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2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors
(Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports)

2024-25 NBA Season Preview: Toronto Raptors

The 2024-25 NBA Season is officially here! To continue our team profile series, we will be diving into the Toronto Raptors, who made a couple of franchise-altering trades last year. Let’s dive into it!

What happened last year?

The Raptors entered last season with a new head coach on the sidelines in Darko Rajakovic. Though the team continued to teeter around mediocrity, leading them to trade Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby–who were both on expiring contracts–ahead of the trade deadline. They lost 19 of their final 21 games, finishing 25-57 with seventh-worst offense and fifth-worst defense. It was a lost season for the Raptors, but they got two crucial pieces for the future in Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett.

Offseason Recap:

While they were a disaster, the Raptors were still unable to land their top-6 unprotected pick, which got conveyed to San Antonio due to the Jakob Poeltl trade. They still had a first-round pick outside of the lottery at No. 16 overall, where they drafted Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter, but made three second-round selections in Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Ulrich Chomche. They didn’t elect to bring back Gary Trent Jr. and traded away Jalen McDaniels while acquiring Davion Mitchell. Their biggest offseason moves, however, were re-signing Quickley and Barnes, both well-deserved extensions who the franchise will have to build around for the next 4-5 years.

Projected Starting 5:

Immanuel Quickley, G – Quickley headlined the return in the OG Anunoby trade with the New York Knicks. After arriving in Toronto, he averaged 18.6 points and 6.8 assists on 39.5 percent shooting from 3-point range. Expect greater usage in his first full season with the Raptors.

RJ Barrett, G/F – Speaking of the Anunoby trade, Barrett, who’s from Canada, was the other key piece. He was playing his best basketball with Toronto, so I’m interested to see if he builds off it as he enters his age-24 season. 

Gradey Dick, G/F – Dick started 17 of his 60 games last year, averaging 8.5 points on 36.5 percent from 3-point range. With Trent’s departure, I think his role will be more defined entering year two.

Scottie Barnes, F – Barnes signed a massive five-year rookie max extension this offseason. He’s the franchise player with the keys to the offense.

Jakob Poeltl, C – Poeltl has been the model of consistency over the last three seasons, averaging 12.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks on 63.1 percent shooting. Toronto was a disaster last year without him on the floor in every facet.

Notable Reserves:

Davion Mitchell, G – Mitchell appeared to be the odd-man out in Sacramento, and adds a toughness defensively at the point-of-attack that this team lacked for the majority of last season.

Bruce Brown, G/F – Brown wasn’t as impactful upon getting traded at the deadline. He’s now on an expiring deal heading into next season, so I’m expecting a bounce-back year in 2024-25.

Kelly Olynyk, C – Olynyk was traded and extended to Toronto last season, playing for his hometown team. He’s their best backup big and will inherently add more spacing when he’s on the floor.

Biggest X-Factor: Gradley Dick

The Raptors have plenty of primary and secondary ballhandlers offensively in Quickley, Barnes and Barrett, but I think Gradey Dick will have added responsibility as a secondary initiator/on-ball creator. That’s a part of his game that should develop over time, even though he’s not going to be tasked with creating much offensively when he’s playing with the rest of the starting lineup. If he continues to refine his all-around game, he has the potential to become a really impactful rotation player throughout his NBA career, and I think that’s what Toronto needs to see from him this season.

Season Projection:

I think the Raptors will be the No. 13 seed in the East.

***

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