The Raptors already proved they’re done rebuilding after finishing 46-36, grabbing the fifth seed in the East, and pushing the Cavaliers to seven games in the first round, so it made complete sense for them to chase a massive upgrade instead of spending another season hoping their current core develops into something bigger.
That upgrade was supposed to be Kawhi Leonard, with Toronto agreeing to send Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two unprotected first-round picks, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks to the Clippers. The deal remains on hold while the NBA investigates the Aspiration cap-circumvention connected to Leonard and the Clippers, though, and there’s currently no clear timetable for a final decision that could be extended to 2027.
If the deal completely falls apart, Toronto would suddenly have Ingram, Dick and the entire Kawhi package available again, and running back the same roster would feel pretty boring after the front office already showed it’s ready to chase something much bigger. These three frameworks would let the Raptors use those assets on a young star center, a new lead point guard, or the exact type of two-way wing they were trying to find with Kawhi.
1. The Raptors Solve Their Center Position With Jalen Duren
Toronto Raptors Receive: Jalen Duren (sign-and-trade)
Detroit Pistons Receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, 2031 first-round pick (top-four protected)
Jalen Duren isn’t just another athletic center Toronto could throw beside Scottie Barnes, because he already posted 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on 65.0% from the field at only 22 years old, becoming an All-Star and earning All-NBA honors while the Pistons went 60-22 and finished first in the East. That’s basically everything the Raptors should want from their next big man since he’s young enough to grow with Barnes, but already good enough to help them win immediately.
The only reason Detroit would even listen is that Duren’s restricted free agency has become super awkward, as he was reportedly underwhelmed by the Pistons’ first offer and started exploring sign-and-trade scenarios. The two sides have remained far apart, and Duren could eventually accept the one-year, $9.6 million qualifying offer before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Detroit still controls the situation and has shown very little interest in helping him leave, so Toronto would need Duren to seriously push for the move instead of just asking nicely.
The package is heavy, but it also has to be because the Pistons aren’t some rebuilding team desperate for distant picks anymore. They just won 60 games and can’t replace an All-NBA center with a random prospect. RJ Barrett gives them another strong downhill scorer after posting 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists on 49.1% from the field; Jakob Poeltl keeps them competitive at center immediately, and the protected first-round pick gives them another asset to use in a later move for the secondary creator they still need beside Cade Cunningham.
For Toronto, the fit would be pretty easy to understand because Duren gives Barnes an elite lob target, runs harder than Poeltl, dominates the offensive glass, and can punish smaller lineups without needing the offense built around him. A lineup with Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, Brandon Ingram, Barnes, and Duren would be younger, faster, and much more dangerous around the rim, while Duren could realistically remain the starting center for the next eight or nine seasons instead of becoming another temporary solution.
He still isn’t a perfect defender, though, because the athleticism can make people assume he protects the rim better than he actually does, and his positioning plus postseason production both need improvement. Duren’s numbers dropped during Detroit’s playoff run, and paying him like a franchise player would create pressure for him to become more than an elite rebounder and finisher.
Duren would most likely sign a four-year deal worth around $160 million in the sign-and-trade, starting at roughly $37.2 million and increasing by 5.0% each season. Barrett is owed $29.6 million, and Poeltl is at $19.5 million in 2026-27, so Toronto would send out $49.1 million while taking back around $37.2 million, cutting nearly $12.0 million from its payroll.
2. The Raptors Upgrade Their Playmaking With Josh Giddey
Toronto Raptors Receive: Josh Giddey, Jalen Smith
Chicago Bulls Receive: Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, 2031 first-round pick (top-eight protected)
Josh Giddey isn’t a blockbuster point guard upgrade because he won’t suddenly become a 27-point scorer, but the guy just averaged 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists at 23 years old, and there aren’t many 6-foot-7 guards capable of grabbing a rebound, starting the break, and creating an open shot before the defense can even understand what happened. He also signed a four-year, $100.0 million contract, which is pretty reasonable for a young lead guard producing close to a triple-double every night.
Immanuel Quickley had a solid season with 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists while shooting 37.4% from three, but he still feels more like a scoring guard being asked to run point than someone who completely controls an offense. Giddey would take a huge amount of creation pressure away from Scottie Barnes, let him attack from the elbow or post instead of bringing the ball up every possession, and create easier shots for Ingram, Barrett, and Toronto’s shooters without needing to score 25 himself.
The Bulls should at least consider it because they finished 31-51, placed 12th in the East, and missed even the Play-In Tournament, so acting like every young player on that roster is untouchable would be kind of ridiculous. Quickley is a much better shooter than Giddey and could play beside another creator later, while Dick would give Chicago a 6-foot-7 shooting prospect who once averaged 14.4 points before his role collapsed last season. The protected first-round pick would give the Bulls another serious asset for a roster that still feels pretty far away.
