Raptors Notes: Barnes, Reserves, Bamba, Barrett
On the heels of one of their most disappointing losses of the season on Friday in Washington, the Raptors bounced back in impressive fashion, beating Golden State and Orlando in back-to-back games on Sunday and Monday.
In the victory over the Warriors, forward Scottie Barnes led the way by posting the first 20-20 triple-double in franchise history (23 points, 25 rebounds, and 10 assists). In the process, Barnes showed why he remains a centerpiece of the Raptors’ future despite his limitations as a scorer, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
On Monday, with Barnes not at his best (13 points, 5-of-12 shooting), Toronto found another way to win against the Magic, leaning on reserves like Jamal Shead (19 points, five assists), Gradey Dick (15 points), and Collin Murray-Boyles (12 rebounds, two blocks) to help propel them to a victory.
“Those guys, they’re built of special cloth,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of his youngsters after the win, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “They’re built of resiliency. They’re really putting in a lot of work. It doesn’t matter if we win, we lose. It doesn’t matter if we’re up, we’re down. It does not really matter what kind of mood we’re in. They’re extremely professional. They’re doing a good job of preparing for each game. They keep going forward.
“I love how fearless they are. I love how together they play. That’s something very important for young guys to learn early in their careers: You’ve got to bring energy every night. It’s very important.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Rajakovic was “very disappointed” that Barnes wasn’t among the top 20 Eastern Conference vote-getters in the first returns of the fan vote for the 2026 All-Star Game, as Grange relays. “We need to get this right. Canada needs to get this right,” the Raptors’ coach said. “… Only two players in the NBA this season have 500 points-plus, 250 assists-plus, 25 blocks-plus and 250 rebounds-plus, and that’s Nikola Jokic and Scottie Barnes. I have no doubt that Scottie Barnes is an All-Star. I have no doubt that he needs to be toward the top of that list of players in the East. Canada, we need to get that fixed right now.”
- Newly signed to a non-guaranteed contract, Mo Bamba didn’t make much of an impact in his Raptors debut on Monday — he blocked a shot but committed two fouls, and the team was outscored by nine points during his four minutes on the court. Still, with Jakob Poeltl out due to a back issue, Bamba should get more chances to show he deserves to stick with the team a little longer, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “I think this is a good opportunity for him to prove to everybody that he belongs in this league,” Rajakovic said. “We’re going to have a very clear plan for him. We’re going to give him an opportunity to show what he can do and hopefully it works for both sides.”
- Bamba said on Monday that he and the Raptors had been in contact since the G League Showcase earlier this month before reaching a contract agreement over the weekend. The former lottery pick added that he has known a few of his new teammates – including Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Barnes – for several years (Twitter links via Lewenberg).
- Barrett had just 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting in his return from a sprained knee on Sunday, then sat out on Monday in the second end of a back-to-back. However, his teammates were very happy to have him back — Toronto’s 116.6 offensive rating during Barrett’s minutes this season is the highest mark of among Raptors players. “He creates so much pressure on the rim,” Barnes said on Sunday, per Grange. “Catch and shoot is amazing. Transition, we know we miss him a lot, those fast breaks … he gets out and runs a lot. He leads our fast breaks. He’s big for us. With play-making, you saw when I screened for him, being able to get that roll, going downhill (and getting) easy dunks. He does a lot for this team that it’s hard to try to take over in that sense.”
Raptors Rumors: Poeltl, Davis, Gafford, Bitadze, Sabonis, More
The Raptors have signaled to potential trade partners that they’re interested in upgrading their frontcourt, but they’re not looking to part with current center Jakob Poeltl in a potential deal, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).
Poeltl, who signed an extension in the offseason and will become trade-eligible on January 7, has struggled to perform at his usual level this fall — his 10.1 points and 8.0 rebounds per game are his lowest marks since 2020/21, and his on/off numbers haven’t been nearly as strong as in the past. He has been battling a nagging back issue, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter video link), who confirmed during a TV appearance that Toronto would ideally like to add more frontcourt depth while hanging onto Poeltl.
Whether the Raptors look to add a minor depth piece or are prepared to roll the dice on a higher-impact (and higher-salary) player could come down to how they perform in the coming weeks, leading up to the February 5 trade deadline, Fischer writes.
