If the trade for Kawhi Leonard goes through as planned, the Raptors will be left with two question marks: the quality and depth of their guard rotation and their center play. Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl are both on big contracts that are generally viewed as bad deals, so upgrading both will be very difficult.
So, the question is, what’s more important? Better point guard play to match what other contenders have with the likes of Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, or a better big man than a 30-year-old Poeltl who is dealing with back issues?
Kevin O’Connor and Andrew Sharp posed that very question on the August 24 episode of The Kevin O’Connor Show. Sharp said he doesn’t think the Raptors need a star point guard to realize the potential of a Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes duo.
“I don’t think you do either,” O’Connor agreed, “in part because of how many other guys—Barnes, Kawhi, RJ—can handle the ball. Allen Graves. I know he’s just a rookie. You’re not going in with high expectations, but even him. He was a point guard growing up in high school, can handle the ball a bit as a connective piece. Collin Murray-Boyles can do the Draymond-Green-style thing. They have a lot of guys who can handle, so I worry less about Immanuel Quickley or Shead even or Alijah Martin.”
He added, “To me, it’s that center spot. They have to find somebody better than Poeltl. I think that’s the hole in the roster because as much as I also like CMB playing some small-ball five, you can’t do that for 48 minutes.”
Finding an upgrade for Poeltl could prove difficult
Considering the money committed to Poeltl, Quickley, Barnes, and Leonard (assuming he joins the team), finding an upgrade over Poeltl would be incredibly difficult without trading him, and that is easier said than done with his massive salary. Not many teams will be in the position to take on that kind of money—or willing to do it without serious draft compensation.
Really, the Raptors’ best hope is that Poeltl has a bit of a bounce-back season to improve his trade value to a point where it wouldn’t cost several picks to move him. Moreover, they can hope that some team, like the Utah Jazz, ends up being so desperate for size and an inside presence that Poeltl would actually be an interesting addition.
It’s not just Poeltl. It’s also the depth behind him
With the roster as currently constructed, the Raptors really don’t have a lot of fallback options if Poeltl struggles with injuries or just simply doesn’t play well. Collin Murray-Boyles is a great young talent, but he is also 6’7” and relying on him as the main center might be asking too much of him.
Other than that, Kyle Anderson can probably play some minutes at the five, but the Raptors would also be undersized with him or rookie Allen Graves in the mix. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Trey Jemison III, and Nate Bittle offer more traditional center size. However, Jackson-Davis already wasn’t in the rotation last season, when the Raptors faced much less pressure to win. Jemison has struggled to establish himself as an NBA rotational player since the 2023-24 season, and Bittle is an undrafted rookie.
Just one semi-serious injury to Poeltl or Murray-Boyles could put the Raptors in a precarious situation.
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