The Toronto Raptors have already checked off a major box in their push toward contention. With Kyle Anderson in the fold and Allen Graves added in the first round of the NBA Draft, one of last season’s biggest issues has been addressed.
But the real question is whether the rest of the roster can keep climbing.
Scottie Barnes is the franchise centerpiece, RJ Barrett is coming off one of the strongest stretches of his career, and younger pieces like Collin Murray-Boyles and Ja'Kobe Walter started to show real progress late last season. That growth matters, because if Toronto wants to move from promising to dangerous, the young core has to keep taking steps forward.
That’s the part the Raptors still need most. The front office has already done plenty of the hard work by building a group with multiple players in their prime, useful depth, and financial flexibility.
They also have proven veterans to stabilize the rotation. Talent is there.
The next level depends on development.
That’s usually how titles get built anyway. It’s not just about stacking the most names on a roster. It’s about second- and third-year players becoming dependable, and gifted players turning into stars.
Barnes sits at the center of that equation. He’s already one of the league’s most versatile players, and another jump as a scorer could push Toronto’s offense into a different tier.
His shooting will be a major swing factor. Barnes is a career 30.1 per cent 3-point shooter in his first five seasons, and if he can raise that to 34 or 35, the Raptors would suddenly look a lot more dangerous - and Barnes could start looking like one of the best players in the league.
There’s a blueprint for that kind of rise. The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t arrive overnight. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became an MVP, while players like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren kept developing into the versions of themselves that helped make the team a contender.
Other recent champions followed a similar path, using multiple playoff runs to grow together before everything finally clicked. Toronto is hoping its own version of that story is still ahead, and that the momentum from last season carries into what comes next.
In Other News...
Raptors Still Have One Frontcourt Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Raptors are still staring at a familiar frontcourt question as the roster takes shape for next season. Jakob Poeltl is in line to anchor the middle, and while Toronto has reasons to value his size and steadiness, the reaction around him has never fully quieted down. If the team leans on Collin Murray-Boyles behind him, it could leave Darko Rajakovic with a thinner look at the five than fans would prefer, especially in a conference where physicality in the paint tends to matter.
Toronto also knows this is not a problem that disappears just because the calendar flips. A smaller frontline can put extra pressure on the glass, and the Raptors have already lived through stretches where that issue showed up at the worst possible time. The front office still has future picks and movable contracts to work with if it wants to chase a bigger answer later, but for now the shape of the center rotation remains one of the clearest pressure points on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Still Have One Frontcourt Problem This Offseason Didn't Solve
The Raptors spent the offseason adding pieces, but they still have not brought in anyone taller than 6-9, and that leaves a familiar question hanging over the roster. Torontos frontcourt got a boost with Allen Graves, the 19th overall pick, but the rookie is more of a versatile forward than a true answer to the kind of size that can tilt games in the paint.
Graves is expected to back up Jakob Poeltl and may even slide into some small-ball five minutes, which helps with flexibility but does not fully change the teams size profile. Toronto also passed on several taller center prospects in the draft, and after the playoff rebounding issues that already exposed the group, the Raptors still look like a team that could have trouble matching up with dominant big men. [Read more 🡒]