Raptors Non-Playoff Team Most Ready To Make A Leap?

April 16, 2025

The Toronto Raptors had little to celebrate from a team standpoint during the 2024-25 season. But for a franchise in transition, several key players made individual strides that could shape a more promising future, wrote NBA reporter Zach Kram of ESPN.

Forward RJ Barrett emerged as a more complete offensive weapon, flashing improved playmaking ability by averaging a career-high 5.4 assists — up from his previous best of 3.3. Young wings Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji both took steps forward, each averaging double figures in scoring and showing promise as rotation contributors.

Veteran center Jakob Poeltl continued to anchor the interior, quietly establishing himself as one of the league’s more reliable two-way centers. Off the bench, Chris Boucher and rookie guard Jamal Shead provided productive minutes, giving Toronto one of its deeper second units in recent memory.

Injuries and trades limited the team’s ceiling, but the roster still boasts a strong foundation. Scottie Barnes remains the centerpiece, and Immanuel Quickley showed signs of being a long-term fit at point guard after arriving from New York. Newly extended forward Brandon Ingram, acquired in a midseason deal with the Pelicans, did not appear in a game for the Raptors but is expected to be a significant part of their plans moving forward.

While Toronto’s 25-57 record kept it out of the postseason, the combination of emerging talent and a shallower Eastern Conference puts the Raptors in position to be one of the most likely non-playoff teams to make a leap in 2025-26.

With continuity, health, and growth from their young core, the Raptors will look to reestablish themselves as a postseason contender.