Every February, one of the wildest days on the NBA calendar arrives: the trade deadline.
The weeks leading up to it are always filled with rumors, speculation, and the annual dream that your team might land the next disgruntled star. This season is no different — several big names have already swirled around the rumor mill. In the last three years, Toronto has made major deadline swings of its own, adding Jakob Poeltl in 2023 and Brandon Ingram in 2025.
The Raptors have Ammo
This year, the Raptors find themselves in a uniquely strong position on the trade market. Under the league's new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) rules — particularly the restrictions around the second apron — it has become harder for teams to trade players on either very small or very large contracts. That being said, mid-sized contracts have become the most valuable trade currency.
And Toronto has plenty…
Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl, and RJ Barrett all sit in that sweet spot between “large enough to match salary for a star” and “flexible enough to move without triggering major restrictions.”
Draft picks have also skyrocketed in value under the new rules. Toronto is one of the rare Eastern Conference playoff hopefuls that still controls all of its future first-round picks. Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Miami, Milwaukee, New York, Orlando, and Philadelphia all have multiple firsts tied up in outgoing trades.
That leaves only Toronto and Detroit among likely East playoff teams with a full slate of tradable first-rounders.
Put together, these factors give the Raptors the ammunition to go big-game hunting at this year’s deadline. But that brings us to the real question: Is now actually the right time for Toronto to push its chips into the middle?
Is the Raptors' depth ready for a deep playoff run?
If Toronto decided to swing big for a star at this year’s deadline, that deal would likely need to include two of Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and Barrett to match salary — plus a potential addition of one of the younger bench pieces like Gradey Dick or Ja’Kobe Walter. Any trade of that magnitude would put a strain on the rest of the roster. Depth would take a hit, and far more would be asked of an already young, relatively inexperienced bench.
There’s no doubt that if the price is reasonable, swinging a major deal for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Davis (if he's healthy) would immediately make the Raptors a more formidable playoff team. But if the ultimate goal is a championship — and it should be — then waiting to cash in these assets until the bench is more developed may give Toronto a better chance of eventually reaching that level.
This core is a lot of fun
Another factor fans should consider is that trading for a star would mean breaking apart the Quickley-Barrett-Ingram-Barnes-Poeltl core before we truly get a chance to see how these pieces fit together in meaningful games. The early returns on the Ingram trade have been exciting, and personally, I’m rooting to see how this core battles through an entire season. Landing a big fish would be thrilling, but it would also leave me wondering what this version of the Raptors could achieve if they were allowed to grow together.
Final thoughts
I’m not against Toronto making a move at the deadline — adding a physical backup center or another guard could genuinely help this team. But I have reservations about sending out multiple picks and core players prematurely. Right now, this group has earned the chance to grow together before any drastic changes are made.