<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-rumors-kawhi-leonards-uncle-asked-paul-george-trade-no-show-deals-leafs-piece');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors rumors: Kawhi Leonard’s uncle asked for Paul George trade, no-show deals, Leafs piece');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Leonard-vs-the-Raptors.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors rumors: Kawhi Leonard’s uncle asked for Paul George trade, no-show deals, Leafs piece</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T10:34:50-07:00">September 9th, 10:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T15:46:04-07:00">September 9th, 3:46pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Recently, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/robert-downey-jr-leonardo-dicaprio-drake-kawhi-leonard-scandal">Los Angeles Clippers and</a> Kawhi Leonard came under fire after reports surfaced that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-steve-ballmer-kawhi-leonard-story-suspicious-bill-simmons-take">Leonard had signed</a> a lucrative no-show deal with the since-bankrupt company Aspiration to help Los Angeles circumvent the NBA salary cap. Now it has emerged that Leonard and his uncle allegedly have been looking for such a deal for <a href="https://x.com/bruce_arthur/status/1965428823648076194" rel="noopener">quite some time</a>, dating back to his days with the Toronto Raptors, whom he left in free agency during the 2019 offseason.</p><p>“In 2019, Kawhi Leonard’s uncle asked the Raptors for a piece of the Leafs and a Paul George trade but also for two big extras: no-show sponsorships and ownership shares in outside companies, which he seems to have gotten with Aspiration, and the Clippers,” reported Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Libaan Osman of the Toronto Star then confirmed on his own X account that it was indeed a “$10-million-a-year no-show sponsorship deal to stay with the Raptors.”</p><p>The Raptors were evidently unwilling to provide such a deal, and Leonard bolted for Los Angeles, where he himself has yet to play a game outside the second round.</p><p>The decision was controversial during the 2019 offseason considering that Leonard and the Raptors had just won the NBA championship less than a month earlier, but now it appears that many more factors were at play than just basketball and standard contract negotiations.</p><h2><b>An interesting decision for the Raptors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Clippers-forward-Kawhi-Leonard_3beeb0.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Toronto Raptors’ decision to stay on the ethical side of things may have kept them out of hot water in the present day, but it certainly didn’t help them from a basketball perspective.</p><p>Toronto made it to the second round of the playoffs the year after Leonard left but has yet to reach that point since then and has now positioned themselves to be one of the most expensive rosters in the NBA while simultaneously not figuring to be very competitive in the upcoming season.</p><p>Still, it’s certainly possible that had they kept Leonard around, the same injury troubles that have tormented him during his stay with the Clippers would have shown up in Toronto as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors rumors: Kawhi Leonard’s uncle asked for Paul George trade, no-show deals, Leafs piece

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/eurobasket-news-wembys-ex-spurs-teammate-talks-trash-after-georgia-upsets-france');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wemby’s ex-Spurs teammate talks trash after Georgia upsets France in EuroBasket');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Spurs-Victor-Wembanyama-and-Sandro-Mamukelashvili-laughing.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wemby’s ex-Spurs teammate talks trash after Georgia upsets France in EuroBasket</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-07T21:24:13-07:00">September 7th, 9:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-07T21:24:13-07:00">September 7th, 9:24pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/eurobasket-news-guerschon-yabusele-calls-out-reporter-france-georgia">France has long been a powerhouse</a> in EuroBasket, so for them to fall down in the Round of 16 in the 2025 iteration of the proceedings is no small thing. It becomes an even greater deal when a nation like Georgia, which has historically been worse than them in basketball, becomes the team to take them down, doing so on Sunday with an 80-70 victory to advance to the quarterfinals of the competition.</p><p>While it is important to mention that France was not fielding their best roster, as they were without the likes of Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and Nicolas Batum, among others, defeating them is no easy task. Any team that manages to send them home from a competition as big as EuroBasket earn the right to talk some smack, and Wembanyama’s former Spurs teammate, Georgia starting big man Sandro Mamukelashvili, certainly <a href="https://www.eurohoops.net/en/eurobasket/1865630/mamu-on-wemby-i-can-text-him-that-its-too-bad-he-was-not-here-because-we-would-beat-france-with-him-too/" rel="noopener">relished that opportunity</a>.</p><p>“I wish them nothing but the best, but right now I can text Victor Wembanyama and tell him we just beat France, and it’s too bad he was not here because we would beat them with him too,” Mamukelashvili said after the game, per Eurohoops.</p><p>Mamukelashvili is simply hilarious as he engages in some friendly banter with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/spurs-news-victor-wembanyama-earns-giannis-antetokounmpo-comparison-from-sandro-mamukelashvili">his former Spurs teammate</a>. On a more serious note, Georgia would have had more difficulties against France had Wembanyama been there, as they may not have been able to shoot over 50 percent from the field if the Spurs star was there to patrol the paint.</p><p>Alas, teams can only play the opponents in front of them, and Georgia took care of business against France. The ex-Spurs big man, who is now with the Toronto Raptors, certainly recognizes just how much this win means.</p><p>“This era, new era, definitely the biggest win. We are very happy. And you know we never really doubted ourselves,” Mamukelashvili added.</p><h2><b>Sandro Mamukelashvili, Georgia look to slay more giants</b></h2><p> </p><p>Now that they’re in the quarterfinals, Mamukelashvili and Georgia aren’t happy to just simply be there. They are gunning for the Eurobasket crown, although they are going to have to slay some more giants along the way to accomplish that feat.</p><p>After their win over France, Georgia will be facing Finland in the quarterfinals. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nikola-jokic-serbia-upset-by-lauri-markkanen-finland-in-eurobasket-round-of-16">Lauri Markkanen has been on a heater</a> all summer long; can Mamukelashvili, Goga Bitadze, and former NBA forward Tornike Shengelia, as well as naturalized guard Kamar Baldwin, lead their country to even greater heights?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wemby’s ex-Spurs teammate talks trash after Georgia upsets France in EuroBasket

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-2025-26-season-predictions-after-nba-schedule-release');   ga('set', 'title', 'Toronto Raptors 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Raptors-Scottie-Barnes.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Toronto Raptors 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-05T04:48:17-07:00">September 5th, 4:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-05T04:48:17-07:00">September 5th, 4:48am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The release of the NBA schedule always sparks a flurry of speculation, and for the Toronto Raptors, this season comes with particular intrigue. After finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a disappointing 30-52 record, the Raptors find themselves at a crossroads. They weren’t competitive enough to threaten for a playoff spot, landing just below the play-in tournament, but they also resisted blowing things up completely. Instead, Toronto’s front office doubled down on strategic patience, opting for continuity with their young core while sprinkling in calculated additions. As the 2025-26 season looms, the Raptors face questions about whether that patience will translate into tangible progress or yet another year of mediocrity.</p><h2><b>Did the offseason change the Raptors’ identity?