The Raptors’ rough opening stretch has done more than just put a dent in their season. It has put a spotlight on how Toronto got here in the first place: a roster that doesn’t match the price tag attached to it.
That mismatch traces back to a series of decisions the franchise never fully escaped after Kawhi Leonard left in the summer of 2019. Instead of committing to a long rebuild, the Raptors kept trying to thread the needle - down years followed by quick pushes back toward relevance - and the result is a team now dealing with the consequences of that half-measure approach.
Three moments stand out as the biggest culprits. There was the Jakob Poeltl trade, which cost Toronto a pick that became No. 8 in the 2024 class.
There was the return for OG Anunoby. And there was the decision not to fully embrace tanking in 2024-25, which meant passing on the chance to land a franchise-changing talent near the top of the 2025 NBA Draft class.
The Anunoby deal looks especially painful in hindsight. A year before the trade, there were rumors that teams were willing to offer a haul of picks and young players for him.
Toronto passed on that chance in an effort to make a play-in push. Then, when the Raptors finally moved him, they came away from the Knicks with no first-round picks and Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett as the centerpieces.
That trade created another problem, too: it pushed Toronto into extending Quickley long-term without a real starting-point-guard sample to evaluate. The result, as the source material frames it, is a player the team now views as an overpaid sixth-man type while trying to sell him as a starter.
The Poeltl move also fits the same pattern. Toronto gave up draft picks to chase a playoff appearance with Poeltl, then tore things down at the next deadline anyway. Not long after, the team extended him on what is described as the worst contract in the league.
And when the Raptors finally had a season where development should have been the priority, they still didn’t go all the way. With Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper sitting near the top of the 2025 class, the case for a proper tank was obvious. Toronto didn’t fully commit, even though Collin Murray-Boyles is a player worth liking, and the alternate reality where Dylan Harper ends up in a Raptors uniform is one that lingers.
All of it circles back to the same central failure: Toronto never truly accepted a rebuild. That reluctance has made it far harder to build a contender through the draft and young talent, and it helps explain why the starters around Scottie Barnes and Leonard aren’t good enough to lift this team into title contention.
If the post-Kawhi path had been different, Bobby Webster wouldn’t have needed to scramble to bring back the aging forward this summer. But the roster had been squeezed by years of trying to stay competitive without fully resetting, and the payroll still doesn’t reflect the level of talent on the floor.
In Other News...
Raptors Center Search Suddenly Has One Intriguing New Trade Target
Wendell Carter Jr. has quietly become one of the more interesting big men to watch around the league, and his season with the Orlando Magic has only sharpened that profile. For a Raptors team still sorting through its long-term answer in the middle, Carters blend of size, versatility and two-way usefulness makes him an easy name to circle when the conversation turns to possible upgrades.
The problem, as always, is getting from intrigue to reality. Toronto would have to navigate a tricky financial picture and the kind of salary-cap hurdles that can stall even a sensible idea before it gets off the ground, which is why this remains more of a future possibility than a live negotiation for now. Still, if the Magics direction changes or Toronto keeps looking for a center who fits multiple roles, Carters name is one that could linger on the Raptors radar. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Center Problem Could Put Nate Bittle In The Spotlight
Torontos center depth has become a real talking point, and Nate Bittle has surfaced as one of the more interesting names tied to it. Basketball analyst Sam Vecenie pointed to the two-way big man as a possible answer, which is notable given how much the Raptors have been looking for help in the middle. Bittles Summer League showing gave the idea some traction, with promising production across the board and enough rim protection to make him stand out.
The longer-term question is availability, because there is still no clear timetable for his return to play. That leaves the Raptors in a familiar holding pattern, weighing upside against uncertainty while trying to map out who can actually fill minutes at center. Bittles college background and his Summer League flashes make him worth watching, but for now the path from intriguing prospect to real rotation option remains unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face A Tough Allen Graves Decision As Ceiling Comes Into Focus
Without Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have been forced to take a hard look at where they stand and what kind of move could actually lift the roster back into contention. One name that keeps surfacing is rookie forward Allen Graves, whose blend of value and upside makes him one of the few real assets Toronto could use to upgrade the starting lineup. The problem is that the front office is operating with limited ways to add first-round picks, which makes every possible path feel more expensive and more complicated.
Graves also represents the kind of decision teams hate most: the player you want to keep because he fits the long-term picture, and the player you may have to move because the present is demanding more. Toronto has to weigh its future draft flexibility against the need to improve now, especially with uncertainty hanging over what those future picks might actually become. The ceiling on this roster is becoming clearer, and so is the pressure to decide whether patience is still the right bet. [Read more 🡒]