The Raptors made two trades that checked the two boxes they had, but fans were left wanting more.
Thursday at 3:00 PM EST was the official NBA trade deadline, and the Toronto Raptors were one of 27 teams to complete a trade before time ran out. Toronto went into the deadline with endless opportunities, it seemed; however, only the trades that were absolutely necessary were the ones that came through.
The first trade for the Raptors was letting go of Ochai Agbaji and acquiring 12-time All-Star Chris Paul. While this may seem intriguing on the surface, the whole purpose of this trade was to get the Raptors under the first apron luxury tax line. As a result, Paul was told not to report to Toronto and will inevitably be waived.
Former Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) | © Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Up next was to address the frontcourt depth, which has been significantly lacking with starting center Jakob Poeltl out with a lower back strain. The Austrian big man has missed the last 23 games in a row and 25 of the last 26, although it’s been reported that he is progressing well in his recovery (via Michael Grange). In the meantime, Toronto acquired forward/center Trayce Jackson-Davis from the Golden State Warriors for a 2026 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers.
After constant reports of the Raptors targeting superstars like Domantas Sabonis and Anthony Davis, general manager Bobby Webster chose to see the year out with the current core and focus on progression. With these intentions, he left a clear message to anxious Raptors fans when speaking to the media.
“Be patient,” said Webster. “We don’t need to be in a hurry. I think people forget. Maybe think back to what your expectations were coming into the year … I think there’s a great energy and there’s a great vibe and so you don’t necessarily wanna mess with that as well … I think probably some of those tougher decisions will come this summer.”
This is encouraging to hear from the lead decision maker for the franchise. He didn’t make empty promises about securing better talent, and he emphasized the gradual progression rather than trying to go from missing the playoffs three years in a row to contending for a championship.
Ultimately, not making any moves for higher-quality talent around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram puts more pressure on the remaining three starters. It’s no secret that Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Poeltl were the main targets to be traded before the deadline. Being that Webster publicly put his trust in these three specifically, they will need to live up to the massive contracts they are all receiving if they want to remain on the roster heading into training camp next season.