The Toronto Raptors have been an excellent team this season, exceeding expectations and definitively having the Cleveland Cavaliers' number after a sweep of the season series. They are also trying to set themselves up for failure after all of that success.
At 29-20 a piece, the Cavaliers and Raptors have the exact same record at this point of the 2025-26 NBA season. They will be jostling for position moving forward. There is reason to believe Cleveland should overtake them soon.
The Cavaliers have won eight of their last 10 games, by comparison to the Raptors possess a record of 6-4. Cleveland have also been winners in 11 of their last 15 overall. By contrast Toronto is 9-6 in that same span.
One of the biggest things that could catapult the Raptors forward is addressing the center position. Jakob Poeltl has missed a bunch of time due to injury, hindering the team in the process. For some strange reason, Toronto keeps coming back to Domantas Sabonis as a potential fix, though.
Michael Scotto wrote, "Domantas Sabonis has recently been linked to the [Washington] Wizards, [Phoenix] Suns, and [Chicago] Bulls, per The Athletic. HoopsHype has also reported that the Raptors expressed interest in trading for Sabonis since last summer."
Sabonis swing could weaken Toronto’s position in the East — setting Cleveland up perfectly
Sabonis is a good player in a vacuum. The Raptors also need a boost at the spot. Poeltl's injury has proven to be much more serious than anticipated and Toronto has certainly felt his absence, navigating forward without much true center play to speak of.
The pairing here just doesn't feel like a good match.
The Raptors have been one of the best defenses in the NBA all year thanks to Scottie Barnes' leadership on that end. Sabonis is a subpar defender.
Even worse, his production has dropped off on the offensive end too by comparison to some of his better years. That makes his ridiculous contract even tougher to swallow for any salary books. The Sacramento Kings center is owed $42.3 million this year, $42.5 million next season, and $48.6 million in 2027-28. That is a big-time yikes.
The Cavaliers, of course, would quietly welcome the move from where they are sitting in the East. The Raptors, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks are all within striking distance in the standings. Any kind of miscalculation from their competition would help them dig their way out of a slow start.