</b></h2><p>The Raptors’ offseason was less about bold strokes and more about refinement. They used the No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to select South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, a player who immediately polarized analysts. His defensive instincts and motor made him an intriguing fit for a Raptors team that has long prided itself on defensive versatility. However, his limited half-court scoring ability raised concerns, especially for a roster already starving for reliable shot creation. Summer League performances only reinforced this narrative. CMB appeared to be an instant defensive contributor but struggled when tasked with generating offense.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/grading-jakob-poeltls-104-million-raptors-contract-extension">Toronto’s decision to extend Jakob Poeltl</a> also signaled stability over transformation. Poeltl may not be a flashy player, but his rim protection, rebounding, and screening provide a stabilizing force. Add to that the quiet acquisition of Sandro Mamukelashvili in free agency, and it’s clear that the Raptors chose depth and development over star-hunting. The philosophy is straightforward: let Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and now Murray-Boyles grow together, while a strong veteran spine keeps the team afloat.</p><h2><b>What are the key matchups on the Raptors’ 2025-26 schedule?</b></h2><p>Schedules are more than dates; they often define narratives. For Brandon Ingram, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-return-game-pelicans-announced">traded from New Orleans to Toronto last season</a>, March 11 against the Pelicans will be circled in red ink. Facing the franchise that shipped him out in exchange for Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk provides both personal motivation and a storyline for fans to follow.</p><p>Beyond that, the Raptors’ early slate is daunting. Games against Milwaukee, Dallas, and Boston within the first six weeks will test their resilience. Toronto also faces a brutal December stretch that includes Golden State, Boston, and Miami, all potential top-tier teams.</p><h2><b>Predicting the Raptors’ 2025-26 record</b></h2><p>Projecting Toronto’s season requires balancing optimism about internal development with realism about its limitations. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/gaming/toronto-raptors-nba-2k26-ratings-wrong">Scottie Barnes remains the centerpiece</a>, and his progression into a consistent All-Star-level player is crucial. Barnes has improved each year, but his outside shooting and leadership will be tested more than ever. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/why-raptors-will-buy-on-trade-market-this-season">RJ Barrett, entering another season with Toronto</a>, needs to provide efficient secondary scoring and avoid the streaky play that has plagued his career. Quickley’s role as a stabilizing guard is equally important; if he can anchor the backcourt with reliable playmaking and defense, Toronto will finally have the kind of guard presence it has lacked since the days of Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Scottie Barnes getting EXPLOSIVE. </p><p>🎥 <a href="https://twitter.com/bmacfischer5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bmacfischer5</a> <a href="https://t.co/rOpNWHRcpx">pic.twitter.com/rOpNWHRcpx</a></p><p>— Pensare Basketball (@PensareBBall) <a href="https://twitter.com/PensareBBall/status/1961710931890536791?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Still, the glaring issue persists: this team lacks a true elite scorer capable of bending defenses in crunch time. Unless Barnes takes a massive leap, Toronto will struggle to consistently close games, which often separates playoff squads from lottery-bound teams. Factoring in these realities, a modest improvement seems likely. The Raptors appear better positioned than last year’s 30-52 finish, and this year they have a good chance to make the playoffs in the weakened East.</p><p>They can have a 38-44 record, enough to hover around the 9th or 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, potentially sneaking into the play-in tournament but unlikely to advance much further.</p><h2><b>What is the potential playoff outcome?</b></h2><p>If Toronto does secure a play-in berth, the ceiling appears modest. Against stronger, playoff-tested teams like Boston, Milwaukee, or Miami, the Raptors’ flaws would be ruthlessly exposed. Their lack of offensive firepower and half-court execution would make them underdogs in any first-round matchup. At best, Toronto could push its way into the 8th seed via the play-in, but a quick first-round exit against the conference’s top teams feels inevitable.</p><p>That said, simply making the playoffs, even through the play-in, would mark progress for a team that has been stuck in the middle since trading Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. The front office might frame it as a step forward for Barnes and the young core, setting the stage for bigger moves down the line.</p><h2>What trades, awards, and coaching futures could come?</h2><p>Beyond wins and losses, several subplots are worth watching this season.</p><p>One is the potential for midseason trades. Toronto’s roster has useful veterans: Poeltl and Garrett Temple, who could attract interest from contenders. If the Raptors stumble badly early in the season, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the front office pivot, cashing in veterans for more future assets while handing even more responsibility to the young core. On the flip side, if they hover near .500, Toronto may hold firm, betting on internal growth instead of disruption.</p><p>As for awards, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-takes-jab-social-media-haters">Scottie Barnes is the obvious candidate</a>. If he leads Toronto to the play-in while averaging something in the range of 20-8-6 with improved efficiency, he could insert himself into the conversation for Most Improved Player or at least earn his first All-Star selection.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🗣️ DEFENCE <a href="https://t.co/HaaKLnKLeE">pic.twitter.com/HaaKLnKLeE</a></p><p>— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1946664336375595308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Collin Murray-Boyles, meanwhile, has an outside shot at the All-Rookie Second Team if his defensive energy translates immediately, though his <a href="https://raptorsrapture.com/espn-poll-split-opinions-raptors-rookie-future-collin-murray-boyles-draft-steal-reach" rel="noopener">offensive limitations</a> will cap his ceiling in year one.</p><p>Coaching also looms as a subplot. Darko Rajaković has been patient and steady, but two consecutive seasons outside the playoffs might put pressure on his job security. Toronto is not known for rash coaching changes, yet if the team stagnates, whispers about whether Rajaković is the right leader for this group could surface.</p><h2><b>What will this season mean for the Raptors?</b></h2><p>The Raptors are entering 2025-26 with tempered expectations. They are not contenders, but they are not tankers either. Their strategy is rooted in development, patience, and selective moves rather than chasing splashy short-term gains. Fans should expect incremental progress rather than seismic change. A record in the high 30s, a shot at the play-in, and continued growth from Scottie Barnes would qualify as a success.</p><p>Toronto’s story this year is not about championships but about direction. If Barnes cements himself as a star, Barrett and Quickley prove consistent, and Murray-Boyles flashes defensive upside, the Raptors will finally feel like a team with a clear future trajectory. If not, another offseason of hard questions about roster construction may await.</p><p>The 2025-26 Raptors won’t light the league on fire, but they will be better than last season. And for a franchise that has hovered in uncertainty, even modest progress will feel meaningful.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Toronto Raptors 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/gaming/toronto-raptors-nba-2k26-ratings-wrong');   ga('set', 'title', 'Toronto Raptors NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Toronto-Raptors-NBA-2K26-ratings-that-are-100-wrong.jpg"></figure><h1>Toronto Raptors NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T05:26:56-07:00">August 26th, 5:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T05:26:56-07:00">August 26th, 5:26am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors head into NBA 2K26 with a roster that looks competitive on paper but somehow doesn’t get the proper respect in the ratings department. