We probably don't talk about the Toronto Raptors enough. This is one of the most confounding and yet intriguing teams in the NBA. Masai Ujiri dropped the mic on his way out the door, selecting FanSided's No. 3 prospect Collin Murray-Boyles ninth overall in the NBA Draft, which was a home run. Now, with Brandon Ingram finally due for his Raptors debut, Toronto is a team to watch in the wide-open East.
This conference is so bad that Ujiri's plan to build an incredibly average roster at an exorbitant price might actually work. The Raptors aren't going to win the East or anything, but I wouldn't be shocked if they get closer than folks expect. Toronto's roster has talent up and down. Overpaid talent is still talent. Meanwhile, the Raps have done an excellent job of stockpiling ancilary pieces through the draft. CMB, Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo — there are all rock-solid rotation cogs at worst.
So let's dive into this strange amalgamation of overpaid tertiary stars and ascendent youngsters. Here is how the Raptors' projected 2025-26 depth chart shapes up.
Toronto Raptors 2025-26 depth chart once offseason dust settles
PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Immanuel Quickley | R.J. Barrett | Brandon Ingram | Scottie Barnes | Jakob Poeltl |
Jamal Shead | Gradey Dick | Ochai Agbaji | Collin Murray-Boyles | Jonathan Mogbo |
Alijah Martin | Ja'Kobe Walter | A.J. Lawson | Jamison Battle | Sandro Mamukelashvili |
Does Toronto's starting five last the whole season?
The Raptors feel like a team destined for trade rumors. If things go well, GM Bobby Webster will be in the market to upgrade along the margins. If Toronto struggles out of the gate, one has to imagine Webster, now in the position of power, might look to undo some of Ujiri's more curious big-money acquisitions.
R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, the primary haul from the OG Anunoby trade, with both need to prove their mettle this season. Quickley spent much of 2024-25 hurt. Barrett put up his usual big numbers, but it remains to be seen if he can consistently impact winning in a featured role. Plus, with Ingram joining a healthier lineup, Barrett will be asked to scale back. That has not always been a strength of his.
As far as internal challengers for a starting spot, two stand out: Gradey Dick, who broke out as a sophomore amid Toronto's injury-fueled tumult, and CMB, whose elite defensive instincts should earn him a significant role out of the gate.
How will the Brandon Ingram-Scottie Barnes duo work?
Ingram was eager to get out of New Orleans for months before the Raptors finally pulled the trigger on a trade. Then the Raptors turned around and gave Ingram the cushy extension he couldn't squeeze out of the Pelicans — all before he even set foot on the court as a Raptor. It was a strange decision, certainly up for debate, but clearly Toronto believes in Ingram as a "missing piece" of sorts. His arrival means there are postseason expectations north of the border.
It's been five years since Ingram was an All-Star, but the 27-year-old's production has been mostly consistent year to year. He's a good, not great shooter with a penchant for getting to his spots in the mid-range. Ingram operates best as a playmaking fulcrum on the wing. He has the length to get to a shot anywhere on the floor, but he's also comfortable firing a live-dribble dime coming around a screen. That is an archetype the Raptors like — perhaps a little too much.
Toronto has an even better playmaking wing who is even more compromised as a 3-point shooter in Scottie Barnes. That's not to say Barnes and Ingram can't strike up a symbiotic partnership, but there will be instances when Toronto's new wing duet finds itself occupying the same areas of the court, with diminishing returns.
Ingram will need to really lean into his spot-up shooting. Barnes will too, to a lesser extent, although he needs to commit doubly to setting screens, diving hard to the rim, and working as a connector when he's not running jumbo point.
Generally, I think the Raptors are going to win some games and keep competitive in the East Play-In race. Maybe they can even aim a bit higher. The pieces don't fit together seamlessly — Toronto could use one more knockdown shooter to balance the scales — but there's too much talent for the Raptors to be actively tanking again.