The Toronto Raptors' ongoing quest to get rid of Jakob Poeltl and his albatross contract almost came to an end at the 2026 NBA trade deadline, but with the team positioned to contend once the Kawhi Leonard trade becomes official, the Raptors may have received a blessing in disguise when a deal fell apart. However, Sacramento pulled out after reconsidering the appeal of taking on Poeltl's whopping contract. If that trade went through, there's a very small chance the Raptors would be able to move Brandon Ingram to obtain Leonard, all while putting an even bigger roadblock in front of No. It became increasingly clear that while Barrett and Ingram are both terrific players, Toronto would be unable to keep both of them long-term. Still, it seems almost inarguable that Toronto is in a better place with both Leonard and Poeltl on the roster as opposed to Sabonis with no Leonard, Poeltl, or Barrett.