Toronto Raptors Respond to Win-Now Trade Speculation Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft

The Toronto Raptors continue to pop up in trade chatter ahead of Wednesday’s NBA Draft, but the organization is making it clear that any roster upgrades will not come at the expense of their long-term vision.

Toronto has been rumored to be exploring trades involving the No. 9 pick and has reportedly shown interest in moves to improve the roster in the short term. They have been linked to multiple high-profile names this offseason including Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. With several teams calling about the ninth pick, there is growing speculation the Raptors could make a splash.

Internally, though, the tone is more measured.

“I wouldn’t say an urgency (to win next season) as much as this was a big part of why we did the Brandon Ingram trade,” assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said Monday. “We see him as a big addition to our team next year.”

Rather than making a huge win-now move for next season, the Raptors are focused on building a foundation that can take advantage of the next window of opportunity in the East. While the conference may seem more open next season following injuries to stars like Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, and Tyrese Haliburton, Tolzman cautioned that nothing will come easy.

“I think it’s still going to be very difficult,” he said. “There’s a lot of these teams in the midfield that are going to be trying to make that jump up to contention too.”

The Raptors’ goal is to make sure they are ready when their opportunity arrives. That means solidifying a group that is healthy, cohesive, and capable of contending when the time is right. It also means doing so without sacrificing the future for short-term gain.

“We definitely feel like we’re just trying to get the pieces in place that when we’re healthy, when we’re ready to actually make a run as a group and on the same page in chemistry, we’re ready to be in a point of actually competing with some of those teams that have been ahead of us,” Tolzman said.

At the same time, long-term development remains a priority.

“We’re not looking to sacrifice any of our long term,” he added. “We still have a really young group of players, so we want to keep developing while maybe getting more competitive in the process.”

The Raptors may still pull off a deal before or during the draft. They have been one of the more active teams in trade discussions and are clearly open to opportunities to accelerate their rise. But based on Tolzman’s comments, any move will be carefully calculated with both the present and future in mind.

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