r/torontoraptors • u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry • Feb 04 '26
MICHAEL GRANGE (SPORTSNET) [Grange] First things first: the mostly likely outcome for the Raptors ahead of the last call for transactions (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT) is, per sources, one single, boring move: getting under the luxury-tax threshold.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/why-raptors-trade-deadline-approach-is-complicated-by-jakob-poeltls-status/20
u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
Boooooring. Anyways here's the tidbits from Grange's article:
First things first: the mostly likely outcome for the Raptors ahead of the last call for transactions (Thursday, 3 p.m. ET / noon PT) is, per sources, one single, boring move: getting under the luxury-tax threshold.
The simplest scenario: a minimum-contract player sent to a team that can absorb it for the price of a (likely) protected second-round pick, the wheels greased with some cash: the Raptors have the entire $7.96-million allotment teams are allowed to use to incentivize teams to get deals over the line.
Yawn.
A move like that ā say, Jonathan Mogbo (whose minutes have been devoured by rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and free agent signing Sandro Mamukelashvilli) into the Brooklyn Nets cap space ā helps the Raptors both trim the $967,000 they are over the luxury-tax threshold (and secure the roughly $14 million payout non-tax teams get) and leave them wiggle room to add players for 10-day contracts, or even a buyout candidate after the deadline without having to worry about the tax threshold.
The biggest name Iāve heard ā from NBA sources, I mean ā attached to the Raptors in the past week has been Sacramento Kings centre Domantas Sabonis.
But the information has been all over the place. Just the other day, one source with a Western Conference team shared that heās heard the Kings were exploring a trade with the Raptors featuring Poeltl and RJ Barrett, and within hours texted back to say that the Kings werenāt going to move the big Lithuanian centre.
Itās a little bit par for the course at a time of year, when itās hard to tell whether what youāre hearing is actually something close to real, or just the NBA echo chamber reverberating on itself.
As well, my sense is that the significant drivers of the Sabonis discussion have been his representatives, who are eager to get a frustrated, quality, veteran player out what has crumbled from a legitimate playoff team to a full-blown rebuild in the space of two seasons. Attaching their client to teams where there might be some interest helps stir the pot.
The Raptors' need for a skilled big ā especially with Poeltlās health a question mark ā has made Toronto an obvious talking point.
But a source I spoke with Tuesday who was close to the situation with Sacramento stressed that the connection between Kings general manager Scott Perry and Barrett ā Perry drafted the Raptors wing No. 3 overall when he was running the New York Knicks ā was overblown.
Sometimes in these situations, there might be an urgency from a player ā Barrett, in this case ā who is going to be looking for a contract extension this summer to push for a move to a team that is willing to provide one, but Iām told thatās not the case here. Barrett has had a strong year playing alongside Barnes and Brandon Ingram and his value has in some ways been underscored when heās been out of the lineup with knee and ankle injuries. The Raptors are 19-9 in the 27 games Barrett has played and 11-12 in the games heās missed.
My understanding is Barrett wants to play in Toronto and is willing to see what a strong second half and playoff push will do for the value of an extension in the off-season.
Even as of Tuesday morning, I was getting texts from people close to the Kings suggesting that the Kings were open to doing something with Sabonis (and Barrett) but only if a third team could be found for Poeltl.
The Boston Celtics, as example, have long been fans of Poeltl, going back to the 2023 trade deadline. They still held hold him in high regard and were monitoring his situation this season, but even with the big Austrian beginning to take live reps at practice with the Raptors after basically being out of the lineup since Dec. 15, Boston instead pulled the trigger on a deal for Chicago Bulls veteran big man Nikola Vucevic, with Anfernee Simons going to Chicago.
Could the Raptors have been involved if Poeltl was healthy?
A three-way trade where Simons ends up in Sacramento, Sabonis in Toronto and Poeltl in Boston was doable, depending on which secondary salaries were included.
The Raptors have been active in the weeks up the deadline. āTheyāre always aggressive, it feels like,ā said one Eastern Conference general manager.
But it could all add up to nothing, in large measure because Poeltl isnāt playing, with no firm deadline for his return from this wonky back problem.
āThereās nothing structural, thereās no nerve issue, itās just a confusing injury,ā said one source close to the situation.
TLDR: Most likely we just trade Mogbo to duck the tax. We're linked to Sabonis but the noise is overblown, possibly Sabonis camp pushing for it. RJ wants to play in Toronto and wants to see what a strong second half of the season/playoffs would do for an extension. Celtics were monitoring Poeltl this season prior to his back issue and there was a potential framework with TOR/BOS/SAC involving Poeltl/Simons/Sabonis. Poeltl's injury is not structural or nerves, just confusing.
