The Toronto Raptors have been one of the league’s surprises, starting the season with a 29-20 record, currently the fourth-best mark in the East.
With the Raptors playing so well, their timeline may have moved up, and they are looking for help in the interior, with Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis as their main target.
Why Do the Toronto Raptors Face a Major Hurdle in Their Pursuit of Domantas Sabonis?
The issue with dealing for Sabonis is his contract – Sabonis signed a four-year, $186,016,000 deal prior to the 2024-2025 season. He’s making $42,336,000 this season, $45,472,000 next, and $48,608,000 during the 2027-2028 season before becoming a free agent at 32 years old in 2028.
It’s not that teams aren’t willing to pay Sabonis – it’s about matching salary to complete a deal.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Kings are reluctant to take back big man Jakob Poeltl.
“Sacramento has been resistant to Jakob Poeltl due to ongoing back issues and Immanuel Quickley due to his long-term contract in trade talks for Sabonis, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto wrote.
However, that doesn’t mean a deal can’t get done.
“Regarding Toronto’s interest in Sabonis, Raptors swingmen RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji have been discussed in those trade talks,” says Scotto. “Kings general manager Scott Perry drafted Barrett when the two were with the Knicks.
Agbaji, meanwhile, has been a trade candidate, as previously reported by HoopsHype in December, with the Raptors having explored using him to duck below the luxury tax in previous trade talks for Suns center Nick Richards.”
The Wizards, Suns, and Bulls have also been linked to Sabonis.
Sabonis has fought through injuries this year and has appeared in just 17 games. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He’s shooting 53.9% from the field, 19.2% from three, and 72.5% from the charity stripe, all below his career averages. Of course, with his injuries and small sample size, those issues can likely be explained away.
Kings’ veteran DeMar DeRozan has been the subject of trade talks as well, and although we haven’t heard much about a potential Zach LaVine deal, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see LaVine dealt either.
“Sacramento has discussed packages of DeRozan and 3-and-D guard Keon Ellis with some teams around the league,” Scotto explained. “It’s worth noting that although Ellis is slated for unrestricted free agency, he’s also eligible for a contract extension after the trade deadline.”
It seems inevitable that both the Kings and Raptors will make some sort of move, if not several. Whether or not they deal with each other remains to be seen. The trade deadline is now just a week away, and we should hear talks ramp up more than ever.
The Raptors will next be in action on Friday night when they travel to Orlando to take on the Magic. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN.
