Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that the Toronto Raptors have quietly signaled what he describes as exploratory-level curiosity about the availability of Anthony Davis, but he strongly downplays the likelihood that those early feelers turn into anything concrete.
In Lewenberg’s view, the conversations sit firmly in the realm of information-gathering rather than momentum-building, with Toronto more interested in understanding the landscape than pushing toward a finish line.
The analyst outlines that, from a practical standpoint, any clean two-team construction with the Dallas Mavericks would force the Raptors to move real money off their books, most logically by centering the package around RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl.
Even with those pieces involved, Lewenberg suggests Dallas would almost certainly escalate the price, pressing for significant draft compensation and framing multiple first-round picks as a non-negotiable component rather than a luxury add-on.
He also notes that Toronto’s front office has a track record of leaning into calculated risk, particularly when elite players see their market value softened by long injury résumés.
That philosophy, however, comes with limits. Lewenberg stresses that there is a clear difference between capitalizing on depressed value and paying a premium disguised as patience.
In his estimation, attaching two or three future first-round picks to a deal for Davis would move well beyond the Raptors’ usual definition of a discounted gamble and into territory that undermines the very logic of buying low in the first place.
Trade Rumors: Davis, Hawks, Raptors, Zion, Bulls https://t.co/HmGqQxTEij pic.twitter.com/tF5SydzdX6
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 9, 2026