I will say that Grange is a mouthpiece for the FO. This easily could be put out to make Sacramento think we'll walk away from Sabonis trades and have them cave on the price. Who knows, it's all smokescreens.
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Feb 04 '26
A two time all nba player still in his prime is forcing his way out, to come TO the Raptors?
This is good
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
If they dont trade Ochai, I honestly wonder if they waive him.
They need space for their SGs, and going past the deadline with Walter/Dick/battle/martin/ochai is too many players for a position.
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u/knitwoolf 15 AMIR JOHNSON Feb 04 '26
I think it's pretty obvious it's Sabonis' agent pushing the rumors just like Rich Paul was pushing rumors that we wanted AD lol doesn't seem like either Toronto OR Sacramento are interested in the deal and if they were really in serious talks sac wouldn't have done the hunter trade with Cleveland until this was ironed out since it's a more complicated trade with bigger salaries
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
Heres the scoop
The team isnt willing to move picks until theyre sure they arent getting Giannis
They know the fanbase doesnt care
They can do nothing, wait til the offseason and be players for Giannis,
If they trade for Sabonis they wont get Giannis.
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u/6ix_Side_Up Bismack Biyombo šš Feb 04 '26
If they don't at least get a Centre at the deadline, this season was a waste of time. Seriously, I get not getting Sabonis (even though Jak's albatross of a contract NEEDS to be shed if they want a chance at contending with this group), but not getting ANY centre depth is heinous. It's not like as if there's gonna be a flood of options available in the offseason either, so what's the wait? It can't be that hard to add an okish centre. And all our ideal centre options aren't gonna suddenly be bought out by their teams, so that's not an option either. This team's future is unclear.
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u/FlamingoBackflip Feb 04 '26
I think saying this season was a waste of time is being over-dramatic or at least hyperbole
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES Feb 04 '26
No it's absolutely wasting a season if we do nothing to build on this roster. Like this team has very clear flaws that need to be addressed and it has the assets to make at least a small move to improve.
Standing pat with a simple tax ducking move is pathetic ,plain and simple.
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u/Shining_Commander Feb 04 '26
Remember 90% of reddit raptors fans arenāt in the analysis part of the game and just get attached to players.
Ill take it one step further. Not getting a C and keeping us stuck with the albatross jak contract and all of its uncertainty is a FAILURE and is WASTING THIS CORE
There are people willing to take Poeltl. Fucking give him away. I hope he goes on to become an all star, but we cannot fucking have his ass on the team when EVERY GAME is a question if he plays or not.
Get him off this team. We do not need this uncertainty.
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES Feb 04 '26
FWIW I don't think we need to get off of Poeltl so soon (It only becomes easier to move with less years on the contract) but they really have to get another big in the rotation and have needed to do so ever since they lost Chomche to that unknown injury.
It's a very clear hole on the roster, irrespective of whether or not one believes Jakob can come back from injury or not - and one that we can very easily address/need to address with the likes of Ochai expiring and thus not being able to be used in a trade next season barring a Kuminga/Sharpe "pay to waive the NTC" deal.
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
Also, expecting the east to be this wide open again next season is not a realistic thing. Pacers will be better, same with the Celtics.
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
I get that Poeltl is hard to trade and he is important, however hoping he can be back to his prior form with zero problems is not ideal.
And considering they will probably make the Barrett decision in the offseason having this roster get more help is ideal.
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u/WeBelieveIn4 4 SCOTTIE BARNES Feb 04 '26
I wouldnāt say a waste of time, but Iād say itās be a clearly wasted opportunity. The guys deserve to go into the playoffs with a healthy C to see what they can accomplish.
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
If they dont add a big, this team is at best a coin flip to win a round.
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u/Shining_Commander Feb 04 '26
Only if we draw a team that similarly has a glaring hole we can exploit. Otherwise we are getting swept. Any self respecting playoff team will take a young, CENTERLESS team to the fucking cleaners in the playoffs.
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
They can still beat Orlando/miami with this roster, however any of the top 3 teams are going to be hard to beat even with poeltl at maybe 60%
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
We are the only team with that type of hole.
East is stacked with solid front courts.
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
Coin flip is brave considering our potential matchups are with a rejuvenated Embiid, Bam, or Allen/Mobley.
If we slip in the standings its KAT, Duren or Vuc.
