Pass or Pursue on 3 centers the Toronto Raptors could trade for

2. Richaun Holmes, Sacramento Kings

In the 2021 offseason, Holmes re-signed with the Kings for what appeared to be a bargain deal of four years and around $48 million. He played above the rim on offense, was a solid rebounder and a decent enough defender with some versatility to guard in space. $12 million per year for a solid starting center made a lot of sense.

Holmes dealt with some off-court personal issues that not only cost him games, but also much of his impact when he did play. This season, he has been relegated to the fringes of Kings’ coach Mike Brown’s rotation, playing 8.8 minutes per game behind Domantas Sabonis and Chimezie Metu in the pecking order.

The Toronto Raptors may not get value from Richaun Holmes.

Holmes is widely available for teams to trade for, and the Raptors are no strangers to reclamation projects. The big issue is with Holmes’ salary, as he makes over $12 million each of the next two seasons. Is that a number the Raptors want to contend with, not knowing if Holmes can recapture his verve playing for another team?

The answer is probably not. There are less expensive and less risky center options available on the market, and the Raptors already have a lot of middling salaries tied up in their frontcourt. Unless the Kings are willing to take at least one of those back and send some small asset to the Raptors to dump Holmes, this one is unlikely to happen.

Verdict: Pass