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-biggest-mistake-in-2025-nba-free-agency">After a quiet offseason</a> that saw them hold steady while adding rookie forward Collin Murray-Boyles, the Raptors are being painted as a middle-of-the-road team in 2K26. The issue? Several of their ratings simply don’t add up to the players’ real on-court production.</p><p>When you dig into the details, the Raptors’ roster is filled with both underrated contributors and overrated placeholders. These inconsistencies matter for both fans who play with the Raptors in MyNBA or Online and for the larger conversation around how Toronto is perceived as a franchise.</p><p>Let’s break down why NBA 2K26 got the Raptors’ ratings completely wrong and spotlight five players whose ratings deserve serious correction.</p><h2><b>Scottie Barnes: Underrated at 85 OVR</b></h2><p>Scottie Barnes is the unquestioned cornerstone of the Toronto Raptors, and while an 85 overall is respectable, it does not properly reflect the leap he took last season. Barnes improved across every statistical category: scoring, playmaking, and defense, and firmly planted himself as an All-Star-level player.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">When it comes to dimes, BBQ always delivers 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/wtn3x9ySMg">pic.twitter.com/wtn3x9ySMg</a></p><p>— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1957878816006697042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>His 67 three-point rating is particularly egregious. While Barnes isn’t an elite shooter, his consistency from deep improved dramatically enough to warrant at least a 72-74 rating. Coupled with his ability to finish above the rim (80 dunk) and create offense for teammates, he should be hovering around an 87 or 88 OVR, not stuck in the mid-80s.</p><p>NBA 2K26 seems to still be grading Barnes on the player he was two years ago rather than the two-way force he is today.</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram: Overrated at 84 OVR</b></h2><p>At first glance, Brandon Ingram’s 84 overall looks fair, but when you look at how much his efficiency dipped last season, it feels inflated. Ingram’s midrange-heavy style hasn’t translated into the kind of winning impact Toronto hoped for when trading for him.</p><p>His 81 three-point rating is far too generous, given his volume and percentages that remain inconsistent. While Ingram can get hot, he hasn’t been a reliable deep threat across a full season. Add in his streaky defense and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-breaks-silence-injury-return-message-critics">tendency to disappear late in games</a>, and his rating should probably be closer to 81 or 82 OVR.</p><p>NBA 2K26 overvalued his name recognition instead of his actual production.</p><h2><b>Immanuel Quickley: Underrated at 81 OVR</b></h2><p>Immanuel Quickley’s 81 overall feels like a slap in the face after what he produced once given a starting role. Quickley emerged as not just a microwave scorer but a legitimate floor general who gave the Raptors stability in the backcourt.</p><p>His 82 three-point rating is fair, but his overall rating undersells his impact. Quickley is one of the better perimeter defenders among starting point guards and has grown into a clutch shot-maker. His playmaking improvements, particularly in pick-and-rolls with Jakob Poeltl and Scottie Barnes, suggest he should be closer to 83 or 84 OVR.</p><p>For a franchise desperately looking for a reliable guard post-Fred VanVleet, Quickley deserve more love.</p><h2><b>Gradey Dick: Underrated at 79 OVR</b></h2><p>Gradey Dick enters his third NBA season as one of the Raptors’ most important floor spacers, yet NBA 2K26 barely acknowledges it. A 79 overall doesn’t reflect the strides <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1641711" rel="noopener">he made in his two years</a> as a shot-creator, secondary ball-handler, and improved defender.</p><p>His 78 three-point rating is laughable given he was drafted specifically for his sharpshooting ability and flashed that potential in Year 1. He should easily be in the 81-83 range for three-point shooting alone. Combine that with a steadily improving midrange and a sneaky 75 dunk rating, and his ceiling is much higher than what 2K handed him.</p><p>Toronto is banking on Dick to evolve into a reliable starting-caliber wing, something his current 2K26 profile ignores.</p><h2><b>Jamal Shead: Overrated at 76 OVR</b></h2><p>Rookie point guard Jamal Shead slots in at 76 overall, which feels strangely high for someone yet to log a single NBA minute. While Shead’s defensive instincts and playmaking upside are intriguing, rating him at the same level as Ochai Agbaji or Jonathan Mogbo doesn’t make sense.</p><p>His 76 three-point rating is also inflated. At Houston, Shead wasn’t a knockdown shooter; his strengths came from running an offense and setting the tone defensively. A more realistic rating would be 73 OVR with a capped shooting grade until he proves otherwise.</p><p>This is another case of 2K over-projecting rookies while undercutting established contributors.</p><h2><b>Collin Murray-Boyles is invisible</b></h2><p>The Raptors’ rookie, Collin Murray-Boyles, received a 72 overall, but 2K didn’t give him the proper shooting grades that highlight why Toronto drafted him in the first place. He was one of the most <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-biggest-collin-murray-boyles-concern-2025-nba-summer-league">reliable shooters in his draft class</a>, yet his three-point rating isn’t even listed.</p><p>Given the Raptors’ desperate need for floor spacing, it’s baffling that NBA 2K26 ignored one of his primary skills. Even at a 72 OVR, he should at least have a 77-78 three-point rating to reflect his potential role as a catch-and-shoot option.</p><h2><b>Toronto Raptors’ ratings tell the wrong story</b></h2><p>When you step back, the issue with the Raptors’ NBA 2K26 ratings isn’t just individual misjudgments; it’s the narrative they create. Toronto is painted as a mediocre, middle-tier team with no upside. In reality, the Raptors have one of the more balanced rosters in the East.</p><p>Instead of reflecting a team on the rise, NBA 2K26 pigeonholes the Raptors as stagnant. For fans who want to play with this roster, that means underwhelming in-game performance compared to what they’ve shown on the court.</p><p>The Toronto Raptors may not have had a splashy offseason, but their roster is better than NBA 2K26 gives them credit for. Between underrated stars like Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley and overvalued names like Brandon Ingram and Jamal Shead, the inconsistencies are glaring.</p><p>Toronto deserves to be seen as more than just a middle-of-the-pack team in NBA 2K26. If the ratings were adjusted to reflect actual production, the Raptors would look much more like the competitive, balanced squad they are in reality.</p><p>Until then, Raptors fans will have to live with what feels like another year of being overlooked, in both the NBA and the digital world of 2K.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Toronto Raptors NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-kawhi-leonard-championship-teammate-predicts-titles-if-he-stayed');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors championship teammate predictions number of titles if he stayed');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kawhi-Leonard-2-and-center-Serge-Ibaka-9-celebrates-after-beating-the-Golden-State-Warriors.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors championship teammate predictions number of titles if he stayed</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T08:34:08-07:00">August 21st, 8:34am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T08:34:08-07:00">August 21st, 8:34am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In a recent appearance on the Hello and Welcome podcast, former Toronto Raptors forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/serge-ibaka-improbable-story-from-refugee-camp-to-2019-nba-champion">Serge Ibaka reflected on the franchise’s 2019 championship team</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMWd9P2_vuw" rel="noopener">how many titles</a> they could have captured had Kawhi Leonard decided to remain in Toronto instead of leaving in free agency.