I have no intention of slamming Domantas Sabonis. I completely acknowledge that he's a former three-time All-Star, two appearances on the All-NBA Third Team, and a two-time league rebounding leader (something the Raps could desperately use). When healthy and in a system that maximizes his skillset, he can look like one of the league's most dynamic bigs. But at the same time, Sabonis can prove to be a defensive pitfall for his team, and he's earning a substantial salary over the next three seasons.
This year, he makes just over $42 million; next year, that increases to $45 million; and in the final year before free agency in 2028-29, Sabonis will earn a hefty $48 million.
The Raptors' need for size was no secret prior to the trade deadline. As far as some of the major names go in satisfying this need and perhaps changing the course of Toronto's fortunes going forward, Domantas Sabonis was a key player mentioned, along with Anthony Davis, who eventually ended up traded to the Wizards in a stone-cold stunner.
But here's the thing: even though Toronto has some contractual headaches of their own, it's not like there isn't already a center on the roster — Jakob Poeltl is still around, just not healthy. Darko Rajakovic made it clear not long ago that he's more focused on getting the Austrian big man back than addressing the trending trade rumors at the time. And Coach Darko was definitely right.
From a talent and star perspective, it's simple: Domantas Sabonis eclipses Jakob Poeltl, point blank. But that creates a new challenge — figuring out how to get Sabonis to click with the Raptors system. As Sam Vecenie recently emphasized, Sabonis tends to operate in similar areas as Brandon Ingram.
Raptors sidestepped a risky move by not trading for Domantas Sabonis
Additionally, the Raptors are actively working to limit their expenses across the roster. Acquiring Sabonis wouldn't have changed that — he would have become one of their highest-paid players, which is too risky for someone who isn't guaranteed to fit seamlessly or significantly raise their ceiling toward a title.
It seems likely that the Raptors don't want to extend RJ Barrett to a lofty new extension, but why allocate the money that could've went there or to more additional depth pieces, all to satisfy Sabonis' expensive price tag? It doesn't make sense at all. You're just swapping 'bad' contracts for another, even if Sabonis is a more proven star.
It also became clear in the hours leading up to the trade deadline that Toronto was unwilling to part with its first-round draft capital, which likely would have rerouted Jakob Poeltl to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team Sabonis deal. The Raptors needed to find options at the center spot, and they did so with Trayce Jackson-Davis — a target few had in mind and far from the 'big fish' some Raptors fans envisioned.
But Toronto made the call to invest in low-risk depth instead, along with a contractual obligation in which they hold all the leverage. They can experiment with TJD for the remainder of the year and decide whether to bring him back on his team option in the summer. If they had gone all out on Domantas Sabonis, the Raptors would need to be sure he could deliver the return on investment. Otherwise, they risk being back at step one — stuck trying to figure out how to cut costs on volatile talent.
Yes, it would have been a lot more flexible for this Raptors roster if they had taken a careful, frugal approach before handing out the Poeltl and Quickley deals. However, Raptors fans should also be glad that the team avoided another potentially serious financial blunder in adding Domantas Sabonis.
It's better to address problems already in-house rather than sign up for new ones.