Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
Getty
Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have traded center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a 2026 second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The pick Golden State will receive originally belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers. The move came minutes after the Warriors completed a blockbuster trade sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for center Kristaps Porzingis.
Jackson-Davis, 25, played rotation minutes over his first two seasons with Golden State but saw his role shrink significantly this season. He appeared in 36 games, averaging 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per night.
The Warriors drafted Jackson-Davis with the No. 57 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. In two-plus seasons with the franchise, he averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game on 63.5 percent shooting from the field in 15.1 minutes per game.
Shams Charania
The Golden State Warriors have traded center Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Toronto Raptors for a 2026 second-round pick via the Lakers, sources tell ESPN.
Jackson-Davis’ Time With the Warriors
Lakers' Anthony Davis sustains eye injury
GettyTrayce Jackson-Davis #32 of the Golden State Warriors.
Jackson-Davis’ best season came during his rookie year when he shot 70.2 percent from the field in 68 games with 16 starts. He played 62 games last season with 37 starts but then fell out of coach Steve Kerr‘s rotation for the majority of this season.
The once-promising big man was selected to the 2025 Castrol Rising Stars Game. But his development stalled this year as the Warriors prioritized veteran options in their frontcourt rotation.
Jackson-Davis is earning $2.2 million this season with a $2.4 million team option for 2026-27. Trading him now allows Golden State to create roster flexibility while avoiding a difficult decision on that team option this summer.
What Toronto Gets
Toronto adds frontcourt depth using the roster space created by its earlier trade involving Ochai Agbaji. Jackson-Davis will provide the Raptors with center depth behind Sandro Mamukelashvili while Jakob Poeltl returns from a back injury.
The Raptors explored several other big-man options including Yves Missi, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Goga Bitadze, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. But each would have required a first-round pick. Landing Jackson-Davis for a second-rounder represents a cost-effective solution to their frontcourt needs.
Toronto also stays out of the luxury tax by acquiring Jackson-Davis’ affordable contract rather than pursuing more expensive options. The Raptors are rebuilding and prioritizing financial flexibility while adding young talent.
Warriors’ Center Situation
Kristaps Porzingis
GettyThe Golden State Warriors have traded for center Kristaps Porzingis, sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks.
The trade leaves Golden State with Porzingis, Al Horford, and Quinten Post as the team’s three centers.
Porzingis arrives from Atlanta in exchange for Kuminga and Hield. The 7-foot-3 Latvian provides the floor-spacing big man the Warriors have sought to pair with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Horford, 39, was acquired earlier this season and has provided veteran leadership and playoff experience. Post, a two-way player, offers developmental upside at the center position.
Trading Jackson-Davis creates additional roster flexibility for Golden State. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the move positions the Warriors to eventually convert two-way guard Pat Spencer to a standard contract.
Shams Charania
BREAKING: The Golden State Warriors are trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porzingis, sources tell ESPN.
The End of the Giannis Pursuit
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
GettyThe Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves are emerging as favorite to land Giannis Antetokounmpo head of the NBA trade deadline.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported that the Warriors will hold onto Green and pair him with Porzingis in the frontcourt. Green had been the subject of trade talks ahead of the deadline, notably in a potential trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But Golden State’s acquisition of Porzingis reportedly ends the team’s much-publicized pursuit of Antetokounmpo. The Warriors chose to add a floor-spacing center rather than gut their roster for an aging superstar with injury concerns.
Green is now staying with the only team he’s ever played for in the NBA. His emotional press conference Tuesday night addressed the possibility of being traded, but Wednesday’s moves ensured he’ll remain a Warrior at least through this season.
Final Word
Jackson-Davis never developed into the rotation piece the Warriors hoped he would become when they drafted him in 2023. His rookie season showed promise with elite efficiency around the rim. But he couldn’t expand his game or earn consistent minutes in Kerr’s rotation this season.
Toronto gets a young center with upside for just a second-round pick. Jackson-Davis will have an opportunity to rebuild his value with the Raptors while Golden State moves forward with a veteran-heavy frontcourt.
The Warriors parted with multiple young players before the deadline between Kuminga and Jackson-Davis. Golden State had been aggressively pursuing Antetokounmpo but pivoted to acquiring Porzingis when a deal for the Bucks star didn’t materialize. The move also solved the Kuminga situation, as the forward had requested a trade earlier this month.
For Jackson-Davis, a fresh start in Toronto provides a chance to prove he belongs in an NBA rotation. For the Warriors, the trade completes a busy day before the deadline that reshaped their roster without landing the superstar everyone expected.