</p><p>“Bro, why are you asking this question? I think… I think at least two. I think about it every day. Ah, Kawhi… Kawhi… Kawhi… Two more. I think two more,” Ibaka said. “Yeah, at least two more. If he didn’t leave — two more. Two more. Two more.”</p><p>Ibaka, who spent nearly four seasons with the Raptors, also addressed whether he made an effort to recruit Leonard during the summer of 2019 after the team’s title run.</p><p>“Yeah, man. I don’t like to talk about it, man,” Ibaka said. “Yeah… Yeah. I, um… I didn’t actually try to recruit him because I didn’t believe it. I thought he was going to stay. Yeah, he won. I didn’t believe he was gonna leave, you know? I was like — I didn’t think he was going to leave, actually. We just won the championship. We had a great team. He could take as many off-games as he wanted — the team was still going to win without him. So he got a lot of pressure, you know? Whenever we needed him in a game, he’d be there. And if he had an off-night, he had guys to help him. So I didn’t really think like, ‘Ah, Kawhi is going to leave.’ I was calm. I was relaxed. I was like, ‘We just won. Who does that?’”</p><h2><b>Serge Ibaka reflects on Raptors’ 2019 team, says Kawhi Leonard could have won more titles</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kawhi-Leonard-2-and-Toronto-Raptors-center-Serge-Ibaka-9-celebrate-with-the-Larry-OBrien-Trophy.jpg"><figcaption>© Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/10-most-interesting-facts-about-kawhi-leonards-nba-career">Leonard, who was named Finals MVP in Toronto’s victory</a> over the Golden State Warriors, departed that offseason and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-ultimate-reason-chose-la-lakers-raptors">signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers</a>. His decision altered the trajectory of both franchises.</p><p>Now preparing for his sixth season in Los Angeles, Leonard has delivered steady production but has yet to replicate the postseason success he enjoyed with the Raptors. The two-time Finals MVP averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals on 49.8% shooting from the field and 41.1% from three-point range across 37 games in the 2024-25 season. His most notable Clippers run came in 2021, when the team advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, though Leonard missed the series with a torn ACL.</p><p>The Raptors, meanwhile, struggled to sustain their championship form after Leonard’s exit. Toronto reached the second round of the 2020 playoffs in the Orlando bubble before falling to the Boston Celtics, then appeared again in 2022, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round. Over time, the roster that delivered the franchise’s lone title disbanded. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/philadelphia-76ers/76ers-news-philly-fans-react-kyle-lowry-signing-nick-nurse-reunion-hornets-buyout">Kyle Lowry reunited with former coach Nick Nurse in Philadelphia</a>, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/indiana-pacers/pascal-siakam-trade-grades-pacers-raptors-pelicans">Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers</a>, OG Anunoby was traded to the New York Knicks, Fred VanVleet signed with the Houston Rockets, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-grades-georges-niang-trade-chris-boucher-signing">Chris Boucher, the last holdover from the 2019 roster</a>, recently signed with the Celtics.</p><p>Ibaka’s comments underscored the lingering sentiment among Raptors players and fans about what could have been. With Leonard at the center of a deep roster, Toronto may have been positioned for multiple championships. Instead, the franchise’s triumph stands as a singular moment in its history.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors championship teammate predictions number of titles if he stayed

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/why-raptors-will-buy-on-trade-market-this-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Raptors will buy on trade market this season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-ii.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Raptors will buy on trade market this season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T08:15:52-07:00">August 21st, 8:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T08:15:52-07:00">August 21st, 8:15am</time><address><a href="https://www.downeuclid.com">Evan Dammarell</a>Evan Dammarell is an award-winning sports journalist covering all things Cleveland, including the Cavs, right off the shores of Lake Erie. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors are preparing to be active on the trade market this season, aiming to move past the play-in conversation and secure a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-new-head-of-basketball-operations-replace-masai-ujiri">Bobby Webster now elevated as the lead decision-maker</a> after the team parted ways with longtime executive Masai Ujiri, Toronto is <a href="https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/281726/Raptors-Expected-To-Be-Trade-Buyers-During-Season" rel="noopener">signaling it is ready to operate</a> as a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/siegels-scoop-josh-giddey-jonathan-kuminga-rfa-market-unchanged">buyer ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline</a>.</p><p>NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the Raptors have already positioned themselves as one of the teams expected to pursue upgrades in the coming months. Toronto has engaged in trade talks for star-caliber players before, including Kevin Durant, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White. Their boldest move came last February when they acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans, signaling a clear intent to push forward rather than rebuild.</p><p>“This group under head coach Darko [Rajakovic] expects to really be a player in the playoff conversation here in the Eastern Conference,” reports Jake Fischer. “They don’t just want to be a play-in team. They want to be a team that really pushes for the postseason for the first time in quite some time.</p><p>“So, what does Bobby Webster have in store now with this full endorsement as head of basketball operations to continue to upgrade this roster? We shall see. But I have the Raptors earmarked already, entering this year. It’s super early—it’s August 20th—but when we get closer to December 15th and we get closer to the February trade deadline, I have the Raptors already earmarked as a buyer.”</p><h2><b>The Raptors could be ready to return to the playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-i.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The most notable trade candidate within the organization is RJ Barrett. The 25-year-old guard has two seasons remaining on his contract extension, originally signed with the New York Knicks. While not officially on the block, league observers believe Barrett’s $30 million annual salary could be key to making a significant deal. He was already discussed in trade talks with the Pelicans during the negotiations for Ingram.</p><p>Barrett averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists last season, but with younger players like Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter set to see increased minutes, questions remain about how long Barrett and Ochai Agbaji fit into the Raptors’ long-term plans.</p><p>Toronto finished 11th in the East last year at 30-52, falling short of expectations. But with Ingram now alongside Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, the front office believes the team can take a step forward. If Webster finds the right trade partner, the Raptors could transform from a fringe team into a dangerous playoff threat by spring.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Raptors will buy on trade market this season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-new-head-of-basketball-operations-replace-masai-ujiri');   ga('set', 'title', 'Raptors make in-house promotion to replace Masai Ujiri');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-Bobby-Webster.jpg"><figcaption> Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Raptors make in-house promotion to replace Masai Ujiri</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-18T09:22:34-07:00">August 18th, 9:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-18T09:28:41-07:00">August 18th, 9:28am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors are <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46008705/sources-raptors-gm-webster-head-basketball-operations" rel="noopener">elevating</a> general manager Bobby Webster to the team’s head of basketball operations after firing Masai Ujiri earlier this offseason, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>Webster, 40, led the Raptors’ draft efforts in the wake of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-masai-ujiri-toronto-part-ways-2025-nba-draft">Ujiri and the organization parting ways</a>, and he has been the lead brain behind the organization’s roster construction over the years. Alongside Ujiri, Webster was instrumental in finalizing the infamous Kawhi Leonard trade Toronto made in 2018, which led them to their only championship in franchise history.