The Toronto Raptors head into the 2026-27 season with most of their roster intact, but there’s already movement in both directions as training camp approaches. With the team aiming to push toward contention in the Eastern Conference, a few names stand out as players who could either climb into bigger roles or slide into tougher spots.
Collin Murray-Boyles is one of the clearest upward bets. Marc Nolan sees a breakout coming, saying, "Collin Murray-Boyles will take a huge leap and become an All-Defense player this season. The Raptors have an incredible defensive system and his skills perfectly complement what they are trying to execute."
Toronto is expected to lean on Murray-Boyles more in his second season, and there’s a reason for that. He brings defensive versatility, can handle multiple spots off the bench, and already looks more comfortable with the pace and demands of the NBA game. That combination could make him one of the more important pieces in the Raptors’ push this year.
Jamal Shead is another player trending up. Josh Elijah Nitsopoulos believes his defense will get him noticed around the league, saying, "Jamal Shead will get league notice for his role as a premier defender at the backup point guard position.
With his new extension, he’ll double-down on his tenacious approach to defense, anchoring the Raptors bench unit. Shead can be projected to average more than 1.5 steals per game, and if he does, he should earn some All-Defensive team votes."
That new deal matters too. Shead just signed a three-year, $24 million contract that keeps him in Toronto through the end of the 2029-2030 season, a clear sign the Raptors value what he brings on the defensive end. His presence in the backcourt should give the bench unit a real edge.
Not everyone is trending in the right direction, though. Matthew Davison expects RJ Barrett to become a trade candidate before the deadline, saying, "RJ Barrett won’t be a Raptor by the trade deadline. With Kawhi Leonard on the wing and Scottie Barnes running the offence, Barrett is Toronto’s best trade chip for a centre who can space the floor."
Barrett’s place on the roster is now less certain with Leonard in the mix. He has just one year left on his contract, and that puts Toronto in a position where it may have to decide whether to move him before he reaches free agency and walks away for nothing.
Jakob Poeltl is also a concern. Jeremy Brener wrote, "Jakob Poeltl will be hampered by injuries and won't play more than 60 games this season.
Poeltl caught the injury bug last year and it might only get worse as this season rolls along. The Raptors don't have a ton of wiggle room when it comes to the centre position, which could result in them relying on Poeltl far more often.
Allen Graves and CMB are too small to play big centre minutes, so Toronto will count on Poeltl, who won't be able to perform up to his previous standard."
Poeltl’s three-year, $84 million extension has not started yet, but it looms over the team’s future. Toronto may not have much flexibility to move him, and that makes depth behind him even more important. If he’s forced to carry the centre spot alone, the Raptors could find themselves stretched thin over the course of the season.
In Other News...
Clippers Just Lost More Control In The Kawhi Leonard Saga
Kawhi Leonards path back to Toronto is becoming a bigger reminder of just how complicated his departure from the Clippers really was. The Raptors officially completed the trade only after the league took time to sort through the Clippers salary-cap situation, and the deal has already reopened interest in one of the more unusual star exits in recent NBA memory.
Leonard, for his part, has started talking more about the basketball side of the move, saying his focus is on learning the team and settling back into a veteran role. For Toronto, it is a familiar and welcome storyline, but it also leaves plenty of the larger Clippers questions hanging in the background, especially with the leagues investigation still shaping how this chapter gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhis Raptors Return Creates One Big Question For Darkos Offense
Kawhi Leonards return gives Toronto a very different kind of offensive anchor, and Darko Rajakovic is already sorting through how that changes the Raptors flow. The head coach has pointed to Leonards offensive gravity as the obvious draw, the kind of presence that can bend defenses and open cleaner looks for everyone else, while still allowing the group to keep its pace and transition identity when he is not on the floor.
Rajakovic also made clear this is not an instant plug-and-play situation, even with Leonard back in familiar territory. He is still working his way into the roster and into the environment around him, and the early task for Toronto is figuring out how to blend a superstars shot-making with the rhythm the team has been building, all while keeping enough flexibility in the rotation to let the fit settle in naturally. [Read more 🡒]
Collin Murray-Boyles Could Decide How Far The Raptors Really Go
Collin Murray-Boyles has already given the Raptors a useful glimpse of why they were intrigued by him in the first place. As a rookie, he showed the kind of defensive versatility Toronto has long valued, while also flashing enough offensive promise to suggest there is more to come. The bigger question now is how quickly that two-way profile can grow into something the Raptors can count on when the games start to matter most.
This summer, the early signs around his development have been encouraging, and Darko Rajakovic has pointed to both Murray-Boyles work ethic and the importance of letting his game expand at a measured pace. Toronto does not need him to be finished today, but it does need progress in the right places if he is going to become the sort of contributor who changes the ceiling of the roster. For a team trying to climb in the East, his next step may end up telling the story of how far this group can really go. [Read more 🡒]