According to Fischer, the Raptors and Hawks are viewed as the teams that have had the most interest in Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, with Atlanta viewed as a longer shot due to the fact that Dallas likely wouldn’t have much interest in Trae Young or Kristaps Porzingis as the centerpiece of a deal. The Hawks also have “zero intention” of including their valuable 2026 first-round pick (the most favorable of the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ selections) in an offer, Fischer adds.
While that could open up the door for the Raptors to become the frontrunner for Davis, Lewenberg – echoing earlier reporting from Michael Grange – suggests Toronto may have more interest in another Mavs big man, Daniel Gafford, and have “already checked in” on Gafford. Like Grange, Lewenberg also mentions Magic center Goga Bitadze as a possible target for the Raptors.
If the Raptors do aim higher, Davis isn’t their only potential target. Fischer hears from sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking that Toronto also has some interest in Kings center Domantas Sabonis, and adds that the Raptors would likely be among the teams inquiring on Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo if he ends up on the trade block.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- According to Lewenberg, the odds of the Raptors making an in-season deal are “pretty high.” Besides seeking frontcourt help, the team would also like to avoid being a taxpayer, Lewenberg explains. Toronto is currently operating over the tax line by less than $1MM.
- If the Raptors make a “smaller-scale type of deal,” swingmen like Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick would be probable trade candidates, per Lewenberg, who notes that the club has a logjam on the wing.
- Lewenberg also points out that the Raptors have all their future first-round picks available if they decide to take a bigger swing on the trade market. The only future pick Toronto has traded away is its 2031 second-rounder (the club also owes its 2026 second-rounder to Indiana, but it’s top-55 protected, so it’s unlikely to change hands).
Raptors Pick Up 2026/27 Options On Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter
The Raptors have exercised their 2026/27 options on the contracts of Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter, according to a team press release.
Dick’s fourth-year option will carry a cap hit of $7,131,511, while Walter’s third-year option will carry a cap hit of $3,811,800. The team had until the end of the month to exercise those options.
Dick started 54 games last season, averaging 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes per night. He was the 13th pick of the 2023 draft.
Walter, who won’t play in the team’s opener due to an illness, averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 21.2 minutes per game while appearing in 52 contests during his rookie season. He was the 19th overall pick in 2024.
With the addition of Brandon Ingram, Dick will likely come off the bench this season. Dick and Walter will have to fight hard for their rotation minutes.
Raptors Notes: Brown, Ingram, Dick, Walter, Shead
A number of fans in Toronto took exception to comments Bruce Brown made about his time with the Raptors ahead of training camp last week. The veteran guard, who is back with the Nuggets after spending the past two seasons with the Pacers, Raptors, and Pelicans, spoke at media day about being part of “a lot of losing basketball” since leaving the Nuggets as a free agent in 2023 and told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he had thought about coming back to Denver “as soon as I got to Toronto.”
Ahead of the Nuggets’ game against the Raptors on Monday, Brown spoke to Kayla Grey of TSN (Twitter link) about those remarks, explaining that they weren’t intended as a shot at Toronto or the Raptors.
“Media day, they asked me, ‘When did you think about getting to Denver’ And I said when I got to Toronto. That wasn’t like I didn’t want to go Toronto,” Brown said. “I went to Indy. I finally chose where I could go, and three months in, they trade me, and I’m like, ‘Why the f–k did I go? I could have stayed in Denver and been happy.’
“I think Toronto’s one of the best cities in the NBA, easily. Like, I loved my time in Toronto. It’s insane. So don’t let people on social media twist my words, because I loved my time in Toronto. But it’s just the beast of it.”
Here are a few more notes on the Raptors:
- Scottie Barnes failed to make a field goal and all five Raptors starters had negative net ratings in the team’s preseason opener against Denver on Monday. Still, while the game showed that there’s plenty of room for improvement, Brandon Ingram‘s Raptors debut was an encouraging one, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the veteran forward looked “perfectly comfortable” generating half-court offense, which is why the team traded for him last season. Ingram had a team-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
- Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter were the Raptors’ first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, respectively, but their roles for the 2025/26 season aren’t guaranteed. According to Grange, both players are embracing the challenge of having to fight for minutes in Toronto’s rotation. “This is the first time in my life, no doubt, that I’ve had to (battle for minutes),” Walter said on Sunday. “It’s definitely the first time, I’d say, where I haven’t been like the main guy on the team, but you know, I love it. I like the competitiveness. I like the drive I have to have every day.”
