Sighs... what could've been eh?
I know there will be those in Raptors Nation who look at Kevin Durant's aging body and questionable impact on postseason success, but I will tell you that it would have been nice to see a player of that caliber suit up for Toronto; they haven't had a superstar of that nature in quite some time.
Unfortunately, that chapter is over as the Houston Rockets emerged from the KD sweepstakes and on paper, they look like a force to be reckoned with out West.
Now that Toronto has missed out on what seemed to be their most acquirable "big fish," where do the Raptors go from here in their aggressive trade pursuit?
It might not be the biggest swing in the world, but Toronto could open the door for a deal with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Malik Monk. Here's how Sacramento Kings and NBA beat writer Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee put it in a post on X:
Raptors could explore Malik Monk trade after failing to land Kevin Durant
Regarding the Miami Heat’s reported interest in DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors’ interest in Malik Monk, I’m told the Sacramento Kings have yet to discuss those players with those teams, but things could change now that a winner has emerged in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
— Jason Anderson (@JandersonSacBee) June 22, 2025
The Raptors were tabbed as being a potential Monk suitor, that is, pending the outcome of where a bigger trade candidate like Durant was headed. Now that Durant is off the table, is Malik Monk going to be that major offseason acquisition to propel Toronto into a better winning outlook? It doesn't quite scream needle-mover at face value, does it?
No disrespect to Monk, he can definitely be a spark on any given night, finding his shot while also initiating the offense or being an off-ball scorer. The 2024-25 season was Monk’s best statistical year in his eight-year NBA career, averaging 17.2 points on 43.9% shooting, a bit shaky at 32.5% from three, along with 5.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and nearly one steal (0.9) in just over 31 minutes per game.
I see the vision with Monk on the Raptors, but I wonder what it would take to get him — most likely involving RJ Barrett as the lead asset headed to Sacramento. I also consider that Monk isn’t exactly a lights-out shooter nor a significant defensive upgrade over Barrett. Toronto would only be adding a different archetype at the shooting guard position, but Monk’s fit alongside Immanuel Quickley in the backcourt raises some red flags for me.
Essentially, the Raptors would be running two shooting guards together, still missing that true pass-first point guard mentality in their roster. Jrue Holiday was just traded last night, and other publications indicated the Raptors' reported interest. Despite his age and higher salary, I’d much prefer the two-time champion over settling for Monk, but that's no longer an option.
Despite all the rumors and hoopla suggesting Toronto was in the mix for a "big fish," we went from talking about Giannis or Kevin Durant to now Malik Monk (no disrespect), and it feels like if Toronto pivots in this direction, it's sort of settling for mediocrity. There are much better fits out there like Cam Johnson or Trey Murphy III if a lateral move is all that’s possible.