Toronto Raptors Open to Trading Immanuel Quickley

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly open to trading Immanuel Quickley to add more star power to the roster. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst stated on January 16 that Toronto was calling around the league to see how much Immanuel Quickley was worth on the trade market.

“After three straight missed postseasons, and with new governor Edward Rogers ready to take full control of the franchise later this year, there is a sense of urgency in Toronto. The Raptors have been on the phones in recent weeks gauging the trade value of some of their players, including RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, numerous sources told ESPN.”

Raptors Linked to Anthony Davis and Ja Morant

The article comes two days after Shams Charania reported that Toronto had preliminary interest in Anthony Davis and Ja Morant.

Why Trading Immanuel Quickley Would Be a Mistake

However, Toronto would be stupid to trade Immanuel Quickley, given how they currently deploy guards in their offense. During Darko Rajakovic’s tenure, Toronto Raptors guards have averaged 25.2 threes per game, 9th in the league.

Furthermore, three-point attempts account for 41.6% of shots from the guard position in Toronto, as guards average 61 per game. The overwhelming number of threes from the guard position in Toronto is due to their offensive structure. Toronto runs a ball movement offense, ranking 7th in passes per game at 298.6.

How Toronto’s Ball Movement Offense Works

The Raptors use front-court players as the hub of their ball movement. On March 4, 2025, RJ Barrett dribbled up the court with five minutes to go against the Orlando Magic. Upon reaching the top of a key, he passed the ball to former Raptors center Orlando Robinson, who stood near the right elbow.

Orlando held the ball for a few seconds until Jamal Shead ran from the left wing to the right wing to receive the pass. Jamal Shead immediately passed the ball back to Barrett, who stood on the left wing. Barrett began driving towards the basket before getting fouled by Jonathan Isaac.

Quickley’s Value in Toronto’s Offensive Structure

Toronto’s current offensive structure suggests they should keep Immanuel Quickley, as he is thriving in the floor-spacing role. During his Toronto tenure, Quickley has taken 51% of his shots from behind the three-point line, averaging 7.1 per game. He has converted 37.2% of these attempts in 111 games as a Raptors.

Comparing Quickley to Ja Morant

Furthermore, Quickley’s shooting numbers are leaps and bounds better than Ja Morant’s. Ja had a career three-point shooting percentage of 31% on 4.3 attempts per game. Ja Morant. Poor shooting statistics would lead opposing teams to give him space whenever he is off the ball.

The opposing team would do this to force the Raptors into one of two bad decisions.

How Defenses Would Exploit Ja Morant in Toronto’s Offense

1. Forcing Low-Percentage Three-Point Attempts

The ball handler could pass the ball to Morant for a low percentage three-point attempt. As a result, Toronto’s team’s three-point percentage would decline significantly, which is awful news.

During Darko Rajakovic’s tenure, Toronto has been a below league-average three-point shooting team. Since the 2023-24 season, Toronto is 27th in three-point percentage, shooting 34.5% on 33.7 attempts per game.

2. Forcing Contested Shots

On the other hand, the ball handler could decide to take a contested shot because they are aware that Ja Morant is a poor shooter. Unfortunately, Toronto has grown accustomed to taking contested shots.

Toronto has taken the third most two-point field goal attempts under tight coverage, averaging 33.9 shots per game. According to nba.com, tight coverage is defined as 2-4 feet between the ball handler and defender.

Unfortunately, Toronto has a below league-average field goal percentage on tight coverage shots. They are shooting 53.3% on the shot, 18th in the league.

Why Anthony Davis Doesn’t Solve the Spacing Issue

The hypothetical coverage wouldn’t change if the Raptors acquired Anthony Davis. Similar to Ja Morant, Davis is also a below-average shooter. He has a career three-point shooting percentage of 29.5% on 1.6 attempts per game.

Final Verdict on Immanuel Quickley

Although Ja Morant and Davis are better overall players, Immanuel Quickley is a better fit for the Toronto Raptors.