- Second-year Raptors point guard Jamal Shead has emerged as the leader among the club’s younger players, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. While Koreen likens Shead’s role to the one Fred VanVleet played on a young second unit during his early years in Toronto, the 23-year-old downplayed his impact. “Honestly, it’s just information. I’m a point guard. I give out information. They take it, they receive it, and then we move on from there,” Shead said. “I don’t think it’s more of them just following me (because) I’m the best leader ever. I think it’s just more of a respect thing.”
Raptors Notes: Webster, Pritchard, Roster Moves, Rotation
The Raptors announced on Monday that they’ve decided not to fill the president role formerly held by Masai Ujiri, with Bobby Webster hanging onto his title of general manager as he takes over as the team’s permanent head of basketball operations. That’s fine with Webster, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.
“On the title, what’s the best way to put it? The title, to me, probably isn’t as important as the responsibilities,” Webster said. “I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I’ll make the most of it and that (not getting the president title) is not something that concerns me.”
While Webster seems unfazed by not being named the Raptors’ president, he’s still expected to have a chance to earn a promotion to that position based on how he handles his new responsibilities, Grange adds.
“This is his chance,” a source close to the hiring process told Sportsnet. “Show (us) he’s the president. It’s a process. It’s all about the rebuild, it’s all about the strategy going forward. Can Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes become an incredible duo? How do you manage the tax situation we’re currently in?
“At the end of the day, it will be about Bobby making the right decisions moving forward. He’s (40 years old) and he’s got every quality that you want representing your organization. Now, it comes down to wins and losses, building the reputation of the brand and dealing with the salary cap.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Grange hears from sources that Toronto formally interviewed Pacers president Kevin Pritchard, former Kings general manager Monte McNair, and former Raptors coach Dwane Casey for its president role, while Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that Pacers GM Chad Buchanan and Bulls GM Marc Eversley also interviewed for the job. Pritchard was believed to be the candidate that intrigued the Raptors the most, but “prying him away from the Pacers proved difficult,” Grange writes.
- While Webster believes the roster the Raptors have put together is ready to “make the next step” in 2025/26, there’s skepticism around the NBA about some of the moves the team has made in recent years. According to Grange, one Eastern Conference executive questioned the team’s investments in Immanuel Quickley (five years, $162.5MM), Ingram (three years, $120MM), and Jakob Poeltl (three years, $84MM): “I know sometimes you have to pay a premium for players in Canada, but that much?” Another rival executive, per Grange, suggested there’s an excess of wings on the roster and a lack of depth at point guard and center. “They have a lot of nice pieces,” that executive said. “It’s just not clear how they all fit.”
- Some of the executives who interviewed for the Raptors’ president job were among those questioning the club’s recent personnel decisions, according to Lewenberg, who says one of those external candidates referred to the Ingram trade as a “desperate Hail Mary.”
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic previews what the Raptors’ rotation might look like this fall, projecting Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Jamal Shead, and Collin Murray-Boyles to be the top options off the bench behind a starting lineup of Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl, and RJ Barrett.
Raptors’ Gradey Dick Out For Rest Of Season
Raptors wing Gradey Dick, who has been out since March 2 due to a right knee injury, will be shut down for the final 10 days of the season, bringing his second year in the NBA to an early end, head coach Darko Rajakovic said today, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link).
A lottery pick in 2023, Dick increased his scoring average to 14.4 points per game in 2024/25, though his shooting numbers dipped slightly across the board to .410/.350/.858. He also contributed 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes per night across 54 games (all starts).
Considered one of the long-term building blocks in Toronto, Dick is under contract for $4.99MM next season. The Raptors will have until October 31 to determine whether or not to pick up his $7.13MM team option for 2026/27 — it’s a safe bet that option will be exercised, putting Dick on track to become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2026 offseason.
Rajakovic also provided reporters, including Lewenberg (Twitter link), with an update on Brandon Ingram on Friday. The forward has been able to do more on-court activities and is trending in the right direction in his recovery from a significant left ankle sprain that has sidelined him since December 7, according to Rajakovic.