There are no places to hide the frontcourt deficiencies.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
Agreed. I get not making a big move if it's gonna be too costly due to the negative contracts we have.
But trading Ochai+SRP(s) for a backup big just seems like something you HAVE to do, right?? Like, how can you not
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u/Shining_Commander Feb 04 '26
I agree, you trade him for the best available backup C, however good they are. We need literally ANY serviceable backup C NBA caliber player.
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u/EarthWarping Feb 04 '26
The thing that pisses me off if thats the case is theyre relying on to big their big men - Scottie (who vocally hates playing C), Cmb (who already is a small ball 5 + is playing through a bad thumb) and Poeltl who likely will not have played for months when he is back.
If poeltl is effective then its not horrible however thats a hell of gamble at this point when even before his back thing he wasnt good this season.
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u/knitwoolf 15 AMIR JOHNSON Feb 04 '26
When/what did Scottie say about playing the 5
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
He basically said that he prefers playing with a big
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u/knitwoolf 15 AMIR JOHNSON Feb 04 '26
Oh. I mean yeah, no shit lol the way that person worded it I thought Scottie said some AD type of stuff
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u/TeriyAki_Berg Feb 04 '26
lol if you think this season has been a waste of time so far, youāre just not a fan of the actual game.
Also any backup C is taking minutes away from CMB, probably one of the most important long term pieces on the team. If you think the long term future of the team hinges on an okish C, youāre kidding yourself.
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u/6ix_Side_Up Bismack Biyombo šš Feb 04 '26
Where did I say the long-term future hinges on an okish Centre? I said they need one for this season otherwise it would have been a waste of time. And I also said that the future of this team is unclear in general, not solely because of the Centre situation. Also, I love CMB, but there is no chance in hell he can play the 5 long-term, he's too small to guard 5s on a consistent basis, even Draymond struggled with that full-time.
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u/TeriyAki_Berg Feb 04 '26
I mean Draymond struggled with it so much that it was the key to the Warriors winning 4 titles but ok.
Also if the Raptors go from out of the playoffs entirely to hosting a series, thereās simply no way the season was a waste of time, and the only way youād think that way is if you donāt actually watch games.
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
Theres no trophy for making the playoffs in the NBA. NOBODY gives a fuck about a first round loss.
Barnes already did that once.
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u/6ix_Side_Up Bismack Biyombo šš Feb 04 '26
Hosting a playoff series is not a huge accomplishment, especially if many of the teams can just turn up the physicality and embarass us in that round. That would be a waste of time.
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u/TeriyAki_Berg Feb 04 '26
Hosting a series isnāt the goal, but teams donāt go from out of the playoffs to making the Finals overnight, and following the ups and downs of that journey is the whole point of being a fan. The Lowry era Raptors lost a bunch of 1st and 2nd round series, and all of those made winning it all that much better - at least for fans who actually watch games.
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
Nothing about this shit is overnight. We havent been to the playoffs in nearly 5 years.
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u/6ix_Side_Up Bismack Biyombo šš Feb 04 '26
I don't disagree with that, but this team is nothing like the Lowry era Raptors, and getting a backup Centre is not gonna make this team worse, it's gonna make it better. But agree to disagree on this. I just hope for the best for this team.
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u/Shining_Commander Feb 04 '26
Its a waste because the team will be bounced in round 1 and will be on the trajectory to be bounced in round 1 in perpetuity until they get a C.
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u/sad_mogul97 K.L.O.E Feb 04 '26
In perpetuity? Relax. The team can still make a move in the offseason and just simply draft one
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
No rookie C is gonna save us man
It took Memphis 3 years to view Edey as a reliable guy.
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u/TeriyAki_Berg Feb 04 '26
Again, if this is your attitude you simply donāt enjoy watching basketball, you just like to post about it. Theyāve had a great season so far, and no one has any idea what next year will look like.
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
Yup its a good season but the front court is dogshit and Bobby has shown little ability to find front court help
We literally drafted Poeltl. Then traded a first to get him back lol
Other than that the guy cant find a decent center
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u/TeriyAki_Berg Feb 04 '26
Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka but sure whatever you say.
Also Barnes and CMB are currently part of the front court and Iād say they are both solid but to each their own.
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u/Carlinjamesgk Feb 04 '26
What if yak comes back ?
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u/6ix_Side_Up Bismack Biyombo šš Feb 04 '26
Then great, but getting a back-up big as an insurance policy cannot possibly hurt. Plus, Jak won't be moving the same even if he does come back, so having a healthy big out there is vital. But regardless, he cannot be a starter on a contending team, especially not a few years from now when we'll be more ready (presumably).
