It didn’t come as a surprise to people around the NBA that the Raptors ultimately named general manager Bobby Webster their permanent head of basketball operations, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report said in a live stream on Wednesday (YouTube link). In fact, according to Fischer, the only surprise during the process was that Toronto publicly announced a search for a new top executive after parting ways with president Masai Ujiri.
“Someone I consult with who is involved in (executive) search firm stuff was taken aback by the fact that was even put out publicly,” Fischer said. “He was taking it – and the league was taking it – as a foregone conclusion that Bobby Webster would be running the show.”
The Raptors, who traded away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby during the 2023/24 season, have missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, but the expectation is that they’ll be more competitive going forward, per Fischer.
“The Raptors have definitely been given some type of formal pressure, some type of direction from their new leadership of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to end this sort of rebuild era they’ve been in,” Fischer said, adding that the team will be aiming to claim a top-six playoff spot this season, not simply make the play-in tournament.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Following up on rumors from earlier in the offseason, Fischer confirmed that the Raptors were having trade discussions involving the No. 9 overall pick leading up to the draft and talked to the Celtics, among other teams. “They had conversations with Boston about both Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, trying to figure out ways to add either veteran into their backcourt,” Fischer said. Toronto ultimately kept the No. 9 pick and used it to select Collin Murray-Boyles.
- While he acknowledged that it’s hard to predict trade-deadline activity in August, Fischer suggested that he fully anticipates the Raptors will continue seeking win-now help during the 2025/26 season. “I have the Raptors already earmarked as a buyer,” he said. “Now, if things go awry (or) if there’s something injury misfortune, maybe the Raptors don’t fully go that direction. But if everything goes as intended, if they’re faring night after night in the standings as they hope to be, as they intend to be, I’ve got the Raptors as a buyer.”
- Veteran forward RJ Barrett looks like the top trade candidate on Toronto’s roster, according to Fischer, who noted that Barrett came up in the Brandon Ingram trade talks with the Pelicans in February, but New Orleans didn’t have much interest in him. “RJ Barrett’s representation is fully aware that he is someone that could be discussed in trades moving forward for the Raptors,” Fischer said.
- In case you missed it, we took a closer look over the weekend at the Raptors’ offseason so far.
Raptors are in a weird spot. That IQ contract has quickly..become a huge hinderance and one of the worse in the league. He’s a pretty inefficient guard that can’t guard worth a lick. Barrett is solid but nothing more than a decent role player. Right now they have practically their entire salary allocated to 5 players who none are really all that great. I think Barnes is slightly overrated. His numbers have been padded by playing on a lottery team but the hype has since died down after people have realized this. His numbers will likely take a dip with Ingram healthy. They need a more sturdy PG in the starting line-up because IQ is an inefficient score first type of guard. They have a lot of bad assets and will have to pay Gradey and also Agbaji. They might have to blow it up before it ever got started.
They have a bunch of good but not great players. Perma-R1 or R2 playoff exiting.
The Raptors really need to hit big on a couple of their young talents, otherwise they look like a perennial middling team. 2 of out of Walter, Mogbo and Murray-Boyles need to become legit, because the rest of their roster is made up of guys who’s ceilings aren’t moving.
Wait ur saying the c’s could’ve had the number 9 pick for Jrue with cap fillers they should’ve made that move then the one they did
It was reported they offered the 9 pick for White. My guess is they offered a package based around Barrett for Holiday.