</p><p>The Raptors made a tough decision to fire Ujiri on June 27, directly after the 2025 NBA Draft. While they did hire an outside firm to help hire a new team president, it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-rumors-favorite-replace-masai-ujiri-among-intriguing-candidates">became clear this would be Webster’s new role</a>.</p><p>“Going through this comprehensive process this summer and meeting with external candidates played a critical role in arriving at this decision as it made clear that we already have the right person leading the Raptors in-house,” MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley said on Monday.</p><p>“After spending time together in Las Vegas, I was impressed by Bobby’s leadership style, his rapport with the players and staff, his reputation with his peers around the league, and — especially with importantly — his vision for the Raptors. This team is his, now, to lead and I know we all look forward to what comes next.”</p><p>Now, Webster steps up as the Raptors’ head of basketball operations and will take over as the lead decision-maker in Toronto after securing a new contract with the team.</p><p>A move to promote Webster internally instead of hiring someone new outside the organization makes it clear that the Raptors’ ownership believes in the direction of the franchise and the previous success Webster has found in his roles with the organization.</p><p>Along with Scottie Barnes, the Raptors have built a strong core of young talents like Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and others through the years. Last season, Toronto traded for former All-Star wing Brandon Ingram, making the Raptors one of the more intriguing teams to watch during the upcoming 2025-26 season.</p><p>As he transitions into his role as the head of the organization’s front office, Webster’s only task from ownership is to get this team back in the playoffs.</p><p>The Raptors have missed the postseason in three straight seasons, their longest drought since missing the playoffs in five consecutive years from 2009 to 2013.</p><p>Head coach Darko Rajakovic has the full support of Webster and this front office, especially after proving clear growth during the second half of the 2024-25 season. Toronto finished last year with a 30-52 record.</p><p>With Ujiri out and Webster in as the team president, it will be interesting to see what changes the Raptors make.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/nba-rumors-raptors-brandon-ingram-trade-leads-rj-barrett-speculation">Barrett has seen his name come up in trade rumors</a> this offseason, and some tough decisions will need to be made about who will remain the long-term building blocks next to Barnes for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Along with getting back to the playoffs, Webster will be tasked with finding the answer to the question above.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Raptors make in-house promotion to replace Masai Ujiri

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-return-game-pelicans-announced');   ga('set', 'title', 'Brandon Ingram’s return game vs. Pelicans announced');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/full_3da656.jpg"><figcaption>© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Brandon Ingram’s return game vs. Pelicans announced</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T14:37:47-07:00">August 14th, 2:37pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T14:37:47-07:00">August 14th, 2:37pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Just like the rest of the NBA, the Toronto Raptors were able to see their schedule for the season, and many are looking at which matchups they should mark on their calendar. Brandon Ingram should have one game<a href="https://x.com/jonsokoloff/status/1956076636623003756?s=46" rel="noopener"> he’s looking forward to</a>, and it’s against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 11. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-120-million-contract-extension">Pelicans traded Ingram to the Raptors</a> before the trade deadline last season, getting Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk in return.</p><p>Ingram was with the Pelicans for six seasons and played his best basketball in that stretch, earning an All-Star nod in the 2019-2020 season. He helped the Pelicans get to the playoffs twice in his stint, but they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs both times.</p><p>The one thing that held Ingram back in his past few seasons with the Pelicans was injuries, and he only played 18 games last year. When he was traded to the Raptors, there was hope that he would be able to suit up, but he was sidelined for the remainder of the season.</p><p>Ingram should be ready to go when the season starts, and the Raptors should be a team people don’t sleep on with all the young talent.</p><h2><b>Brandon Ingram ready to make debut with Raptors</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-breaks-silence-injury-return-message-critics">Ingram was recovering from an ankle injury</a> last season, which made him delay his debut for the Raptors. He’ll now have to wait for this upcoming season to get on the floor, and he’s ready to show everybody what he can bring to the team.</p><p>“Being the focal point of the offense, I think I can just show my playmaking skills…,” Ingram said via ClutchPoints’ Josh Lewenberg. “I get to show them that I’ve been a 3-point shooter for most of my life.”</p><p>Head coach Darko Rajakovic provided an update on Ingram about a month ago, and all signs pointed to him being ready for the season.</p><p>“He’s pain-free, he’s moving well, he got stronger,” Rajakovic said. “He’s in a really, really great spot.”</p><p>The Raptors have a surplus of wings on the team with Ingram, Scottie Barnes, and RJ Barrett, and it will be interesting to see how they are able to work together on the floor. They also have some more young players to be excited about, and this could be a young team to look out for in the near future.</p><p>The first step is keeping their core players healthy, and hopefully, Ingram can get some luck this season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Brandon Ingram’s return game vs. Pelicans announced

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/way-too-early-new-york-raptors-trade-candidates-2025-26-season');   ga('set', 'title', '2 way-too-early Toronto Raptors trade candidates in 2025-26 season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Chiefs-Isiah-Pacheco-comeback-season.jpg"></figure><h1>2 way-too-early Toronto Raptors trade candidates in 2025-26 season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-08T03:03:08-07:00">August 8th, 3:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-08T03:03:08-07:00">August 8th, 3:03am</time><address><a href="http://hoopnut.blogspot.com/">Enzo Flojo</a>Enzo Flojo is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints and a columnist for Asian basketball at FIBA. He brings a dynamic spirit and background, having expertise that spans writing, analytics, coaching, and broadcasting. He is also currently an Assistant Coach on Scouting &amp; Analytics for the Philippine national youth basketball team.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Raptors are talented enough to sniff the play-in, yet far from the inner circle of contenders. The front office has been aggressive in securing talent, but not necessarily in building a long-term plan. This is a team that feels stuck in basketball purgatory. They have paid premium prices for “good” without knowing how to reach “great.” Now, with the roster expensive and the pathway to contention unclear, a shake-up may be inevitable.