The Toronto Raptors are on their way to having a very successful offseason. Just after ending the franchise’s three-year playoff drought, general manager Bobby Webster attempted to make a splash by upgrading two-time All-Star Brandon Ingram into seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard. While controversy persists throughout the investigation that has now reached 11 months, it is still widely expected that Leonard will be a member of the Raptors at some point before the season begins.

Even with Leonard, there are still areas where the Raptors could see improvement to help boost their championship odds. Specifically, the inconsistencies from starting point guard Immanuel Quickley have raised issues due to his $32.5 million annual contract. Similarly, starting center Jakob Poeltl saw a drastic dip in production last season after suffering a lower back strain that held him out for 24 straight games. If he can’t find his rhythm again next season, his four-year, $104 million extension could prove to be the worst contract in the NBA. 

Several different mock trades have been presented throughout the summer for stars like Stephen Curry, Jamal Murray, Domantas Sabonis, etc., but the most recent idea may prove to be detrimental to the franchise if it were to go through. 

Bleacher Report presented the idea of a mock trade landing nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving in Toronto. In return, the Raptors would send Quickley, third-year shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter, and a 2028 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks. One thing should be made clear. Irving is a phenomenal player who has the potential to drastically improve the Raptors’ chances of winning the NBA Finals. But there are so many restrictions that make this a bad enough trade that Webster wouldn’t even bother listening to. 

For starters, the 34-year-old point guard hasn’t played since March 3rd, 2025, after suffering a torn ACL. Sitting out for a year and a half is not a recipe for success in any sport, and with his increasing age, he would be a major risk to pair with Leonard, who has been plagued by injuries, and Poeltl, who is still recovering from one as well. This will absolutely take a hit on his trade value, but for the Raptors, it plummets. 

At the end of the day, he’s still one of the best guards in the league when healthy. While 34 isn’t the most favorable age for a starting point guard, recent success has been seen in several players like Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard, etc. Is Irving going to continue to blossom as a superstar? Likely not. But that doesn’t mean he can’t play at an All-Star or even All-NBA level for years to come. 

It’s important to mention that the 2016 NBA champion is only under contract for next season before having a player option for 2027-28. The Raptors aren’t new to one-year rentals, as they found that to be the key to success for the franchise’s only championship in 2019 with Leonard. 

Trading away a top-five protected first-round pick is very much doable in a Quickley-Irving swap. In order to stay under the first apron luxury tax threshold, the Raptors would have to include another player, and the most likely would be second-year guard Alijah Martin. The former Florida Gator spent most of his rookie year in the G-League, where he received All-NBA G-League, All-Defense, and All-Rookie honors. 

Dallas should be determined to get younger to better suit 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, and acquiring a 24-year-old prospect along with Quickley, who is seven years younger than Irving, should be a suitable package next to a first-round pick in the near future. If that feels like not enough for the Mavericks, Toronto should be willing to throw in a second-round pick to max out their offer.

Where this potential transaction gets really fun is after including Mavericks center Daniel Gafford into the mix. The 27-year-old big man was reportedly on the trade block earlier this summer, and he perfectly fits the style of center Toronto is searching for: an athletic lob threat and shot-blocker. If Toronto has the potential to not only get off of Quickley's and Poeltl’s contracts together, but also upgrade at both positions, Webster should be willing to do nearly whatever it takes. 

In doing so, the Raptors should be willing to give up a similar haul that they attempted to for Leonard in June. Toronto could offer Quickley, Poeltl, unprotected first-round picks in 2028 and 2030, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029. This would severely limit the Raptors’ future draft capital, as it would leave them with just three first-round picks (including a less favorable swap in 2027) and one second-round pick in the next seven years. The simple fact is it’s better to be restricted in draft capital than to have bad contracts because it’s far easier to get more draft picks, but no franchise wants a bad contract without more picks in return. 

Determining whether or not the Mavericks would accept this deal is tricky. On one hand, it seems impossible to reject two firsts, two seconds, along with getting younger overall. But on the other hand, Poeltl’s contract is steep, especially considering Dereck Lively II is going into the final year of his rookie contract. With a rising star expected to be given significant money to be the franchise’s center for the future, there won’t be much room for Poeltl’s $27+ million annually for the following three years. 

Would the Raptors truly be willing to give up that much for an aging star and a moderate upgrade at center? Probably not, unless they can guarantee an extension for Irving before completing the deal. Would the Mavericks commit to both Quickley’s and Poeltl’s contracts for draft capital? Again, probably not, unless they could find a third team to take on the Austrian big man’s contract beyond next season. However, both teams would see a massive leap in achieving their goals of winning championships in Toronto and preparing for Flagg’s prime in Dallas.