The Toronto Raptors may have a real chance to push into the upper tier of the Eastern Conference next season, but that only happens if the whole group fully commits to Darko Rajakovic’s system. With most of the roster returning, Toronto has a clean runway for growth - and no player looks better positioned to benefit than backup shooting guard Ja’Kobe Walter.
Walter’s second season came with a small drop in scoring, but the efficiency jump told a much bigger story. He went from shooting 40 per cent from the field as a rookie to 44.6 per cent, while his three-point mark climbed from 34.9 per cent to 40.9 per cent. For a player entering his age-22 season, that kind of leap matters.
There is still plenty Walter has to prove on both sides of the ball, but the direction he’s heading in is hard to ignore. His rise from year one to year two gives Toronto a reason to believe his role can keep expanding as the staff grows more comfortable trusting him in the rotation.
That’s where the Raptors’ plans start to get interesting. Toronto needs Walter to become the lead wing off the bench, now and moving forward.
If he can settle in as a dependable perimeter shooter next to players like Scottie Barnes, it changes the geometry of the offense. Defences have to stay honest with him, and that creates cleaner driving lanes for Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead.
The next step is durability in production. One strong season is a good start, but Walter has to show he can sustain that level over time. If he does, the Raptors put themselves in a much better spot for what comes next.
There’s also a contractual layer here. Walter is entering the third year of his deal, with a team option for the 2027-28 season that will almost certainly be picked up by Oct. 31 of this year.
After that, he’d become a restricted free agent in the summer of 2028. With a long-term payday in play, Walter has every reason to keep trending up - and to keep being the kind of X-factor Toronto needs if it wants to move from good to elite.
In Other News...
Kawhi To Toronto Feels Less Risky For One Big Reason
A possible Kawhi Leonard return to Toronto for the 2026-27 season comes with the same obvious caveat it always has: health. Leonards injury history and the load management that has followed him through recent years make any reunion a delicate bet, even if the fit on paper still carries obvious appeal for the Raptors and their fans.
Still, the risk no longer belongs to Toronto alone. The East is packed with contenders leaning on stars who come with their own durability questions, from Joel Embiid to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum, with LeBron James also in that conversation as the conference keeps aging and bruising itself in the postseason. In that landscape, the Raptors would not be the only team gambling on availability, which changes the way Leonards return has to be judged. [Read more 🡒]
Scottie Barnes Is Suddenly At The Center Of Torontos Biggest Debate
Scottie Barnes has already become the kind of player Toronto can build around, but Darko Rajakovics recent comments underscored just how central he views the forward to the Raptors future. In talking about Barnes, Rajakovic praised the way he has embraced defensive priorities while still giving Toronto all-around production, and he pointed to Barnes role across the 2025-26 season and playoffs as a big reason the team stayed competitive.
Barnes finished the regular season with 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game, then raised his level in the postseason. For a Raptors team trying to define its next step, that kind of impact is exactly what makes Barnes such a focal point of the conversation, because the debate around Torontos ceiling now runs directly through what he can do on both ends. [Read more 🡒]
Scottie Barnes Just Got The Kind Of Praise Raptors Fans Will Debate
Darko Rajakovi has never been shy about how much Scottie Barnes means to the Raptors, but his latest praise still landed with some weight. In an interview, Torontos coach put Barnes in rare company while stressing the qualities that have made the young forward the center of everything the team wants to do. Rajakovi called him a hardworking All-Star and a franchise player, the kind of building block who changes the tone of a roster because he brings production and responsibility with him.
For Raptors fans, the interesting part is not just the lofty comparison, but the way Rajakovi described Barnes as someone who makes coaching easier by putting defense first. Since taking over in 2023, Rajakovi has leaned on Barnes as one of the defining pieces of the program, and his public gratitude underscored how central Barnes has already become to the organization. The debate, of course, is where exactly that kind of praise fits in the bigger picture of Torontos future. [Read more 🡒]