Toronto may be chasing high-profile stars on the market, but the Raptors' rumored trade talks still spark fans to consider various possible scenarios amid these developments. I did some digging on X and came across a post where a user raised this point about Toronto's talented yet often considered overpaid point guard, Immanuel Quickley.
Quickley received a lucrative five-year contract extension last summer, earning him an expected $175 million deal over that period. While I’ve always had strong faith in IQ’s potential to become one of the Raptors' brightest young stars, his persistent injuries this past season seemed to foreshadow challenges ahead with his new extension.
To be fair, when Quickley was healthy enough to play, he looked like his former self and proved to be a vital missing piece that could have significantly boosted Toronto’s playoff prospects.
With Toronto’s growing salary cap space, there may come a point when the Raptors need to shed a few salaries across the roster to stay under the limit, and Immanuel Quickley could be one of the players affected. This is where X user raises an interesting point, suggesting that the Raptors might find a suitable replacement for Quickley by trading for Utah Jazz guard Collin Sexton.
Could the Raptors shift gears in a different point guard direction?
The argument is that Sexton’s production closely matches Quickley’s and comes at a significantly lower cost, potentially giving Toronto a solid point guard if they move on from IQ.
However, upon reading this analysis—and considering the responses from others—I can’t help but think that Sexton has historically posted one of the worst career plus/minus ratings of all time. Additionally, he’s expected to be in line for an extension after the 2025-26 season.
So, why would Toronto trade Quickley only to find themselves back at square one? It seems like a risky move with uncertain long-term benefits.
Now, let's shift to a more positive note by discussing Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Darius Garland. After the Cavs suffered a surprising playoff defeat at the hands of the now Finals-bound Indiana Pacers—despite battling a series of tough injuries—there will surely be offseason speculation about Cleveland's plans to strengthen their championship core. Key decisions could include moving on from a talented player like Jarrett Allen or, as I will highlight shortly, Darius Garland.
Although Garland didn't have his best showing in the series and was only available for three of the five games, he would undoubtedly attract significant interest across the league if he were made available for trade.
Garland's 2024-25 season stats included 20.6 points on 47.2% shooting from the field, an impressive 40.1% from three, along with 6.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game in an average of 30.7 minutes played.
Darius Garland remains one of the NBA's brightest young point guards, and the idea of him playing alongside players like Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram is certainly enticing. The main issue is whether Cleveland will retool and what Toronto might need to give up in return.
While Quickley would likely be central to any deal, it's unlikely the Cavs would move toward an IQ and Donovan Mitchell backcourt. However, with the possibility of three, four, or even five-team trades involving draft capital, there's definitely a pathway for Toronto to add Garland to their win-now core.
I believe Masai Ujiri's priority is still pursuing a star at the level of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant before shifting focus to a player like Garland. While Darius Garland isn't the biggest fish on the market, landing the talented ex-Vanderbilt standout could still prove to be a valuable addition for the team.