</p><h2><b>Big Money, Little Clarity</b></h2><p>The Raptors’ decision to hand Jakob Poeltl <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/grading-jakob-poeltls-104-million-raptors-contract-extension">a three-year, $84.5 million extension</a> feels steep. It locks him in until he’s 34 and came a full two years before he was set to hit free agency. It’s unclear what the rush was. Sure, Poeltl is coming off his most productive offensive season. However, his defensive impact has noticeably declined since his San Antonio days. Waiting another year to gauge his trajectory before committing would have made more sense.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Grading-Jakob-Poeltls-104-million-Raptors-contract-extension.jpg"></figure><p>Bigger picture, Toronto’s salary sheet is already overloaded. As things stand, they’re several million over the <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/team/depth/_/name/tor">luxury tax for a roster</a> with no clear All-Stars and no playoff series wins in five years. Nearly every core player is being paid at the high end of the market. Consider that the Pelicans spent almost a year shopping Brandon Ingram <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/raptors-news-brandon-ingram-gets-ankle-injury-update-season-draws-close">before settling for a return</a> of just one poor first-round pick. And yet, Toronto gave him $120 million over three years.</p><p>Immanuel Quickley’s new deal will pay him <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-2-threats-that-caused-raptors-give-immanuel-quickley-175-million-contract">$130 million over four seasons</a>. That’s not far from the $156.5 million earned by All-Star Jalen Brunson. The Raptors’ approach lacks a clear vision. They’re piling up solid-but-not-great players, overpaying them, and hoping something clicks. This offseason should have brought direction. Instead, it left the team with more questions than answers.</p><p>Here we will look at and discuss the players who are way-too-early Toronto Raptors trade candidates in 2025-26 season.</p><h2><b>RJ Barrett: Productive, but Possibly Redundant</b></h2><p>RJ Barrett’s 2024 campaign with Toronto was arguably the most complete offensive season of his career. Averaging 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists, he displayed improved playmaking alongside his scoring punch. Still, his availability was an issue. He suited up for just 58 games due to injuries and personal matters. The numbers are promising, but his 63 percent free throw shooting remains a glaring weakness, especially for a primary scoring option.</p><p>The bigger question is fit. With Scottie Barnes entrenched as the franchise cornerstone, Brandon Ingram newly signed, and Gradey Dick emerging as a young sharpshooter, the Raptors have a logjam on the wing. Barrett’s $28.7 million salary for 2025 takes up valuable cap space for a team already flirting with the luxury tax. That’s a steep price for someone who may become the third or even fourth offensive option.</p><p>From a trade perspective, Barrett’s value is complicated. On one hand, he’s still just 25, with a track record of scoring in bunches and the potential to get even better. On the other, his $57.3 million owed over the next two seasons and his streaky efficiency may limit the market to teams with a specific need for wing scoring depth.</p><p>If Toronto’s early season shows they’re more play-in hopeful than playoff threat, moving Barrett could be a way to regain flexibility and recoup draft capital. His departure wouldn’t be a white flag—it could be a strategic step toward rebalancing the roster around Barnes and the team’s true long-term needs.</p><h2><b>Jonathan Mogbo: A Buy-Low Big Man with Untapped Upside</b></h2><p>Jonathan Mogbo may not be a household name yet, but Raptors fans who watched closely last season saw flashes of a very intriguing player. Drafted 31st overall in 2024 out of the University of San Francisco, the 6’9 forward-center blended defensive versatility with surprising passing instincts. His rookie year hinted at a modern two-way big man capable of impacting games without dominating the ball.</p><p>The problem for Mogbo isn’t performance. It’s opportunity. Toronto’s frontcourt is suddenly crowded. The team’s top 2025 draft pick, Collin Murray-Boyles, offers a similar skill set with higher draft pedigree and a longer runway to develop. Poeltl’s big-money extension locks down center minutes for years. Meanwhile, Barnes occupies the four whenever the Raptors go with their best lineups. Even offseason signing Sandro Mamukelashvili adds another layer of competition for minutes.</p><p>For Mogbo, the depth chart is bad news. For rival teams, it’s a potential bargain. His rookie contract is team-friendly. His combination of size, mobility, and feel for the game could thrive in a system that gives him consistent minutes. If Toronto doesn’t clear a path for him, the front office may decide it’s better to convert his upside into draft picks or a positional need elsewhere.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Jonathan-Mogbo-spins-against-the-Cincinnati-Bearcats.jpg"><figcaption>Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><p>The danger for the Raptors is trading him too early and watching him blossom into a valuable starter elsewhere. However, if they remain committed to their veteran-heavy rotation, Mogbo might never get the runway he needs in Toronto. Sometimes the best way to unlock a young player’s value, whether for your own roster or as a trade asset—is to acknowledge when the fit isn’t there.</p><h2><b>The Bigger Picture</b></h2><p>The Raptors’ current roster construction feels like a deck of decent cards without the ace they need to win big. Barrett and Mogbo represent two very different trade possibilities. One is a high-salary established scorer whose departure could reset the team’s cap sheet. The other is a low-cost, high-upside project blocked by the team’s own logjam.</p><p>Neither move would guarantee an immediate leap forward, but both could help Toronto define its direction, whether that’s retooling around Barnes or breaking down parts of the roster for a longer-term build. The 2025-26 season may have just tipped off, but the clock on making those decisions is already ticking.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2 way-too-early Toronto Raptors trade candidates in 2025-26 season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-grades-georges-niang-trade-chris-boucher-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Celtics-trade-grade-for-Georges-Niang-deal-with-Jazz.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-06T04:42:56-07:00">August 6th, 4:42am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-06T04:42:56-07:00">August 6th, 4:42am</time><address><a>Daniel Donabedian</a>Daniel Donabedian is a beat reporter for ClutchPoints covering the Boston Celtics. He's also covered Villanova men's basketball and Big East basketball, building a strong reputation in the northeast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Boston Celtics have kept busy this summer, moving around multiple key pieces in order to circumvent the second apron. And although Massachusetts native <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-georges-niang-public-enemy-no-1-kristaps-porzingis">Georges Niang was hoping to prove himself in Boston</a>, the forward was dealt to the Utah Jazz before he had a chance, departing on Tuesday afternoon <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-salary-dumps-kristaps-porzingis-trade-piece-jazz">as part of a salary-dumping trade</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The Boston Celtics are trading Georges Niang and two future second-round picks to the Utah Jazz for rookie RJ Luis Jr., sources tell ESPN. <a href="https://t.co/l7h0cGobfU">pic.twitter.com/l7h0cGobfU</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1952824522052088018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The full swap sent two second-round picks and Niang — who played in over 200 games for the Jazz from 2018 to 2021 — to Utah in exchange for undrafted rookie RJ Luis Jr. But before the NBA world could break down this trade, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1952829181558943800" rel="noopener">Boston made the news</a> again, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-boston-agrees-contract-historic-raptors-champion-jazz-trade">signing former Toronto Raptor Chris Boucher</a> to a one-year, $3.3 million contract, per ESPN insider Shams Charania.</p><p>Now that the dust has settled, let’s look at the Celtics’ latest offseason business and grade each decision, starting with Niang.</p><h2><b>Celtics trade Georges Niang and 2 second-rounders for RJ Luis Jr.