The team is hopeful Ingram will be cleared for contact and fully participate in a practice next week, but with just four games left on Toronto’s schedule after tonight, time is running out for him to make his Raptors debut this season.
While it’d be nice for the Raptors if they could get a look at Ingram alongside Scottie Barnes for a game or two before season’s end, it’s likely not a major priority for the club, which is prioritizing its draft lottery odds at this point and acquired and extended Ingram with an eye toward 2025/26 and beyond.
As for Barnes, while the Raptors’ franchise player spoke on Thursday about wanting to play as much as possible in the final stretch of the season, he’ll be held out of Friday’s game vs. Detroit (the second end of a back-to-back) due to an MCP joint contusion in his right hand (Twitter link via Lewenberg). There’s no indication at this point that Barnes’ absence will extend beyond one game.
Raptors’ Gradey Dick To Miss At Least Two Weeks With Knee Injury
Raptors guard Gradey Dick has been diagnosed with a hyperextended right knee and bone bruises and will be out for at least the next two weeks, the team announced today in a press release.
According to the Raptors, Dick – who was injured during the second quarter of Sunday’s win in Orlando – will begin rehabilitating his knee injury upon returning to Toronto and will be reevaluated at the two-week mark.
The injury occurred as RJ Barrett drove into the lane while being defended by Magic guard Cole Anthony. Dick was cutting toward the basket from the corner and when Barrett and Anthony got tangled up near the rim, they fell into Dick — he collided with Anthony, then took a hard fall to the floor as Barrett landed on his leg (video link).
The 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft, Dick is considered a key part of the rebuild in Toronto. In 54 games (all starts) this season, the 21-year-old has averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 29.4 minutes per game, with a .410/.350/.858 shooting line.
Dick is one of a handful of Raptors wings currently on the injured list, along with Ochai Agbaji (left ankle sprain) and Jamison Battle (nasal fracture). Those ailments could open the door for rookies Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead to play increased roles.
Atlantic Notes: Brown, Robinson, Towns, Raptors
Celtics star Jaylen Brown suffered a bone bruise in his left quad during Tuesday’s victory over Toronto. After the game, he told Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscriber link) that he wasn’t sure whether or not he’d play in Wednesday’s back-to-back in Detroit.
After initially being listed as questionable, Brown was later ruled out against the red-hot Pistons, who have won seven straight games, one more than Boston’s current streak. Center Luke Kornet will also miss his second straight game due to personal reasons, per the Celtics (Twitter link).
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- The Knicks are optimistic that Mitchell Robinson will be able to make his season debut this weekend, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. New York plays two games this weekend, on Friday vs. Memphis and on Sunday against Miami. Assuming he keeps progressing without issue, either date is a possibility for Robinson to make his first appearance of 2024/25 following offseason ankle surgery, according to Begley.
- Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau stated after Tuesday’s practice that Robinson was “projected to be the starting center on the team.” On Wednesday, Thibodeau clarified that Robinson will not immediately enter the starting lineup — he was referring to before the season began, and presumably before New York’s blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns, as James L. Edwards III of The Athletic relays (via Twitter).
- Speaking of Towns, the Knicks big man was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after having his left knee flare up near the end of Sunday’s loss to Boston. He was initially listed as questionable. Rookie center Ariel Hukporti will get his first career start in Towns’ stead, per Edwards of The Athletic (Twitter link).
- Eric Koreen of The Athletic lists several Raptors trends to monitor for the remainder of the season, as well as some to ignore. Koreen is keeping close tabs on Immanuel Quickley‘s three-point volume and accuracy, Gradey Dick‘s defense, and the overall play of Ochai Agbaji. On the other hand, he says the team’s defensive rating and RJ Barrett‘s dip in offensive efficiency aren’t particularly important as the season winds down.
Raptors Notes: Ingram, Temple, Tucker, Barnes, Battle
The Raptors‘ trade-deadline acquisition of Brandon Ingram raised some eyebrows due to the team’s record (now 16-37) and the perception of Ingram as a win-now player. However, appearing on First Up on TSN1050, general manager Bobby Webster insisted that Toronto is “not putting the cart before the horse” and referred to Thursday as “a great day for the rebuild.”
