Toronto Raptors v Sacramento Kings Domantas Sabonis
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Toronto’s Sabonis trade push collapses at the deadline as the center market dries up fast.
The Toronto Raptors didn’t just explore the Domantas Sabonis market, they took a real swing at it. Now, with talks stalled and the trade deadline closing in, Toronto appears headed toward a quiet finish after failing to land the franchise-altering center it prioritized.
According to multiple league insiders, discussions between Toronto and the Sacramento Kings regarding Domantas Sabonis have effectively gone cold, leaving the Raptors without a clear pivot as the center market evaporates.
“All signs point to Sacramento big man Domantas Sabonis remaining in Sacramento past tomorrow’s deadline,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported. “Per team sources, the Kings view the prospect of sending him to the Toronto Raptors as flat-lined, so to speak.”
That development is significant for Toronto. Sabonis wasn’t a speculative name, he was the most realistic path to solving the Raptors’ long-standing need for a high-level offensive hub at center.
Why Toronto Pushed and Why It Stopped
Toronto’s interest in Sabonis was driven by both fit and timing. With Jakob Poeltl sidelined for much of the season due to a lingering back injury, the Raptors have lacked stability at the five. Sabonis offered elite rebounding, playmaking, and interior scoring, all areas Toronto has struggled to sustain consistently.
The framework was straightforward. Sacramento had interest in RJ Barrett, who earns $27.7 million this season and $29.6 million next year. Sabonis, meanwhile, is owed $42.3 million this season, $45.4 million next year, and $48.6 million in 2027-28. But the deal hinged on a critical obstacle: Poeltl.
Any Sabonis acquisition required Toronto to reroute Poeltl to a third team and attach draft assets to make that possible. The Raptors were unwilling to do so.
“He’s a really hard guy to trade right now,” one league source told Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. “He’s hurt and he’s locked in for five years.”
The Center Market Disappears
Once the Sabonis talks stalled, Toronto’s options narrowed rapidly. Anthony Davis, a player the Raptors had previously monitored, was traded to the Washington Wizards. Nikola Vucevic landed in Boston. Other potential upgrades either came with long-term financial risk or required draft capital Toronto wasn’t prepared to sacrifice.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported that Toronto’s internal concern centered on how much it would cost simply to move off Poeltl’s contract, let alone acquire a higher-priced center on top of that.
“There’s nothing structural,” one source said of Poeltl’s back injury, per Grange. “There’s no nerve issue, it’s just a confusing injury.”
That uncertainty has frozen Toronto’s flexibility.
A Strategic Pause, Not a Retreat
From the Raptors’ perspective, this wasn’t about fear, it was about leverage. Toronto holds seven tradable first-round picks and has shown no appetite for spending them just to clean up its own books.
As Grange noted, the Sabonis rumors “could all add up to nothing,” and Toronto may ultimately be better served letting Poeltl get healthy and rebuilding his value, either as a trade chip or as a stabilizing piece moving forward.
Sam Amick suggested earlier this week that Sabonis talks could resume in the offseason, when cap mechanics and draft positioning are clearer.
For now, the Raptors’ deadline ambition has run into reality. They aimed high. The price never came down. And with the center market gone, Toronto is left waiting, not empty-handed, but unresolved.