There’s an obvious spacing problem for Toronto, and nobody should ignore it just because Giddey’s passing looks pretty. A lineup with Giddey, Barrett, Ingram, Barnes, and Poeltl could become super crowded because all five are more comfortable attacking inside the arc, while Giddey’s 36.4% from three still wouldn’t stop playoff defenses from helping off him until he proves he can punish them for an entire series.
That could force another trade involving Barrett or Poeltl later, but it could also be worth the headache, because Giddey would finally give the Raptors a proper floor general instead of making Barnes handle every difficult creation job. Barnes could focus more energy on defense and scoring, Ingram would receive the ball in better spots, and Toronto would become one of the biggest passing teams in the league instead of depending on isolation shots late in the clock.
Jalen Smith would mainly be included to help the salary structure and add another frontcourt option, so he isn’t the reason Toronto makes the deal, but getting a playable, stretch center back would still help after losing Dick’s shooting and Quickley’s scoring. The main decision is pretty simple: the Raptors would be trading a better shooter and a first-round pick for a younger, bigger, and much more natural playmaker.
I don’t think this is an automatic steal for Toronto because Quickley’s shooting fits the current roster more easily, while Giddey would force the coaching staff to rethink the entire offense, but that’s also why the move is interesting. If the Raptors miss out on Kawhi, they shouldn’t only chase a slightly better version of what they already have, and Giddey would give them something completely different.
3. The Raptors Replace Brandon Ingram With Jalen Williams
Toronto Raptors Receive: Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, 2031 first-round pick, 2033 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick (swap)
This is easily the least likely deal, but it’s also the one that actually feels like a proper Kawhi alternative instead of a normal roster upgrade. There hasn’t been any report saying Jalen Williams is available, the Thunder just finished 64-18 as the No. 1 seed in the West and came within one game of reaching the Finals, so Toronto would basically need Oklahoma City to become worried about his health, future payroll, and role enough to even answer the phone.
Williams had a nightmare season physically, playing only 33 games after wrist problems delayed his return before hamstring injuries affected his regular season and playoff run, but he still produced 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists while remaining one of the league’s most versatile two-way wings. The shooting dropped to 29.9% from three, and he barely looked like himself when he tried to return during the Western Conference Finals, yet the larger sample still shows an All-NBA player who can defend guards, wings and some forwards while creating offense without needing the ball for 20 seconds.
The financial part is where the idea becomes slightly less crazy, because Williams begins a five-year, $239.2 million extension worth around $41.5 million in the first season, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren also have huge raises arriving and several supporting players will need new contracts soon. Oklahoma City has enough assets and talent to survive the bill, but paying three stars plus an expensive supporting cast under the second-apron rules will eventually force difficult decisions.
Brandon Ingram would give the Thunder something they badly missed whenever Shai was trapped, denied the ball or simply exhausted, because Ingram can take the ball against a set defense, get to his mid-range spots and create an acceptable shot without needing a perfect action. He averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.2% from three last season, so even after his horrible playoffs, he remains a much better pure isolation scorer than Williams.
The defense would obviously become worse because Ingram can look like a cone on that end during bad stretches, but the Thunder have enough defenders around him to hide some of those problems, and his scoring could work as a release valve whenever teams send everything at Shai. Ingram’s contract also ends much earlier than Williams’ extension, which would let Oklahoma City escape a five-year commitment while Dick and the massive pick package keep adding young talent and flexibility.
Toronto would make the deal for the exact opposite reason, since Williams is basically the wing they want beside Barnes. He doesn’t need to dominate the ball, can defend the strongest perimeter scorer, attack closeouts, run pick-and-rolls and create during the minutes Barnes rests, while his defensive effort would give the Raptors much more balance than a Barnes-Ingram partnership.
The injury risk is serious and can’t be treated like nothing, because Williams missed 49 regular-season games and ten playoff games last year, while his massive extension starts immediately. Toronto would be betting that the wrist and hamstring problems were one horrible season instead of the start of a pattern, but that’s the type of gamble required when trying to acquire a 25-year-old All-NBA wing.
Jaylin Williams would be included for salary and frontcourt depth, while the two first-round picks plus the 2027 swap would basically redirect the entire Kawhi package toward Oklahoma City. The Thunder already own more draft assets than they can realistically use, so picks alone wouldn’t convince Sam Presti, but Ingram’s shot creation, Dick’s shooting, long-term savings and three major draft assets would at least create a serious conversation.
Oklahoma City probably still says no unless its medical staff has major concerns or the payroll becomes more painful than expected, and that needs to be said clearly because this isn’t a reported discussion. Still, alternative Kawhi trades shouldn’t be about adding another average starter, and Williams is one of the few targets Toronto could imagine acquiring who would provide star upside, elite defense, and a timeline that fits perfectly with Barnes.