“We got younger, we opened up playing time, we were able to use a lot of the flexibility under the tax to take on contracts, draft picks, pick up some cash along the way,” Webster said of the Raptors’ deadline moves, which included trading Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk to New Orleans as part of the package for Ingram and sending out Davion Mitchell in a separate deal.
“We opened up a lot of playing time for our young players. People have seen with our rookies, Ja’Kobe [Walter], Jamal [Shead], [Jonathan] Mogbo, and Jamison Battle and [Ulrich] Chomche, then second- and third-year guys like Gradey [Dick] and Ochai [Agbaji] — I think the opportunity that moving some of these old guys will afford the young players, we’ll see.”
Webster pointed out that Ingram isn’t much older than the rest of the Raptors’ core players and suggested that there’s a belief within the organization that there could be an opportunity to take a real step forward as early as next season, though the team won’t rush the process.
“Interesting to see as we add a first-round pick, add a second-round pick, hopefully able to retain Ingram, see what that team looks like, but we’ll temper expectations as this team grows,” Webster said. “Scottie Barnes is 23, Immanuel Quickley is 25, RJ Barrett is 24, Brandon is still just 27, so I think even from that perspective it’s a young core. We’ll continue the rebuild, I think this is a progress. No change in progress or timeline.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Ingram will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, but the Raptors now hold his Bird rights and could even extend him before he reaches free agency. Webster is optimistic about getting a deal done sooner or later. “We’re having [contract] discussions now. We wouldn’t do the deal unless we felt there was a comfort level with what he was looking for, what we were able to offer, an interest level in coming to Toronto,” Webster said. “Hopefully we can get something done. (Like) when we traded for Jakob Poeltl, it enables us to get the player in the system and for them to get a feel for us, we get a feel for them. The goal is to have a long-term extension with him.”
- Veteran guard Garrett Temple, who previously spent two seasons alongside Ingram in New Orleans from 2021-23, said the Raptors’ front office sought his input before pulling the trigger on the trade, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Temple anticipates a “seamless” fit for his former teammate. “The fact that we were able to get him without having to give up any of our, you know, core pieces was very impressive, and it’s great,” Temple said. “He’s a really great guy. And you can’t say that about a lot of guys in the league, especially All-Star-level players. But BI is definitely that guy. He cares about playing basketball. He loves playing the game of basketball. In today’s league, that’s not easy to say about a lot of people that have been paid.”
- Veteran forward P.J. Tucker won’t be coming to Toronto after being acquired from Utah in the five-team Jimmy Butler trade that sent Mitchell to Miami, Webster confirmed (according to Koreen). Tucker remains on the roster for now, but it sounds like he’ll be either bought out or waived outright, which would create a second open spot on the Raptors’ standard 15-man roster.
- Speaking to William Guillory of The Athletic about Ingram’s fit in Toronto, Koreen expressed concern about how the former Pelicans will mesh with franchise player Barnes. However, Barnes said over the weekend that he’s excited to build a “special connection” with his new teammate, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca relays.
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen takes a closer look at how Battle went from an undrafted rookie on an Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way deal to a spot on Toronto’s standard roster over the past seven months.
NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event
The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.
The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):
Rookies
- Carlton Carrington (Wizards)
- Stephon Castle (Spurs)
- Tristan Da Silva (Magic)
- Zach Edey (Grizzlies)
- Dalton Knecht (Lakers)
- Jared McCain (Sixers)
- Yves Missi (Pelicans)
- Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks)
- Alex Sarr (Wizards)
- Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies)
Sophomores
- Bilal Coulibaly (Wizards)
- Gradey Dick (Raptors)
- Keyonte George (Jazz)
- Scoot Henderson (Trail Blazers)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Warriors)
- Jaime Jaquez (Heat)
- Dereck Lively II (Mavericks)
- Brandon Miller (Hornets)
- Amen Thompson (Rockets)
- Cason Wallace (Thunder)
- Victor Wembanyama (Spurs)
G League Players
- JD Davison (Maine Celtics) *
- Mac McClung (Osceola Magic) *
- Bryce McGowens (Rip City Remix) *
- Leonard Miller (Iowa Wolves) *
- Dink Pate (Mexico City Capitanes)
- Reed Sheppard (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
- Pat Spencer (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.
As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.
A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.