</b></h2><p>While Niang grew up less than an hour from Beantown, there <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-fans-react-jaylen-brown-georges-niang-squashing-beef">weren’t many fans clamoring for him to come home</a>.</p><p>However, the 32-year-old knows what it takes to contribute to a winning culture, as he has the most regular season victories of any player in the 2020s (with just four more than Celtics star Jayson Tatum). Boston could’ve used a veteran presence like that with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-rumors-al-horford-exit-all-but-confirmed">center Al Horford likely on his way out</a>, and it doesn’t hurt that Niang is also a 39.9% 3-point shooter for his career.</p><p>That still wasn’t enough to convince de facto Celtics general manager Brad Stevens to keep Niang around. Yet, this move, like many of the Celtics’ recent deals, largely revolved around cost-cutting.</p><p>After removing Niang’s $8 million contract and adding Boucher, the Celtics are $7.8 million under the second apron. That’s a decent amount of breathing room in comparison to when the offseason started, giving Boston’s front office more financial flexibility while it tries to keep building around Tatum and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Celtics updated roster <a href="https://t.co/8tZT0uC090">pic.twitter.com/8tZT0uC090</a></p><p>— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1952836579179020450?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As for the other side of this trade, Luis Jr. is an intriguing prospect with some New England roots of his own. The 6-foot-7 wing spent his freshman year with the UMass Minutemen before transferring to St. John’s in 2023.</p><p>In Queens, Luis Jr. blossomed into a reliable starter, averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 season. For his efforts, he was named Big East Player of the Year, but his college career didn’t have a storybook ending.</p><p>After Luis Jr. helped the Red Storm blow out the Omaha Mavericks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he went up against coach John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks. This matchup was a nightmare for the All-American, as he finished with nine points and missed 14 of his 17 field goal attempts in the upset defeat. To make matters even worse, St. John’s coach (and former Celtics skipper) <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/st-johns-basketball-news-rj-luis-transfer-portal-march-madness-benching">Rick Pitino benched Luis Jr. with almost five minutes left</a> in the contest, surely hurting his best player’s draft stock.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"You know he was 3-17… You're answering your own [question]. I'm not going to knock one of my players." </p><p>St. John's HC Rick Pitino responded to reporters asking about RJ Luis being benched late in the loss to Arkansas <a href="https://t.co/j5pRJJnFMG">pic.twitter.com/j5pRJJnFMG</a></p><p>— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBBonFOX/status/1903572416384860312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Even though the 22-year-old wasn’t selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, he landed a two-way contract with the Jazz. The Celtics now have control of that agreement, meaning Luis Jr. can spend time developing with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate.</p><p>Since he’s a subpar 3-point shooter coming off a poor March Madness performance, Luis Jr. has a lot to prove. But, for all his shortcomings, he excelled in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball and has more upside than most undrafted guys.</p><p>Given the addition of his talent and the subtraction of Niang’s contract, this isn’t a bad swap for the Celtics. Of course, it’s more money-related than anything and probably won’t pay dividends immediately, preventing it from truly moving the needle for Boston.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><h2><b>Celtics sign Chris Boucher to a one-year, $3.3 million contract</b></h2><p>It’s no secret that the Celtics were desperate for frontcourt help after losing starting center Kristaps Porzingis and backup big man Luke Kornet this summer.</p><p>Until Tuesday, Boston’s only centers were rookie Amari Williams, first-year Celtic Luka Garza, and potential starter <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-center-neemias-queta-offseason-knee-surgery">Neemias Queta, who’s not too far removed from knee surgery</a>.</p><p>This lackluster group needed a boost, explaining why the C’s brought in Boucher at an affordable price. The 32-year-old center is no longer in his prime, but he still has more experience than every other Celtics center combined.</p><p>Boucher played in at least 50 games for the Toronto Raptors in six consecutive seasons and managed to average 10 points in just over 17 minutes per outing during the 2024-25 campaign. In addition, he’s an adequate 3-point shooter with exceptional length and was the last player left from the Raptors 2019 championship team for a reason.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Chris Boucher as a Raptor:</p><p>— 1st in bench points<br>— 1st in bench rebounds<br>— 1st in bench blocks<br>— 1st in bench stocks<br>— 1st in bench threes<br>— 1st in bench free throws<br>— 1st in bench wins<br>— 1st in bench double-doubles </p><p>Going to Boston. <a href="https://t.co/fPANrmH8Ko">pic.twitter.com/fPANrmH8Ko</a></p><p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) <a href="https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1952830291451469848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Similarly to Niang, the two-time NBA champion and former G League MVP understands what winning basketball looks like in the NBA. He also understands how the Green Team operates, as he’s played in 22 games against the Celtics, even dropping 30 points on them in a narrow loss back in 2021.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/nba-rumors-celtics-longtime-interest-in-raptors-big-man-hints-at-trade-pursuit">Stevens has an affinity for unheralded players who’ve burned his team</a> — just ask Oshae Brissett, Dalano Banton, and others. Boucher serves as another example of this, except he has a shot at earning more minutes than all of the aforementioned names.</p><p>With Boucher, Boston is addressing an area of need without breaking the bank. That’s essentially Boston’s team-building strategy while Tatum recovers, so Stevens deserves some credit for staying active in free agency.</p><p>Ultimately, the Celtics still aren’t in great shape to seriously contend for a championship at the moment. Boucher is a step in the right direction, yet there’s no guarantee this acquisition is more than a rental amidst a potential down year.</p><p><b>Grade: A-</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics grades for Georges Niang trade, Chris Boucher signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/move-toronto-raptors-shouldve-made-2025-nba-offseason');   ga('set', 'title', '1 move Toronto Raptors should’ve made in 2025 NBA offseason');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/1-move-Toronto-Raptors-shouldve-made-in-2025-NBA-offseason.jpg"></figure><h1>1 move Toronto Raptors should’ve made in 2025 NBA offseason</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-05T04:44:03-07:00">August 5th, 4:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-05T04:44:03-07:00">August 5th, 4:44am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the moment, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-biggest-mistake-in-2025-nba-free-agency">Toronto Raptors find themselves stuck</a> in the NBA’s worst-case scenario: not bad enough to rebuild, and nowhere close to contending. They have talent, sure. Scottie Barnes is a legitimate future All-Star, and Immanuel Quickley is developing into a dependable scoring guard. Adding Brandon Ingram at the deadline was an intriguing move, while RJ Barrett’s presence, though uncertain long term, still adds offensive firepower. Jakob Poeltl remains one of the league’s most consistent bigs. But zoom out, and the Raptors’ 2025 offseason decisions don’t make a lot of sense.</p><p>Brandon Ingram was extended for three years, $120 million, a deal even his agent, Rich Paul, admitted might not have materialized on the open market. Jakob Poeltl, with two years remaining on his existing deal, was also handed a four-year, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/grading-jakob-poeltls-104-million-raptors-contract-extension">$104 million extension</a>, which will take him through age 34. Add that to the high-dollar contracts already on the books for Barrett, Quickley, and Barnes, and Toronto’s cap sheet is stuffed.