The Toronto Raptors left Vancouver with a preseason win and a clearer picture of where a few key rotation pieces stand. Toronto beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-106 at Rogers Arena, built a 12-point halftime lead, and then coasted through the second half after taking its foot off the gas.
The cleanest takeaway belonged to RJ Barrett, who looked like the best player on the floor for Toronto. He scored a team-high 20 points in just 23 minutes, giving the Raptors exactly the kind of burst they want to see from him as he enters the final year of his contract.
Barrett is playing for a contract extension, and there’s a chance he could get a new deal before the start of the season. If this kind of production keeps showing up, Toronto will have a harder time ignoring the need to make a long-term commitment.
Immanuel Quickley also gave the Raptors something real to build on. This is a major season for him, since Toronto needs him to keep moving forward, and he answered against the Clippers by knocking down 6 of 8 shots overall and 5 of 6 from three. He finished with a team-best plus-27, and his shooting gives the Raptors another weapon opponents have to account for.
Kyle Anderson got his first run with Toronto after sitting out the preseason game against the Miami Heat, and the team used the night to see how he fits as a small-ball center. He didn’t score in 16 minutes, but the look itself mattered.
The Raptors need help at that spot behind Jakob Poeltl, and there’s no clear answer yet for where the extra production will come from. Anderson’s 6-8, 230-pound frame makes him a logical option there, especially with Collin Murray-Boyles and Allen Graves unavailable because of injury.
Not everything went smoothly, though. Jamal Shead, listed here as Hepburn, was expected to see action against the Clippers but left with a hamstring strain.
He’s got a chance to land on the Raptors’ roster at some point this season, which makes every preseason rep valuable. With only one week of preseason left, the injury clouds that opportunity and leaves his status unclear.
In Other News...
Raptors Trade Options Come Down To One Costly Question
Torontos search for outside help is being shaped less by wish lists than by math, with a handful of affordable names emerging as possible trade targets if the front office decides to push something across the finish line. The group includes Ryan Rollins, Kris Dunn, Goga Bitadze, Ty Jerome and one other player who could help in a specific role, but each comes with a different kind of fit question for a team still trying to balance talent, roster needs and financial flexibility.
Rollins stands out as the most intriguing of the bunch after his breakout season in Milwaukee, though prying him away would almost certainly require a hefty package. Dunn, on an expiring deal, offers a different kind of value as a movable guard piece, while Bitadze and Jerome bring frontcourt and shot-creation appeal at separate price points, leaving Toronto to weigh whether any of those paths are worth the cost of doing business. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Jersey News Has Fans Thinking About A Classic Look Again
Jersey talk has a way of pulling Raptors fans straight back into the franchises style history, and this latest note is no exception. According to jersey design company ProLine Mockups, Toronto is expected to unveil a new look for the 2027-28 season, with the current black-and-red Statement Edition set to give way to a purple-and-red version.
The timing is still a ways off, with the team reportedly sending notice to stop production of the current jersey by the end of 2026. For now, there has been no official announcement or rendering from the Raptors, which leaves plenty of room for speculation while also keeping the door open for a classic color combo to return to the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Leonard's Raptors Debut Suddenly Feels Real
Kawhi Leonards return to game action is starting to look real for the Raptors, after he fully participated in Mondays practice and moved closer to making his preseason debut at home against the Knicks. For a team that has spent camp easing him along, the sight of Leonard handling a normal workload is an encouraging sign that the ramp-up process is finally nearing a competitive stage.
Toronto has built plenty of its early planning around how Leonard fits with a roster that also includes Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, so every step in his recovery carries extra weight. He has been working back from a very light offseason amid the NBA investigation and trade discussions, and the next checkpoint should give the Raptors a better sense of how soon their new-look group can start taking shape in real game action. [Read more 🡒]