Kawhi Leonard’s expected return to Toronto has the Raptors thinking about 2019 again, but he’s not the only name from that title run worth revisiting.
Going back through that championship push, Leonard’s dominance jumps off the screen. So does Kyle Lowry’s steady, captain-like presence, Pascal Siakam’s leap, and Fred VanVleet’s role as the connective tissue.
Still, Marc Gasol deserves a place in that conversation too. He wasn’t on the roster when the season began.
Jonas Valanciunas was the one manning the paint before Toronto made its move.
Gasol arrived at the deadline because the Raptors believed he could be the final piece. That part of the story matters now, because Toronto has once again built itself into a team with the ability to swing big if the right opportunity appears.
The 2019 team didn’t need to force anything. It was already sitting at 39-16 before the deadline.
But the front office saw a real chance to win a title and had the assets to make a major addition. That’s why concerns about Jakob Poeltl opening next season at center or Immanuel Quickley starting at point guard may not have to be permanent ones.
There’s always room for movement in an NBA season. One injury, one bad run, one star asking out - and the market changes fast. For Toronto, that’s where having bigger contracts like Quickley, Barrett, and Poeltl, plus some draft capital, becomes such a useful weapon.
If you’re looking for the kind of splash that could echo Gasol’s arrival, two names stand out: Kyrie Irving and Rudy Gobert.
Irving has already been tied to the Raptors in plenty of mock trades. If he comes back healthy with Dallas this season, he’d bring experience, leadership, championship pedigree, and a clear talent upgrade over IQ.
Gobert is the other one to keep in mind.
Minnesota should be a playoff team next season, but the margin feels thin enough that one injury could send the whole thing sideways. If the Wolves stumble, they could end up in sell mode at the deadline, and Gobert would be the obvious piece to watch.
He’s probably the closest Toronto could get to recreating what Gasol gave them in 2019. Both have won Defensive Player of the Year.
Gasol’s playoff box scores weren’t eye-popping, especially on offense, but his value showed up in the details. He neutralized Joel Embiid in that second-round series against Philadelphia and anchored the defense, finishing the playoffs with 2.0 stocks per game.
Gobert could provide that same kind of impact, maybe even more.
It’s impossible to know right now who will actually be available when trade season rolls around. But the Raptors should take some comfort in the fact that they’re positioned to chase another big swing if they decide the moment is right.
In Other News...
Clippers Still Havent Finalized The Kawhi Leonard Blockbuster
The NBAs investigation into the Clippers cleared one major hurdle for Toronto by fining Kawhi Leonard without imposing a suspension, which removed the league-level obstacle to a deal. Even so, the transaction has not moved from agreement to reality, with the final paperwork tied up while the Clippers sort through the aftermath of their front office upheaval and wait for the right people to sign off.
For the Raptors, the key point is that the trade still appears headed toward completion as originally constructed, even if the process has taken longer than expected. There has been some chatter about whether the terms could be revisited before everything is finalized, but the prevailing expectation remains that Toronto will land Leonard on the package that was initially worked out. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Have Finally Nailed A Pick That Changes Everything
The Raptors have spent enough time dealing with the mixed results of contract extensions and draft swings to know how much a clean hit can matter. Collin Murray-Boyles gave them one last season, and the early read around the league is that Toronto may have finally landed a first-rounder who looks built to matter for more than just one phase of the rebuild. His arrival has given the front office something it can actually build around, which is not something the Raptors have been able to say often enough in recent years.
Murray-Boyles also did more than simply look promising in a vacuum. He earned All-Rookie honors and held up well during the playoffs even as injuries thinned out the roster around him, which only sharpened the attention on what comes next. For Toronto, his development has quickly become one of the defining storylines of the coming season, because if he keeps moving forward, this pick could end up changing the way the franchise is judged. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Season May Hinge On 3 Roles Changing Fast
The Raptors are heading toward the 2026-27 season with a core that should look familiar, but the bigger storyline is how a few key pieces may be asked to work differently. Scottie Barnes is still projected to be the kind of do-it-all force Toronto builds around, only the burden on his offense is expected to ease as the roster around him changes, while rookie Murray-Boyles and second-year guard Walter are both positioned to become more important in specific lineup spots.
Walters growth may be especially important because Toronto needs answers on the wing and in the backcourt, where role clarity can make the difference between a balanced rotation and a shaky one. The expectation is that his shooting and backup guard responsibilities will expand, and Murray-Boyles will be counted on for more as well, but how quickly those changes happen could shape how smoothly the Raptors navigate the season. [Read more 🡒]