The Toronto Raptors signed Immanuel Quickley to a five-year extension worth up to $175 million several months after trading for him. They believed he was their starting point guard of the future, paying him as if he were already a star. Little did they know that less than a year later, they'd try to move off his contract, but to no avail.
On Saturday, Jake Fischer reported for The Stein Line that Toronto made an offer to Atlanta for Trae Young before the 2025 deadline (subscription required), but that the Hawks "had no interest in a Quickley-headlined package given the future money he's owed."
Domantas Sabonis is a player the Raptors have expressed interest in before this year's deadline, but Fischer also reported that the Kings aren't interested in taking on Quickley or Jakob Poeltl's contracts.
On Wednesday, Marc Stein reported that Toronto is still interested in trading for Anthony Davis, even after his latest injury, and that a proposed package is expected to consist of Quickley or Poeltl, along with RJ Barrett. Stein speculated whether Dallas would be interested in that, even if the Raptors did throw in a first-round pick.
Put your feelings about a Davis or Sabonis trade aside for a second because that isn't the point, at least not right now. What we're looking at is the fact that Toronto is having a hard time trading Quickley. There is no easy way out for the Raptors.
Raptors are struggling to trade Immanuel Quickley's contract
The 26-year-old guard is averaging 16.5 points, 6.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game on 42.3% shooting from the field and 34.7% from three. That's not all that bad, right? Well, that's until you remember that Toronto is paying him $32.5 million per season through the 2028-29 season.
It didn't take long for the Raptors to realize that shelling out that extension was a mistake, as he played only 33 games in his first full season in Toronto. Remember, they tried to trade him for Young last February. Quickley has played in 40 of the Raptors' 41 games this season, but he's struggled not only on the defensive end but is also close to shooting a career-low from three-point range. His inconsistencies are an issue.
Front offices are more cognizant than ever of their payrolls under the CBA, and teams don't want to commit to paying IQ that much for the next several seasons. It seems like, for now, the Raptors will be stuck with him, hoping that either a situation where they can move off his contract will materialize, or that his play starts to reflect his salary, which isn't likely.