NBA 2K27 has the Toronto Raptors sitting at an 82 overall, a number that places them ahead of only the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.
That team mark gives Toronto one of the stronger ratings in the game, but the individual numbers tell a more interesting story. Jakob Poeltl is listed at 79, and that feels a touch optimistic. He’s still a starting center, so a high-70s grade makes sense, but the game doesn’t fully account for how much his 2024-25 level dipped from last season.
Availability is part of the concern, too. Poeltl hasn’t played 60 games in a season over the last three years, and during the Raptors’ playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers he had a hard time staying on the floor while averaging only seven points per game. His back injuries and age could be starting to show, and that may be something his rating reflects more clearly as the season goes on.
A number in the 76 or 77 range would make more sense for Poeltl, though 79 isn’t far off. Still, the bigger issue may be where that leaves Jamal Shead.
Shead enters his third season with plenty of room to grow, and the former second-round pick has already shown traits that should push his rating up a bit. He’s the fastest player on the team with a 93 speed rating, and while his 6-1 frame naturally works against him, his perimeter defense looks underrated.
His playoff performance last season is a big reason for that. Shead came through when the Raptors needed him most, showing he can jump in at a moment’s notice and give them real minutes. If that continues this year, his 2K number should climb.
Right now, Shead is set at 76, but a 77 or 78 feels closer to the mark.
In Other News...
Raptors Face A Costly Kawhi Gamble After NBA Punishment
The NBA handed down its harshest possible penalties in the Clippers salary-cap circumvention case, putting a long-brewing Kawhi Leonard controversy back in the spotlight. For Raptors fans, it is another reminder of how much the league has tried to police the gray area around Leonards off-court earning power and the incentives that followed him to Los Angeles after his championship run in Toronto.
What makes the punishment sting even more is how broad it reached beyond the player himself. Leonard was fined for the violations tied to those off-court income opportunities and for not reimbursing the Clippers for personal expenses, while the fallout also swept up the people around him, including a five-year league ban for Dennis Robertson and a one-year suspension for Steve Ballmer. It is the kind of ruling that closes one chapter only to leave the bigger question hanging over how this all happened in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Suddenly Have Real Leverage In The Kawhi Leonard Trade
Brian Windhorst floated an interesting wrinkle on the Hoop Collective podcast: Toronto may not be locked into simply taking the original Kawhi Leonard trade framework as it stands. With the Clippers now dealing with the fallout from the salary cap circumvention scandal, the Raptors could have a chance to revisit a deal that once looked straightforward, even though no fresh demand from Toronto has been reported.
The leverage point, at least in Windhorsts view, is the draft compensation attached to the swap. The previously reported package sent Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, two first-round picks, a 2027 first-round swap and two second-round picks to Los Angeles, and Toronto may suddenly have more room to push back on that kind of outlay if the Clippers are in a weakened spot. [Read more 🡒]
Danny Green Just Put A Raptors Champion In Rare Company
Danny Greens post-playing life is already giving Raptors fans a reason to smile. Since retiring after a 15-year NBA career, the former Toronto wing has moved into sports broadcasting, and in a recent interview with Spectrum SportsNet he was asked to name the best teammates he ever had. The list was loaded with Hall of Fame weight, but it also included a familiar Toronto face from the 2019 championship run, a reminder of how deeply that title team still resonates with the veterans who helped deliver it.
What stands out for Raptors fans is how naturally Green spoke about his connection with OG Anunoby, one of the most important two-way pieces on that title roster. Green said the two remain in touch, which says plenty about the bond formed during that championship season and about the company Anunoby now finds himself in when a veteran like Green reflects on a 15-year career. For a player who shared locker rooms with LeBron James and Tim Duncan, that kind of recognition carries real weight. [Read more 🡒]