Raptors Could Trade No. 19 Pick for 3-Time NBA All-Star Center
· Yahoo Sports
The Toronto Raptors enter the 2026 NBA Draft coming off a much more encouraging season than the one before it. Toronto finished 46-36, earned the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round. But even with that progress, the Raptors still enter the offseason looking for another meaningful upgrade to a roster that does not yet look complete enough to contend near the top of the conference.
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That is what makes the No. 19 pick in next week’s draft so interesting. Toronto also owns the No. 50 pick, but the bigger question is whether the front office uses No. 19 on another young prospect or flips it in a deal for a more established player.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the Sacramento Kings are one team to watch here as they reportedly have interest in Toronto’s No. 19 selection. Sacramento finished 22-60 this season and has entered the offseason exploring ways to reshape its roster, and there is speculation about whether or not the franchise plans to trade center Domantas Sabonis.
Fischer:
— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) June 11, 2026
“I'm told that the Kings also have interest in Toronto's No. 19 selection, but it is unclear whether the Raptors, who showed trade interest in Sabonis before the league's in-season trade deadline in February, will do so again.”
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Fischer noted that the Raptors remain a team to monitor in discussions after showing interest in Sabonis before the February trade deadline.
The 30-year-old three-time All-Star has been one of the league’s most productive big men over the last several years, carrying career averages of 16.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. He made All-NBA Third Team in both 2023 and 2024, finished top eight in MVP voting in each of those seasons and won three straight rebounding titles from 2022 through 2025.
His 2025-26 season was cut short by injury, as he played only 19 games before undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Before being shut down, he averaged 15.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He is owed $45.4 million next season and $48.6 million in 2027-28.
Sabonis would, no doubt, give the Raptors another high-level frontcourt playmaker alongside Scottie Barnes and would add rebounding, interior scoring and screening to a team that still needs more offensive structure in the halfcourt. He would also address Toronto’s long-standing search for a true frontcourt offensive hub. But adding Sabonis’ salary to a roster that already includes Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl would create major salary complications, and it is difficult to see a deal happening without one of those core pieces being involved.
The Raptors, however, are in a different place than they were a year ago, far from the lottery team that was still trying to reset from the bottom. Toronto has tasted playoff glory again and is trying to take the next step: contend for a championship in an Eastern Conference that is expected to be more competitive next season.
That makes the No. 19 pick a legitimate trade chip if the Raptors believe Sabonis can move the roster forward more than another rookie can. The draft begins June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and if Sacramento’s interest in Toronto’s first-rounder is serious and the Raptors really value Sabonis, expect a trade to happen any moment from now.