The Raptors’ wait on Kawhi Leonard got a lot more uncomfortable after another Eastern Conference team made a clean, straightforward splash.
Atlanta landed Lu Dort in a three-team deal that also sent Ryan Nembard to the Hawks, moved Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas, and gave the Thunder three second-round picks. It was the kind of move that can reshape a team quickly, and for Toronto it landed like a reminder of how messy their own situation still is. Their swing for Leonard remains on hold while the investigation into the Clippers’ alleged salary-cap circumvention plays out.
Dort is no small addition. He was a starter for a dominant Thunder team, including during their 2025 title run, and he arrives in Atlanta with real weight behind his résumé: a championship veteran and a 2025 All-Defensive First Team member.
That matters for a Hawks team that closed the season well after an uneven start, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference and taking two of the Knicks’ three playoff losses. With Dort in the mix, they look even tougher.
For Toronto, though, the bigger story is what it says about the race around them. The East is loading up, and the Raptors can’t afford to be stuck waiting forever.
Miami traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if the fit around him and Bam Adebayo still needs work. Philadelphia flipped Paul George for Jaylen Brown, and if Joel Embiid is relatively healthy, the 76ers could be a nightmare.
Indiana won only 19 games last season, but Tyrese Haliburton is coming back from injury after the Pacers reached the finals in the 2024-25 season. That alone makes them dangerous again.
And the list doesn’t stop there. The Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks are still in the mix, and the Cavs may also add LeBron James in free agency.
That’s the backdrop for Toronto’s uncertainty. With a healthy Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors should be much better than they were last season.
The source of optimism is clear: they could become a top-three defense and a functional offense. But if the trade never gets over the line, the upside disappears fast, and the Raptors could slide backward instead of forward and wind up in the play-in picture.
In Other News...
Raptors Summer Plans Suddenly Hinge On One Kawhi Decision
The Raptors summer has been put on hold while the NBA finishes its investigation into Kawhi Leonard, a process that could stretch all the way into October and bleed into training camp and preseason work. For a team trying to map out its next steps, that kind of uncertainty is more than a nuisance, because it leaves Toronto waiting on a decision that could shape both the roster and the way the front office handles the rest of the offseason.
Leonards status is the key issue, and the leagues ruling could alter the framework of the deal the Raptors are hoping to complete. Toronto is still operating with the expectation that it can finalize the acquisition, but until the investigation is resolved, the team cannot fully know what it is building around or how much flexibility it will have in the process. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Just Lost Another Big Man Fans Thought Could Help
Jamarion Sharps summer with the Raptors was enough to make him a name worth tracking in Toronto, especially for a team that has been searching for size and rim protection behind Jakob Poeltl. The 7-foot-5 center flashed exactly the kind of profile that can stand out in short bursts, pairing efficient scoring with the sort of shot-blocking that tends to get attention fast in a summer-league setting.
Now Sharp is off to another opportunity, and the Raptors are left with the same familiar question in the middle. Poeltl remains the anchor, but the depth chart behind him still looks unsettled, and losing a developmental big who seemed to fit a need only adds to the uncertainty around how Toronto wants to handle the center rotation going forward. [Read more 🡒]