After parting ways with OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam in the 2023-24 season, then swinging a high-risk, high-reward deal for Brandon Ingram at last year's trade deadline, the Toronto Raptors look like a key player in this season's trade market once again.
Heading into Friday, the Raptors sit fourth in the East with a 27-19 record, and while the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics — in first and second, respectively — look strong, question marks still surround the teams ahead of Toronto in the standings, and the East, if you squint enough, looks open.
The Raptors might not be the cream of the crop in the NBA, but a weak year in the association's weaker conference could make a chance at contention worth shooting for.
They enter these final couple weeks before the Feb. 5 deadline as one of the league's preeminent buyers, with obvious holes to fill but enough of a combination of draft capital, young players and salary filler to swing a deal to fill them up.
They've been one of the teams most frequently brought up in star trades this season, with reports that they had put their name in the hat for Trae Young before he was dealt to Washington and their consistent presence in rumours for guys like Ja Morant and Anthony Davis, should deals get done.
However, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Raptors have veered away from both Morant and Davis. Instead, their focus now looks to be on Sacramento Kings centre Domantas Sabonis as they search to solve their woes down the middle.
While Fischer didn't indicate that a move is progressing, and the Kings have yet to really float the idea of Sabonis being on the block, he did mention that the Raptors are "intrigued by the prospect of pursuing" the Kings big man and that the centre position looks to be the spot on the floor that might see the most amount of movement across the league.
On Wednesday, the Raptors were in the Californian capital to take on the Kings, and while they didn't get an up-close look at Sabonis — who only just returned from a partial meniscus tear — the timing of the rumours is something to keep an eye on.
Sabonis, 29, is a three-time all-star and two-time all-NBA selection. While his numbers have taken a hit this season as he gets back up to speed from the injury, he's still averaging 15.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
He has also led the league in rebounding the past three seasons, which would go a long way to helping the Raptors' 22nd-ranked unit on the boards this year in the absence of centre Jakob Poeltl.
The Lithuanian big man does come with a steep price tag, however, as he'll be on the books through the 2027-28 season with a cap hit of $42.3 million this year. That means a piece like RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Poeltl, or a combination of those pieces would have to head back to Sacramento as part of the return.
While Sabonis isn't known for his rim-protection or defensive chops, the Raptors have gotten by as the NBA's fifth-ranked defence without the help of everyday big man Poeltl. However, they're also ranked as the 19th-best offence, and bringing in a high-post offensive hub like Sabonis might be the step they need to take to enter the contender conversation.
Warriors repositioning after Butler injury
When the Golden State Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler last year, it signalled an attempt at contention once more for the dynastic team. But it also gave them a clear expiration date.
With the 36-year-old Butler in tow, the Warriors were set to field a roster whose top three players were well past their primes, with Steph Curry in his age-37 and Draymond Green in his age-35 season.
And while it was working for some time, helping them to the eighth seed in the crowded West, a torn ACL for Butler may have derailed any hope for this core.
General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said Tuesday that the injury "will in some way" affect the decisions his team makes leading up to the trade deadline, but said he expects Butler to give the Warriors "a boost next year the same way he did last year when he arrived," signalling a desire to hold onto Butler through the deadline.
However, in speaking to sources around the league, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said that many have said, "They might have to trade him. They might have to this summer or before the deadline."
Part of the reason why they may have to part ways with Butler is their lofty expectations for this summer. According to Fischer, the Warriors plan to be in the mix for Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo should he be made available at the deadline or in the off-season. Additionally, Fischer said that they've explored "the prospect of teaming (LeBron) James with Stephen Curry at last once LeBron becomes an unrestricted free agent on June 30."
On a more micro level, the Warriors will likely turn to Jonathan Kuminga to fill Butler's scoring void, but it's still possible they opt to deal the forward in the coming weeks after he requested a trade earlier this season and has "no desire to remain a member" of the Warriors, per NBA insider Chris Haynes. However, Dunleavy told reporters that the market hasn't exactly been blossoming with interest for the 23-year-old forward.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Kings have shown some interest in the forward, and ESPN's Shams Charania reported earlier in the week that the Dallas Mavericks have some interest, but according to Haynes, the Warriors may just not like what's out there as of now.
Anthony Davis's stagnating market
Though the Warriors, Hawks and Raptors had been floated as potential trade destinations for Davis, recent reports have suggested that teams have been withdrawning their interest in the oft-injured big man.
According to Fischer, it's been a "struggle, frankly, to find any active trade scenarios involving Davis at the minute," as he's set to be sidelined for at least the next six weekswith a hand injury.
However, that hasn't stopped agent Rich Paul from pushing for a trade.
On ESPN's SportsCenter, Tim MacMahon said that Paul has "made it clear he wants his client to be traded. He believes that's in his best interest." But he also noted that, while the Mavericks are being aggressive in exploring the market, they're not acting with a sense of urgency and don't feel as though they necessarily have to trade Davis by the deadline or in the summer.
Fastbreaks
• The New Orleans Pelicans have made it clear that Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Zion Williamson won't be going anywhere come the deadline, but Jordan Poole, Jose Alvarado and former first-round centre Yves Missi appear to be on the trade block, according to Fischer. A deal in the works at the moment could send Missi to the Pacers in exchange for Canadian wing Bennedict Mathurin, as the Cameroonian big man has been unhappy with his minutes load behind 2025 first-rounder Derik Queen.
• With the Chicago Bulls holding down a Play-In spot as the East's ninth seed, it appears unlikely that centre Nikola Vucevic is shipped out at the deadline despite his impending unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, per Fischer.
• Could the Knicks put an end to the Karl-Anthony Towns experiment early? James Edwards III of The Athletic said that he wouldn't bet on it, but that he wouldn't be stunned if the big man were to be traded after talking to people around the league.
