The Toronto Raptors have been linked to a 2010s star over the last week or so, and no, I’m not talking about Kawhi Leonard.
I’m talking about Kyrie Irving.
The connection between Irving and the Raptors began after Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley published an article pitching a trade proposal for Toronto to acquire the 2016 NBA champion. The price Toronto would be asked to pay was Immanuel Quickley, Ja'Kobe Walter, and a 2028 first-round pick (top-five protected). Although I’m not a fan of sacrificing Walter in nearly any trade, this price tag isn’t horrible for a player of Irving’s status.
This deal would also allow Toronto to get off the long-term money tied to Quickley, potentially creating more flexibility down the road. However, the Raptors need to hold off on making not just this deal but any moves ahead of the 2026-27 season.
We’ve hit a point in the offseason where teams are gearing up for training camp, establishing roles, and building chemistry ahead of a new campaign. For a Raptors team that has already dealt with so much weirdness thanks to the Kawhi Leonard aspirations saga, shaking up the roster any more wouldn’t be smart.
The Raptors could trade for Kyrie Irving ... just not right now
The Kawhi Leonard situation cast a dark cloud over this team for the majority of the offseason, and while it feels like we are closer to a resolution, it still casts a shadow. The only way to make things worse would be to shake up the roster further and make head coach Darko Rajakovic integrate even more new talent into the team.
If you aren’t new around here, you’d know I am not a fan of RJ Barrett’s fit with this team and have beaten the drum that he should’ve been traded this summer while his value was high. However, the time for even a move like that has passed with camp just over a month away from starting. The Raptors need to focus on what they have now and not what they could have. This is the roster we should on opening night, except for maybe one or two small signings or moves at the bottom.
That doesn’t mean Bobby Webster has to sit on his hands all season and roll with the same group of players around Scottie Barnes for all 82 games. When the trade deadline comes around, if the team is in a spot where they may be one move away from being title favorites, then yeah, get Kyrie Irving or some other piece that could put them over the top. But for now, the focus has to remain on Leonard and integrating him into this new version of the Raptors.
The other part of all this that suggests Toronto should hold off on an Irving trade is that the longer they wait, the better idea they'll have of what Irving looks like coming off a major injury. At 34 years old and with an ACL injury that sidelined him all of 2025-26, it’s unclear how good Irving will be when he returns, so rushing to trade for him could backfire royally.
The Raptors have put together a strong roster that deserves a chance. If things don’t work early on, then Bobby Webster should explore the trade market, but making a move now shouldn’t be in the cards for Toronto.
Add us as a preferred source on Google