Approaching the 2026 NBA trade deadline, many implored the Toronto Raptors to trade point guard Immanuel Quickley. The general consensus appeared to be that his quality of play and contract failed to align, and therefore he should be traded for a better fit in the rotation and salary cap table.
It hasn't taken long for Quickley to reveal why the Raptors were wise to hold on to him and ignore all of the outside noise: He's a quietly perfect fit for what this team needs.
It's easy to correlate cost with production, but context is crucial in every conversation. With Quickley, he's a dynamic scoring guard who can create for himself and others, light teams up from beyond the arc, and score with volume when he gets hot.
The Raptors, meanwhile, are a deep and balanced team that lacks a true No. 1 scoring option from the perspective of having a player who can consistently take over in that regard.
There's a scoring hierarchy in Toronto, of course, and Brandon Ingram clearly sits atop it. When your leading scorer is averaging 22.0 points per game, however, there's an unavoidable need for multiple high-level scoring options to permeate the rotation.
Though Quickley has flaws that fans would justifiably like to see him address, there's simply no way to avoid how valuable he is to the Raptors—nor how rare his player profile truly is.
Immanuel Quickley proving Raptors were right to ignore trade chatter
Quickley is currently averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 2.7 three-point field goals made per game on .448/.378/.881 shooting. He's No. 1 on the team in assists and three-point field goals made, No. 2 in steals, and No. 4 in points.
Quickley is the only player on the roster making at least 2.0 three-point field goals per game—a critical fact for a Raptors team that ranks No. 26 in three-point field goal percentage.
Furthermore, Quickley leads Toronto with 10.7 drives per game and 5.4 passes out of drives per game. His ability to not only create penetration, but find the open man has been nothing short of essential to team success in 2025-26.
Considering the Raptors emphasize drive-and-kick opportunities as a key part of their elite ball movement, ranking No. 10 in passes out of drives, it'd be a foolish endeavor to trade their best source of such plays.
Immanuel Quickley: Only NBA player averaging 15+ PTS, 6+ AST, <2 TOV
Furthermore, Toronto has made it to 34-23 by limiting mistakes, ranking No. 8 in the Association in turnovers per game. Quickley deserves ample credit for that fact as the only player in the NBA averaging at least 15.0 points and 6.0 assists while committing fewer than 2.0 turnovers per game.
It's also worth noting that concerns over his streaky shooting are overblown, as he's converted at least 39.1 percent of his threes in three of the past four months—February included.
As for his all-around value as a scorer Quickley has already ripped off 17 20-point games—during which time Toronto has gone 11-6. That includes performances in which he's posted 40 points and 10 assists, and 32 points and nine dimes—performances that epitomize his explosiveness.
It's easy to say there's a Quickley upgrade out there, but for what this team needs, he checks boxes very few attainable others can.