Toronto looks to youth for inspiration in the new season

With falling leaves, pumpkins galore and Thanksgiving meals, October has arrived – and so does the return of the NBA.

Raptors fans are more excited than ever and after what they saw last season, everyone is ready for a fresh start. How will the Raptors fare this year? Let’s take a sneak peek at the 2024-2025 Toronto Raptors season.

Last season

The 2023-2024 Raptors season was one to forget for Toronto basketball fans. The team’s performance was excruciating, finishing with a 25–57 record fourth worst in franchise history. This record is just ahead of the 2010-2011 season (22 wins), the 1995-1996 season (21 wins) and the expansion-era season 1997-98which recorded only 16 victories.

Everything seemed to fall apart for the Raptors on March 1 against the Golden State Warriors when Raptors small forward Scottie Barnes broke his hand on a layup, forcing him to miss the remainder of the NBA season.

Without Barnes, they were by far the worst team in the NBA over the final five weeks of the season, as the Raptors posted a 3–19 record to end the campaign.

The news of Barnes’ season-ending injury was a blow to Raptors fans, adding to the disappointment of having his best season derailed. Barnes averaged a career-high 19.9 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists as a key piece in the Raptors’ rebuild.

Although the play on the field was disappointing, scandals off the field especially one involving Jontay Porter – ultimately sealed the team’s fate. The former Toronto Raptors center was given a lifetime ban by the NBA after an internal investigation found he placed bets on basketball games and provided information to another gambler to increase their chances of winning.

This news broke the NBA, with many players expressing disbelief at Porter’s actions. “I have never encountered a situation like this,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković.

In addition to finishing the season with a dismal record, the Raptors saw their hopes for a top-10 pick dashed. After the first half of the 2023-2024 season, they looked to move lower in the league in hopes of increasing their chances of a top-10 overall draft pick through the draft lottery. However, this strategy ultimately yielded no results. Instead, they acquired Jakob Poeltl, and the eighth overall pick was traded away to the San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors had to wait until the 19th pick when they drafted Ja’Kobe Walter.

The 2023-2024 Raptors season was marked by disarray, as the team experienced several low points, including the worst home loss in franchise history – a 48-point margin – and a 15-game losing streak in April. To say last season was difficult for Raptors fans is an understatement.

What can Raptors fans look forward to this season?

New signings

In June, the Toronto Raptors bolstered their young roster by signing center Branden Carlson as a free agent in a two-way deal and trading Jalen McDaniels to the Sacramento Kings for forward Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov and the No. 45 pick.

Both players are expected to get decent minutes per game as the Raptors look to build chemistry with their current players and new additions.

July was Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri’s busiest month of the offseason. He made several selections in the 2024 NBA draft, most notably selecting guard Walter to a rookie contract and point guard Jonathan Mogbo. Adding these pieces will help the Raptors build for the future.

The Raptors are strategically adding young talent while also recruiting seasoned veterans to aid their development. In free agency, the Raptors signed veteran shooting guard Garrett Temple to mentor the younger players, along with another youngster, point guard Jamal Shead.

Contract extensions

In addition to signing new players, two key Raptors players were set for new contracts, starting with former New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley. The deal is worth approximately $175 million over five seasons. Quickley is an exceptional player who will contribute significantly to the team’s growth.

The biggest signing of the summer for the Raptors was Barnes’ maximum rookie contract extension. Barnes’ contract is worth $225 million and could rise to $270 million if he meets requirements supermax criteria. Like Quickley, Barnes’ contract is also for five years. With this signing, the Raptors have established their core for what appears to be a rebuilding phase for the organization.

Expectations

What can we expect from the Toronto Raptors this year? For fans hoping the Raptors can compete for a playoff spot, unfortunately it doesn’t look like that will happen. The team is still finding their identity and their core players are still too green. During a press conference on September 30, Ujiri was asked to describe the upcoming season, to which he replied: “I would use the word rebuilding.”

Looking on the bright side, the Raptors now have a clear direction for the team. With the right young pieces around them, they could become a force to be reckoned with in just a few years.

Fans have seen many players come and go with the Raptors, but with a young core including Barnes, Quickley, Gradey Dick and others, they can be optimistic about the team’s long-term future.