according to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter links), who reports that Dallas has been seeking a first-round pick for Gafford and Atlanta has only been willing to give up second-round capital. Stein’s report came in just before word broke that the Hawks had agreed to acquire Jock Landale from Utah — adding a minimum-salary big man on an expiring deal wouldn’t preclude a trade for Gafford, who is under contract for three more seasons after this one, but it may reduce Atlanta’s need for immediate help in its frontcourt.
- The Raptors were engaged in trade talks with the Mavericks about Anthony Davis before Dallas agreed to send him to Washington, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who says Toronto also spoke to the Grizzlies about Jaren Jackson Jr. prior to the trade that sent the big man to Utah. The Raptors, who are on the lookout for a frontcourt upgrade, have also discussed Domantas Sabonis but reportedly reached an impasse in their negotiations with Sacramento.
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.