Despite finishing their 2024-25 campaign with an underwhelming 30-52 record and missing out on the postseason, the Toronto Raptors could have the pieces to compete much sooner than people think.
After trading for All-Star forward Brandon Ingram at February’s deadline, the Raptors have a solid core group of Ingram, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, and a top-ten pick in this year’s draft. While there have been plenty of rumors swirling about the Raptors targeting Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the franchise could go in a different direction.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported that the Raptors are looking to add a big-name player on the trade market this offseason.
“I don’t want to get too far afield from this, but since this has come up, the Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish,” Windhorst said. “…But Toronto, I think, is going to try—from their initial conversations, teams in the league are getting the impression that Toronto is going to try to do something.”
NBA analyst Jake Weinbach reported that the Raptors could be eyeing Sacramento Kings star center Domantas Sabonis this summer.
“The Raptors are one team to keep an eye on in a potential pursuit for Domantas Sabonis if the Kings decide to shift in a different direction,” Weinbach posted. “Toronto should explore all kinds of different avenues to upgrade the roster with playoff contention in mind next season.”
Sabonis, 29, averaged 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game this season with impressive 59.0/41.7/75.4 shooting splits, however, his time in Sacramento could be coming to an end sooner than expected.
In late March, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reported that Sabonis could request a trade ahead of next year’s deadline if the Kings are still not heading in the right direction, and a shaky offseason could certainly speed up that process.
The Raptors certainly have some pieces that could entice the Kings into sending their star center to Toronto, but a blockbuster Sabonis trade seems very unlikely to happen this offseason.
The Raptors are a piece or two away from competing, but the Eastern Conference is wide open, especially with a Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics team next season. If the Raptors want to pounce on their opportunity to compete, this offseason could be their time, and Sabonis could be a game-changer in the right system.
