The Raptors may have caught a break before they even get their next shot at Cleveland.
Toronto pushed a more experienced Cavaliers team to seven games in the playoffs without Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram, and the feeling afterward was clear: the Raptors believed they should have won the series. That frustration now has a cleaner path to payback in the 2026-27 regular season, and maybe beyond.
The biggest reason? LeBron James is heading to Philadelphia instead of Cleveland.
James was one of the names in the mix for the Cavaliers in free agency, and while he’s obviously not the same player he was during his last run with the franchise, he still would have been a problem for Toronto. The Raptors know exactly what he can do to them. Instead, he chose the 76ers, which removes a major obstacle from Toronto’s revenge tour.
Cleveland hasn’t exactly had a busy offseason otherwise, but there have still been some notable moves. The Cavaliers extended Donovan Mitchell and will sign Mario Hezonja, but they also watched some pieces leave. They still haven’t extended James Harden, Keon Ellis signed with the Brooklyn Nets, and Dean Wade joined Philadelphia as well.
Wade’s departure matters. He was a key rotation piece during Cleveland’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, starting 14 games and averaging 22.6 minutes per night. Against Toronto, his defense played a big part in making life miserable for Ingram, who had trouble finding clean looks or getting to his spots.
Losing a role player like that to a conference rival is no small thing.
Toronto, though, could be the team that changes the whole picture.
Maybe a healthy Ingram or Quickley would have been enough to swing last season’s series. But the Raptors might be aiming much higher if everything falls into place: Kawhi Leonard. If Leonard is healthy and playing like he did for the Clippers last season, when he averaged almost 28 points per game over 65 games, Toronto suddenly becomes a much tougher matchup for Cleveland’s big four of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
The Raptors were already one win away from knocking off the Cavs this year. Add a healthy Leonard, and they might not need a full seven games in a rematch.
Of course, there’s still the downside. The Leonard trade might not happen at all, and Toronto could still find itself fighting just to reach the playoffs in a reshaped Eastern Conference.
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What makes the signing more interesting is that Toronto may be getting more than a placeholder for Temples old role. Anderson has bounced around the league recently, but he also brings a playoff background that should matter to a team trying to raise its standard around a young core. If he settles where the Raptors expect in the rotation, his value could come less from headlines and more from the sort of dependable influence that tends to show up when the games start meaning more. [Read more 🡒]