One of the hottest topics among the Toronto Raptors fan base over the last week or so stems from a proposed mock trade from Bleacher Report. In Zach Buckley’s article, he pitched the idea of the Raptors trading for Kyrie Irving. The package he suggested Toronto would have to sacrifice for the 2016 NBA Champion was Immanuel Quickley, Ja'Kobe Walter, and a 2028 first-round pick (top-five protected).
Most fans shared the same immediate reaction to this idea: it would be awesome.
For over a decade, Irving has been one of the league's best guards, and his shot-making and ability to command an offense could be the missing piece for the Raptors. Having Masai Ujiri running the show in Dallas, there is already a prebuilt connection between the Mavericks and Raptors, making this trade feel really possible. With only one draft pick being given up and getting Quickley's contract off the books, this move sounds like a massive win until you factor in the inclusion of Ja'Kobe Walter.
Walter was the 19th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and has emerged as one of Toronto’s best blue-chip prospects outside of Collin Murray-Boyles. Giving him up for a soon-to-be 35-year-old Kyrie Irving would be a massive mistake.
Ja'Kobe Walter has to be off limits
Now, if this were last offseason, I’d be all for including Walter in trade packages for an immediate upgrade, as his rookie season left a ton to be desired. However, his second season was different. Walter embraced being a high-level point-of-attack defender and off-ball demon from three-point land. Last season, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 40.9 percent from three.
Obviously, Walter’s numbers don’t suggest he’ll become a superstar or anything of that sort, and this is Kyrie Irving we are talking about. That being said, context matters.
Irving is coming off a significant injury that sidelined him for all of the 2025-26 season, and he may also need a long-term extension. Walter, on the other hand, has this season plus another year of team control and will be a restricted free agent after that if the Raptors opt not to extend him. On top of that, he showed last season that he is the type of connective piece you want to pair with star players like Scottie Barnes and now Kawhi Leonard because of his two-way ability.
The NBA has become such a heavy drive-and-kick league and Walter's ability to catch and shoot, particularly from the corners, is too elite for Toronto to give away this early.
I’m slightly biased as Walter’s energy on the court and style of play made him one of my top three favorite Raptors last season. However, I’m also biased when it comes to Kyrie Irving as he’s by far my favorite player ever. So those biases offset one another, making me very objective when it comes to this trade idea.
Walter is the type of young player contending teams are always searching for. If Toronto does pull the trigger on a win-now trade, they would be way better off sacrificing more draft capital than giving up on him now.
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