The Toronto Raptors have always been a team that has struggled to recruit big-name players in free agency.
Whether it’s coming to a new country, the cold weather, or even the tax, it has been a problem that has held the Raptors back from building championship teams the way a team like Boston would. This is exactly why they went after Brandon Ingram when his price was as low as it was at the 2025 trade deadline.
A new opportunity very similar to the BI one has been brewing in Memphis with Ja Morant, and Toronto should look to pounce on it.
It’s been known around the league for some time that the Grizzlies front office is eager to dump Morant and be able to usher in a fresh era built around the No. 3 pick.
I understand Morant is a buy-low candidate right now for a reason: between off-court issues, injuries, and declining efficiency, he simply has not looked the same as he once did. But what if he gets back to that form and you can unload a bad contract in the process, long-term, that could be an A+ trade for Bobby Webster this summer.
Morant is the perfect target for Toronto
The proposed trade I’ve come up with has the Raptors land both Ja Morant and Santi Aldama in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and a protected first-round pick. Now that may sound incredibly low for a player like Morant, who can be a borderline top-10 guy in the league, but this is the reality we currently live in.Â
A move like this brings in a frontcourt player who can space things out in Aldama, and an all-star caliber guard, while being able to dump off IQ’s remaining three-year $97.5 million contract. Morant also has one less year on his contract than Quickley, which could open up more long-term flexibility down the line. It addresses major needs, helping make Sandro Mamukelashvili more expendable and upgrading the guard position.
I understand that the Raptors have struggled with floor spacing, and Morant, as a career 31.1% three-point shooter, is another guy who struggles to create from the perimeter, which doesn’t help that. But, if you bring a guy who averaged 26-27 points and 6-8 assists per game on high efficiency like Morant did from 2021-23, you're going to win games.Â
The concern that comes with trading for Morant shouldn’t be about how to get more spacing—it should be: can you help him rediscover his love for the game?
A big piece in that is Darko Rajakovic. Whenever I see Morant-to-Toronto trade proposals, the thing I find gets lost in the shuffle is that Rajakovic was a developmental coach during his rise with the Grizzlies. He can be the key to helping Morant find that passion he had when he entered the league and get back to being one of the league's most elite guards.
When it comes to injuries, the Raptors have done an excellent job of rejuvenating players who appeared broken when they arrived. Kawhi Leonard and Brandon Ingram were both guys fans worried were damaged goods, and Toronto’s medical staff helped them turn it around.Â
At 26 years old, Morant is entering his prime, and getting a player with his talent at that stage of his career would be massive. If the Raptors buy low on Morant and get him back to form, he gives them the No. 1 option you need alongside Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.
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