Raptors Trade Rumor: Domantas Sabonis Finally Lands in Toronto in Offseason Proposal

The Toronto Raptors flirted with a few blockbuster trade ideas at the deadline last month, but in the end decided against it. Specifically, they were strongly tied to All-Star center Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings.

The Raptors needed a dominant All-Star center to better balance their roster, while the Kings were looking to move on from their bloated veteran contracts and get younger for the future.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report doesn't think the teams should give up on that idea just yet. He's proposed a summer blockbuster that would get this deal done:

Toronto Raptors receive:

Domantas Sabonis
Devin Carter

Sacramento Kings receive:

RJ Barrett
Jakob Poeltl
2031 first-round pick (top-3 protected)

For Toronto, it's another "win-now" move around centerpiece Scottie Barnes after the big payoff of the Brandon Ingram trade last season.

Bailey writes that Sabonis would give the Raptors "a dominant rebounder and one of the best passing bigs in the league. (Head coach) Darko Rajaković has the offensive creativity to take advantage of that wealth of playmaking."

In addition, it would better balance the lineup, as Barrett, as much as it would be tough to let go of the Toronto-born star, offers a lot of the same talents and positioning as Barnes and Ingram. Besides, he'll be on an expiring contract next season.

Meanwhile, Devin Carter

would add a tenacious, defensive "glue guy" to the backcourt for the Raptors.

Why the Kings would make this proposed trade

For the Kings, writes Bailey, this deal would be all about getting that first-round pick. But don't think they wouldn't be interested in landing Barrett. The competitive, scoring, playmaking forward was originally drafted by Kings GM Scott Perry, who was GM with the NY Knicks at the time. He took RJ with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.