The Sacramento Kings pulled off their first of likely several moves ahead of the NBA trade deadline, dealing Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder. With Thursday’s deadline fast approaching, there is reportedly a hurdle in a potential Domantas Sabonis trade with the Toronto Raptors.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Raptors remain “serious suitors” to acquire the All-Star center for Sabonis. However, in order for a deal to happen, Toronto must find a team willing to take big man Jakob Poeltl because Sacramento is refusing to do so.
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The Raptors signed Poeltl to a four-year, $104 million contract extension last July. Since then, the 30-year-old center has played in just 21 games and missed significant time with ongoing back issues. There is currently no timeline for his return to the court.
Signed to one of the worst contracts in the NBA, the Kings’ lack of interest in taking on the Poeltl deal is not surprising. What could complicate matters for Sacramento is that a third team would likely require significant draft capital from Toronto to take Poeltl. Thus, the Raptors would be giving up assets to both acquire Sabonis and move off their center’s contract.
Outside of that, the Kings and Raptors are ideal trade partners. NBA rumors in January indicated that a deal could include RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji. Barrett, who was drafted by Sacramento general manager Scott Perry when he worked with the New York Knicks, is under contract for $29.616 million next season in the final year of his deal.
A trade along those lines, potentially with a first-round pick included from the Raptors, would allow Sacramento to shed long-term payroll and be better positioned for a long-term rebuild. Meanwhile, Toronto would have an All-Star center to add to its core at a time when the Eastern Conference is up for grabs.
