Toronto Raptors Join Top Tier as Potential Landing Spot for Kevin Durant

The Toronto Raptors continue to gain steam in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, now viewed as one of the top contenders to land the 36-year-old forward.

As of Wednesday, Toronto is listed at +400 on DraftKings Sportsbook to be Durant’s next team. That implies a 20% chance, trailing only the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves, both at +350. It marks a dramatic climb from +10,000 a few weeks ago and signals growing league-wide belief that the Raptors could be ready to make a serious offer.

A potential deal is believed to center around one of RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley, paired with Jakob Poeltl and the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft. That combination would give the Phoenix Suns matching salary for Durant’s $54.7 million expiring contract while also returning a top-10 selection and quality starters.

The Raptors have been preparing to be active this summer and appear open to reshaping the roster around Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram. Moving off a starter like Barrett or Quickley and Poeltl would come at a significant cost, but Toronto’s willingness to explore this type of move suggests the front office sees an opportunity to accelerate its timeline.

Durant’s other possible destinations seem disinterested in making a big move this summer. San Antonio has not emerged as an aggressive suitor. Minnesota remains the betting favorite, but Durant is not believed to be interested in landing there. Houston appears to be the cleanest fit and remains firmly in the mix, but beyond that, there are few obvious alternatives.

Toronto may not be at the top of Durant’s preferred destinations, but the Raptors are becoming increasingly hard to ignore as a potential landing spot.

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