Darko Rajakovic didn’t need to dress it up on media day: the Raptors spent the summer chasing better conditioning, and he believes they got there.
That matters because Toronto’s attack under Rajakovic has been built on pace, pressure and easy baskets in transition. The half-court game is getting a boost with Kawhi Leonard arriving, but the real engine of this offense has been the team’s ability to turn defense into points on the other end. Last season, the Raptors finished with the third-most transition points per game, and the thinking now is simple - if the group is in even better shape, that number can climb again.
“We had to seek what’s next for us. Some guys needed to get strong, some guys in better conditioning, some guys to add muscle,” said Rajakovic.
The soon-to-be fourth-year head coach even joked that he might have helped set the standard by dropping 10 pounds himself over the summer. He also pointed to Ja’Kobe Walter as one of the players who put in noticeable work, saying Walter added 10 pounds of muscle. Earlier in his availability, Rajakovic said Collin Murray-Boyles also made progress in his physical shape and came into the 2026-27 season aiming to be at his best from a fitness standpoint.
That kind of work feeds directly into what Toronto wants to be. Leonard should raise the ceiling in the half court with his ability to create his own shot and score efficiently in isolation, but Rajakovic’s group has made its living by getting out and running. If the conditioning gains hold, there’s a path for the Raptors to push even harder in that style and maybe finish as the league’s top transition scoring team.
Rajakovic also stressed that the team understood what was required for playoff basketball. That’s part of the bigger shift here: Toronto is no longer just the young, fun team that made noise in the East last season. With Leonard in the mix, the expectations are much bigger now, and the roster has been asked to match that ambition with more strength, more stamina and more consistency.
The individual improvements matter too. Walter’s added muscle should help speed up his growth into a high-level perimeter defender.
Murray-Boyles’ conditioning could make him even more switchable and active on the perimeter. And if those defensive gains lead to more steals, that only creates more chances for Scottie Barnes and the rest of the Raptors to get running and score before the defense gets set.
That’s the formula Rajakovic has been building toward, and it’s progressed every season. With better conditioning and more weapons, the Raptors’ defense-to-offense style looks ready for another step in 2026-27.
In Other News...
Brandon Ingram Trade Just Took A Tough Turn For Raptors Fans
Brandon Ingrams next chapter hit an early snag before it even really began, and Raptors fans have reason to take notice. After being dealt from Toronto to the Clippers, Ingram was expected to give Los Angeles a major scoring boost, but the new teams medical staff uncovered a serious issue ahead of training camp, changing the outlook almost immediately.
Ingram had already undergone offseason surgery, and the Clippers have not offered a timetable for when he might return. For Toronto, it is another reminder that the move is already carrying a different kind of risk than the one fans were focused on when the trade first went through, with his availability now in question as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors May Need Jamison Battle For More Than Just Shooting
Jamison Battle already enters the Raptors conversation with a clear selling point: he can really shoot it. After knocking down better than 40 percent from three-point range in both his rookie season and the year that followed, Battle has become one of the most dependable floor-spacing options on a roster that suddenly needs them more than ever after the Brandon Ingram trade and Sandro Mamukelashvilis departure.
The bigger question in Toronto is whether Battle can offer enough beyond the arc to stay in the rotation. Darko Rajakovic pointed to Battles defensive improvement during media day, and that matters on a team looking for every reliable piece it can find, especially with minutes available for players who can space the floor and hold up on the other end. [Read more 🡒]
Kawhi Is Already Sending A Message About The Clippers Fallout
Kawhi Leonards return to Toronto came with the kind of quiet, pointed message that tends to linger around a team long after the microphones are turned off. On his first media session back with the Raptors, Leonard asked that the conversation stay centered on basketball, even as the NBA investigation into him and the Clippers continued to hang over his offseason. He made clear that the process had been a distraction, but he also sounded energized by the chance to rejoin a familiar setting and get back to competing at the level he expects.
For the Raptors, the appeal is as much about fit as it is about talent. Leonard spoke about wanting to compete at a high level and said Toronto offers the right environment for that, which is exactly the sort of message this franchise wants to hear from a player of his stature. The unresolved backdrop remains obvious, but Leonards immediate priority is to move the focus back to his new-old team and the work ahead. [Read more 🡒]