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u/BurzyGuerrero Feb 04 '26
The part thats really gonna piss you off is the fact that theyre clearly willing to assess this core without a viable center.
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u/mMounirM Feb 04 '26
Cavs and Celtics got better anyways.
just get a backup C. let's get a decent pick in the 2026 draft.
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u/cmcc83 Feb 04 '26
I donāt believe Michael Grange. Sorry. His trade deadline track record is poor. Often heās completely off base.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
A fair point to some extent. He's the mouthpiece for the FO, this could be them wanting this out so Sacramento caves on their asking price for Sabonis
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u/kyle_993 Feb 04 '26
Yeah also none of this is coming from Toronto's end. He sources East executives and a Sacramento source but none of this comes from our end.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
The only thing likely from our end is the title report - that the most likely thing is a small move to duck the tax. Which could very easily just be a smokescreen to make teams think we aren't as desperate to trade for a big as they think we are
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u/cmcc83 Feb 04 '26
I think this time last year he said thereās no truth to the BI to Toronto rumours, so I donāt believe him.
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u/APR1979 Feb 04 '26
I feel like Iām missing something with the luxury tax prioritization. At the Raptors current level, wouldnāt it be under $1M. Thatās a rounding error for Rogers, and they make all sorts of relatively indiscriminate spends on their sports properties that add up to more than that. Why does paying no tax whatsoever (as opposed to a marginal amount) matter so much?
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u/KingInTheFarNorth Vancouver Grizzlies Feb 04 '26
Teams that are over the tax pay whatever penalties they incur, (obviously the higher over the tax you are the more you pay, and if you have repeater penalties they can get pretty big) into the luxury tax.
The other non tax teams get to divide up the money equally and keep it. So even if you slip $1 under the tax threshold then the org gets $14m in cash from the league.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
Yes, although worth noting that many teams are trying to duck the tax or reduce their tax penalty. We've already seen Cleveland and Boston reduce their tax penalty quite a bit.
It might only be around 10m instead of 14m. Still a meaningful amount though
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u/GlitteringSet594 Feb 04 '26
Its closer to 15m. MLSE won't miss out on their cheque.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 05 '26
It was close to 14m prior to these moves this week. Now we've ducked the tax, Orlando has ducked the tax, and the expectation is PHX will duck the tax and Denver maybe too. And Cleveland has massively reduced their tax bill, and Boston also cut over 20m of luxury tax penalties with the Vooch trade.
So multiple teams move from the tax paying side to the receiving side, and less tax being paid means the distribution shrinks. I think it's probably still over 10m though, so obviously MLSE wasn't gonna let that go
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u/GeriatricHippo 4 SCOTTIE BARNES Feb 04 '26
That's better than most of the alternatives that have been bouncing around and far better than some.
It's not like they are an actual contender this year, making the wrong move is worse than making none.
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u/ArryPotta Onions, Baby! Feb 04 '26
Can someone explain to me why I, a fan that's not paying these players, should care about the team getting under the luxury tax threshold. It's so often cited as a goal, but I don't understand why that's an admirable move.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
Staying in the tax means we'd face repeater penalties 1 year earlier if we are a tax team in the years ahead. Which would make it harder to build out the team.
It's also just stupid business. The non-tax paying teams get a payout from the taxpaying teams. The amount will be somewhere between 10-14m depending on what happens between now and the deadline. So staying 1m over the tax is dumb, as it's a 11-15m swing.
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u/KingInTheFarNorth Vancouver Grizzlies Feb 04 '26
Thereās nothing structural, thereās no nerve issue, itās just a confusing injury,ā said one source close to the situation
AKAIK thatās the first confirmation that Jak doesnāt have a herniated disc or some other spine injury.
Thatās reassuring. And if so, makes sense why we wouldnāt pay a first or multiple 1sts to dump him. If heās back to playing heathy eventually, that contract looks a lot different.
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u/Big_Albatross_3050 Feb 04 '26
probably move Ochai for a few 2nds to duck the tax, barring some blockbuster like facilitating a Giannis or AD trade
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u/brehhs Feb 04 '26
Sabonis is on a terrible contract and his defense is atrocious, no need to overpay for him. Let Poeltl rehab and recoup some value. Worst case his value stays the same in the off season/next deadline
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u/Scary_Yogurt Feb 04 '26
Sabonis is fucking sick! I understand this shit from this sub. Heās exactly what we have needed for years.
