Darko Rajakovic’s name is already circling in the Coach of the Year conversation, but the real question is how much Kawhi Leonard could help - or complicate - that case.
Rajakovic got one point in the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year voting, and Joe Mazzulla was the clear winner after guiding the Boston Celtics to 56 wins without Jayson Tatum. Even so, Rajakovic earned plenty of credit for steering the Raptors from a 30-52 season to the fifth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Toronto won 16 more games than it did in 2024-25, and that kind of jump put Rajakovic on the radar.
Now the expectations are even higher. Zach Lowe and Howard Beck both picked him as their early Coach of the Year choice on the September 24 episode of The Zach Lowe Show, and the Raptors could climb even further if Leonard changes the ceiling of the team. But that same addition could also muddy the voting picture.
“Here’s what he has going against him,” Lowe said about Rajakovic’s case. “If the Raptors exceed expectations, how much of the credit is given to Kawhi Leonard as the new addition?”
Lowe also pointed out the other side of that argument: “But I also think the Raptors flew so under the radar last year…that if they won 52 games this year, everybody would get a lot of credit, including Darko Rajakovic.”
That tension sits at the heart of Toronto’s outlook. The Leonard trade is not just a swing for a bigger win total; it’s a bet on Scottie Barnes, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead taking real steps forward. The last three are still early in their NBA journeys, and Toronto needs that group to keep growing fast.
It is also a bet on Rajakovic himself. He is being asked to handle tougher expectations, get the most out of the Leonard-Barnes pairing, manage whatever comes next if Jakob Poeltl has another rough season, and guide the younger players into their next stage. The Raptors’ front office has already shown its faith in him, signing him to a multi-year contract extension in July.
Rajakovic is not the only Raptor with an award path in front of him, either. On the same podcast, Lowe and Beck brought up Collin Murray-Boyles as a possible Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
He is expected to come off the bench behind Poeltl, but he should also finish a lot of games and lead the second unit in scoring. If Toronto wins big and Murray-Boyles produces across the board - scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks - he could end up in the mix.
Scottie Barnes has an award lane too. Lowe and Beck mentioned him as a Defensive Player of the Year possibility, though Victor Wembanyama is the favorite for the next few years.
If Wembanyama’s availability remains an issue, Barnes could become a real threat thanks to how versatile and disruptive he is on that end. And if the Raptors are one of the NBA’s best defensive teams, that would only strengthen his case.
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The part that will matter most to Toronto observers is the way Dallas keeps drawing from familiar circles as it builds out that staff. Engelbrechts arrival adds another layer to a reshaped decision-making group, and the same goes for the front office hires surrounding him, including Matt Redfield in a key basketball operations post. For a Mavericks team trying to sharpen every edge, these are not cosmetic moves, and they suggest a more deliberate power structure taking hold in Dallas. [Read more 🡒]
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Kawhi Leonard Is Suddenly At The Center Of A Raptors Debate
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Brian Windhorst noted that Leonard remains a high-level player, but the lingering concern around his health continues to shape how the league views him. For the Raptors, the calculation is simple enough: if Leonard can keep delivering at that level, he changes the look of the team, but his availability remains the part no one around the franchise can ignore. [Read more 🡒]