</p><p>And for what?</p><p>A team that’s likely slotted in for a play-in tournament appearance, in an Eastern Conference that won’t feature Jayson Tatum or Tyrese Haliburton for most of the 2025-26 season due to injury. If there was ever a time for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-perfect-move-2025-nba-offseason">Raptors to go lean and opportunistic</a>, this was the year.</p><h2>1 move the Raptors should’ve made: Prioritize Cap Flexibility</h2><p>Toronto should have resisted the urge to splurge and instead focused on cutting costs and building flexibility, both for now and the future.</p><p>There were multiple reasons to do so:</p><p>Extending both Ingram and Poeltl with such urgency felt like Toronto trying to declare itself a serious team before it’s even proven to be a good one.</p><p>They should’ve waited.</p><p>Jakob Poeltl’s case is particularly frustrating.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jakob Pöltl on why he wants to stay in Toronto:</p><p>-Says the team built a foundation the last 1.5 years, and he bought into the process from the beginning.</p><p>-He’s ‘crazy excited’ about the team, they could be a fun team, and could challenge some of the top teams. <a href="https://t.co/W3YcgqjSLC">pic.twitter.com/W3YcgqjSLC</a></p><p>— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) <a href="https://twitter.com/OmerOsman200/status/1943837307796435042?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Austrian big man was very good last season, so good that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-player-honest-toronto-tanking">Raptors had to sit him</a> during key stretches late in the year to avoid accidental wins while in tank mode. He averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He was reliable, physical, and fundamentally sound.</p><p>But here’s the issue: <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/toronto-raptors-2025-nba-free-agency-grades-every-signing">Poeltl already had two years left</a> on his $78 million deal. There was no urgency to renegotiate, let alone lock in three more years at $84 million total, taking him through his mid-30s.</p><p>Poeltl’s game isn’t built on flash or scoring versatility. And while that’s fine for a low-cost anchor, it becomes a problem when he’s making upwards of $27 million per season in his age-33 and 34 years.</p><p>Then there’s Ingram.</p><p>Yes, he’s a former All-Star and still just 27. But even Rich Paul admitted on Sirius XM that the $120 million extension was likely more than the <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/raptors/rich-paul-admits-toronto-raptors-gave-brandon-ingram-a-deal-he-couldnt-get-in-free-agency" rel="noopener">market would have offered.</a></p><p>The Raptors didn’t need to sign him now. Letting Ingram play out the final year of his current deal would’ve given the front office time to evaluate his fit next to Barnes and Quickley, and assess whether his injuries were behind him.</p><p>Instead, they panicked. Maybe it was the Fred VanVleet experience, watching a key player walk in free agency for nothing, that pushed them into locking up Ingram early. But that fear-based decision-making has now led to massive financial risk tied to a trio of injury-prone or unproven players.</p><h2>What they should have done instead</h2><p>With the East ripe for the taking, Toronto could have opted for a more nimble, strategic approach:</p><p>The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement rewards teams that stay lean and punishes those that overpay mid-tier talent. Toronto seems to have missed the memo.</p><h2>Looking ahead: What comes next for the Raptors?</h2><p>Now that the Raptors are financially committed to this core, the only path forward is to hope it works.</p><p>If all that happens, the Raptors might sneak into the East’s top six.</p><p>But if it doesn’t?</p><p>They’ll be a bloated, luxury-tax flirting treadmill team in a conference they could’ve quietly dominated had they just made smarter, leaner decisions this summer.</p><p>Toronto’s 2025 offseason was a lesson in over-commitment. Instead of embracing flexibility, they locked up a more hopeful than proven core. The Brandon Ingram and Jakob Poeltl extensions may age poorly, especially if the Raptors fail to climb out of the Eastern Conference middle class.</p><p>The move they should’ve made?</p><p>Do less. Spend less. Wait more.</p><p>Because in an NBA shaped by injuries, cap constraints, and parity, sometimes the best way to win is by not losing your financial future before the games even begin.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 move Toronto Raptors should’ve made in 2025 NBA offseason

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-takes-jab-social-media-haters');   ga('set', 'title', 'Scottie Barnes takes jab at Raptors’ social media haters');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-forward-Scottie-Barnes-II.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Scottie Barnes takes jab at Raptors’ social media haters</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-04T12:09:27-07:00">August 4th, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-04T12:09:27-07:00">August 4th, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes clapped back at his haters on social media, vowing to make a significant leap in leading his team to the postseason in 2025-26. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/toronto-raptors/raptors-news-scottie-barnes-weighs-in-on-toronto-tanking-strategy">Barnes has his eyes set on playoff basketball</a>. The Raptors haven’t reached the playoffs since 2022 when the Philadelphia 76ers eliminated them from the opening round. After speaking out about the notion of the Raptors tanking next season, he posted on social media.</p><p>Barnes took a shot at the critical fans on social media, who often criticize, wondering if the spectators actually know the sport or if they’re just trolling particular NBA players for attention. Barnes <a href="https://x.com/ScottBarnes561/status/1952425434185879603" rel="noopener">called a particular audience out</a> on his X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“it’s a lot of people on this app that don’t watch ball man,” Barnes said with a shaking head emoji, “just be chattin. it’s coo we got a lot to prove this yr. let’s get back to the playoffs.”</p><p>Could 2025-26 be the season we see Barnes lead the Raptors to their first playoff appearance in three years?</p><h2><b>Scottie Barnes weighs in on Raptors’ taking approach</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raptors-forward-Scottie-Barnes-i.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/celebrity/raptors-scottie-barnes-caught-on-camera-rollerblading-down-florida-street">Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is enjoying his summer</a>, he’s got bigger plans in mind for those thinking that his team should tank for the future. Even in April toward the end of a 112-103 loss to the Trail Blazers, <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-barnes-playing-through-discomfort-important-for-big-picture/" rel="noopener">he explained</a> after playing through a MCP joint contusion, per Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.</p><p>“Why would I not go out there?” Barnes said. “Nothing’s stopping me. You know, I want to play every single game. I love playing basketball. I missed some games last year, I missed some games this year. You know, it’s just a blessing to be on that court. You know, every time I step on the floor, just trying to help the team win.”</p><p>Even with the Raptors out of playoff contention, Barnes’ focused remained on winning.</p><p>“Every game is useful. Keep learning and keep getting better. Keep playing with different teammates, different rotations,” Barnes said. “Right now, this is going to help for the future. You just got to keep learning how to play with each other, how to grow, talk, communicate. When there’s struggles, it’s great for that, when there’s some struggles going on, when there’s bad things happening, how are we going to communicate? How are we going to stay together as a team? How are we going to try to figure this, this thing out?”</p><p>Barnes and the Raptors hope to figure plenty out next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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