One of the trendiest topics in Raptor land last season was the connection between Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis and Toronto. Obviously, nothing came of it, but the connection between the former All-Star center and Canada’s only NBA franchise hasn’t died off yet. There's no official reporting, but one thing I’ve been seeing a lot across Raptors Twitter/X is fans debating whether Sabonis would still be a good fit.
So with that, I’m here to make the case for why he would be.
The case for Sabonis in Raptor red
Before I get into it, I want to make one thing clear: I’m strictly talking about fit, not how Toronto would get there financially or what a mock trade would look like.
One of the Raptors' issues last season was closing defensive possessions on the glass. Toronto finished the season averaging the eighth-fewest defensive rebounds per game, and that’s something Sabonis could immediately boost.
Before last season, one where Sabonis was plagued by injuries and a failing Kings team that lacked a reason to play him, he was riding a three-season streak of leading the league in rebounds. He also hasn’t finished lower than the 96th percentile in defensive rebounding percentage over the last five seasons. Having a player who can provide that upside would let the Raptors' fast-break offseason get started much faster. He’d also help take the pressure off Scottie Barnes having to crash the defensive glass as hard as he does.
Part of the Raptors' identity in the Darko Rajakovic era has been how they move the ball.
Toronto plays a very European style that is unselfish and prioritizes ball movement; this resulted in the Raptors finishing third in assists per game last season. For Sabonis, this is perfect as to me he is the leagues best passing big not named Nikola Jokic. Outside of rebounding, his ability to operate as an offensive hub and generate scoring opportunities through DHOs has always been a massive strength of his game. Adding his skill set as a playmaker to the Raptors' offense could create even more ball movement and only make Rajakovic’s system flourish further.
Toronto looks to generate clean looks at the rim, and that’s a massive part of why they finished as high as they did in assists per game. The Raptors also finished second in two-point efficiency last year, something that Sabonis would also only make better as a high-level post scorer and play finisher.
Now, the question marks around his fit in the Six are floor spacing and defense. But I see a world where neither of those preconceived problems impacts the Raptors.
Let’s start with the defense. Yes, I know Sabonis isn’t going to be a rim-protecting beast or someone you always feel comfortable routinely switching in the pick-and-roll. For the Raptors, that isn’t super attractive, since they prided themselves on working extremely hard and being elite on that end last season. But that’s why I feel like things could work.
The Raptors have a ton of defensive talent, especially if the Kawhi Leonard trade eventually goes through. Between Leonard, Collin Murray-Boyles, and Scottie Barnes, Toronto has three players who could all roam and offer weak-side help as rim protectors around Sabonis. This would make his primary focus on stopping people attacking him directly at the rim, which he is more than capable of.
Sure, people can point to Sabonis as a primary reason why the Kings have been so bad defensively over the last several seasons. But I implore those people to look at the roster around him and name me the good defenders those teams had. No offense to Malik Monk or De'Aaron Fox, but any team with that backcourt isn’t going to be good on the defensive end. With the Raptors, Sabonis would have the defensive infrastructure needed around him to help cover up some of those shortcomings in his game on that side of the ball.
One last thing to mention about the defense. We see it all the time in the NBA: meh defenders join strong defensive teams, and because everyone else is bought in, they buy in too.
As far as the floor spacing goes, this is the one area the Raptors would have to be ready to take a swing on. Sabonis, because of his offensive hub playstyle, has never really been someone who steps out and makes the three-point shot part of his game until recently. While last season wasn't a good shooting year for him, the three seasons prior offered plenty of encouraging signs.
Sabonis shot 37.3 percent from three in 2022-23, 37.9 percent in 2023-24, and 41.7 percent on 2.2 attempts per game in 2024-25.
For me, his continued growth as a shooter feels like a natural progression as he gets closer to the back half of his career. He’s always been a big man with a soft touch and is a strong free-throw shooter (72.9 percent career free-throw percentage), two things that project well for growth as a shooter. For me, I am buying stock in his shooting as a piece that will continue to develop and become a real weapon in the final years of his prime.
Sabonis has never had the chance to be part of a team with real title aspirations. Players change when they join a situation like that, especially when the clock is ticking on their time to be a high-level contributor, like it is for Sabonis now at 30 years old.
While the style of play that’s gotten him paid in the past and seen him make All-Star teams doesn’t fit perfectly into the Raptors' style, the skill set does. His rebounding, passing, finishing, and potential growth as a three-point shooter are all things that could take Toronto over the top as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
So, after nearly 1000 words, my conclusion is simple: if the Toronto Raptors can get Domantas Sabonis, they absolutely should.
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