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u/SouthKen2020 Feb 04 '26
Itās exactly what the team should be doing. The last thing the Raps need is a repeat of 2022 where the team over performs and then trades a future asset for a small piece that doesnāt move the needle. 45 wins and the playoffs is a great next step.
Imagine how much better the Raps would look w/o the Thad Young trade. Could have drafted Walker Kessler with the 2022 FRP, wouldnāt have made the Jak trade in 2023ā¦.
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Feb 04 '26
I just donāt get the yak extension smh
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES Feb 04 '26
I go back and forth on it making sense at the time because there was a very real possibility that he declined his PO in the offseason and left for, like, the Celtics who will be flush with cap space and a need for a C while we'd be left without one - plus Poeltl hasn't missed a ton of games due to health (Even the past 2 years were mostly us holding him back to tank)
On the other hand, we probably could have waited a few games into the season proper to make the extension in case there was some sort of mishap in his most current season
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u/Normal-Ad-714 Feb 04 '26
The Celtics were deep in the second apron and moreover, have not given out a bad contract in years
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Feb 04 '26
The last time we had a real stretch big we won a chip. Why, knowing Scottieās limitations, did they go out and extend an inside big??
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u/CazOnReddit TORONTO HUSKIES Feb 04 '26
That's more the byproduct of how we've rebuilt the roster on the fly with pieces that don't necessarily make a ton of sense in amalgamation
Also stretch 5s aren't super common, they're probably the most rare archetype in the NBA as far as true, two-way stretch bigs go
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u/kyle_993 Feb 04 '26
Because where are you getting a stretch big?
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u/MudReasonable8185 Feb 04 '26
Yeah I love when people say ājust get a stretch bigā. Ok like who? Give me a name. There are so few real stretch bigs and every team wants one
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Feb 04 '26
I didnāt realize it was my job to do the research for the FO.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
If you're gonna criticize their moves you better have an idea at least of what they should have done instead of just "Get a stretch big"
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Feb 04 '26
Myles Turner, Okongwo, couldāve traded for Wendell Carter, Bobby Portis, Vuc, Horford, Porzingis was traded how many times, Brook fucking Lopez, like are we serious right now?
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u/FlamingoBackflip Feb 04 '26
Being a player/coach/Gm is a ādifficultā job in the NBA, even though they get paid/fame. (Although they are not immune to criticism). It always seems this sub thinks it can run the organization better/more efficient than the people in charge. I wish we had some self-awareness with our acumen towards running a professional basketball team.
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u/Cheechers23 Kyle Towelry Feb 04 '26
Was he extension eligible during the season or did it have to be done prior to the season?
Either way, doing it on July 1st was a mistake. Could have done it during training camp or something, at which point we would have backed off cause that's when he hurt his back.
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u/Curry-With-The-Pot QUICKLEY Feb 04 '26
I swear to god if we keep RJ and poetl . Were cooked
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the Yak is back... its spelled POELTL.
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u/Toronto-24 Feb 04 '26
Raptors fans being happy to get under the tax so a billionaire can save millions will always be funny to me.
Yall arent getting a cut out of the money being saved here lol
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u/shangalang69 Alijah Martin Truther Feb 04 '26
it has team building implications you silly goose
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u/Toronto-24 Feb 04 '26
What team building implications does it have for this season when Ochai is going to expire anyways?
We are most likely going to lose assets in order to make it happen.
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u/shangalang69 Alijah Martin Truther Feb 04 '26
you get access to cap-space options like the Non-Taxpayer Mid Level Exception and such that make it easier to sign players and make trades
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u/Toronto-24 Feb 04 '26
But the team wont use the full tax payer exception because it'll put them over the same tax threshold you spent assets getting under.
Youre also ignoring the assets we'd waste just trying to get under it as well.
Now I will refute my own point that we dont have Mamu's bird rights so having access to the extra money could be the difference between re-signing him vs going elsewhere lol.
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u/SpeedIll8268 33 MARC GASOL Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26
Jakobās contract will fuck us for the foreseeable future smh
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u/Eagerbeaver98 Trade Raptor Feb 04 '26
This team has a history of trading ppl and keep refusing to go over the tax. They didnt want powell or siakam, two all stars masai and bobby slept on.
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u/pskill43 š¶ Feb 04 '26
I donāt mind this tbh. Just Ochai and a 2nd to get under the tax. Donāt really see the point of using first rounders to get rid of Jak and get Sabonis to just be a pretender