Star who best fits in Toronto, overpaying free agents and more: Raptors mailbag

New York Times

26-05-2025

Once again, I must thank you all for the variety and volume of questions. You can read Part 1 of the Toronto Raptors mailbag here.
Let's get right to the questions, thus leaving room for a gratuitous joke or two.
(Note: Some questions have been edited for clarity and length.)
If there was a significant upgrade trade available to make that had the Raptors pushing in most of their picks as well as some trade ballast, which position and for whom would you trade? Would it be an upgrade at centre to (Jakob) Poetl, an upgrade around RJ (Barrett), or an upgrade at the point guard position for (Immanuel) Quickley? And are there any candidates you can think of on a second apron mess of a team (Phoenix?), or even a contender whose window looks like it's shut (Boston, Bucks), who the Raptors may consider? — Gregor B.
Beggars cannot be choosers, Gregor. We have yet to see Brandon Ingram play, but the half-court offence is the biggest problem on the team. I wouldn't look at things positionally, but rather who could do the most to help in that aspect. Ignoring the Giannis of it all — if he becomes available, the Raptors should make their best offer — Devin Booker interests me the most. There is no indication the Phoenix Suns want to trade him, but he is the type of scoring machine the Raptors could use.
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Plus, think of the content opportunities with Booker and The Raptor.
Most non-Canadian analysts are confused by the Raptors because they see four guys who want the ball in their hands and want to make decisions. But isn't that the whole point of Darko Rajaković's system? Is there a chance Quickley, RJ, Ingram and Scottie Barnes can buy in and play some beautiful basketball based off the pass and surprise people? (With Poeltl as the 5.) — James R.
The perceived issue is not that four guys want the ball in their hands. It's that, aside from Quickley, there isn't much proof they can be effective offensively without it. I'd dispute that a bit with Barrett, who is awesome at zipping around screens, taking handoffs and getting to the rim. But (in admittedly broad strokes) Ingram is a midrange merchant and Barnes' playmaking usually has him in the main action.
I wouldn't rule out that beautiful basketball you've asked about. If Barnes screens more and improves his shooting, Ingram backs up more often and there is that buy-in that you mention, it can work, with Poeltl acting as a hub. A lot of ifs, but not impossible.
Hey, E, do you think the sad state of the East next season will have any effect on how the front office operates this offseason?
Even if we took a fairly big swing (bigger than the Ingram trade), I'd argue we're still pretty far away from the top of the East. So I'd lean towards 'no,' but curious what you think. — Big Gradey Energy
I took part in a roundtable about this subject, so I'll direct you to that for most of my thoughts. Pending what happens in the offseason, Indiana, New York and Cleveland are still going to be very good, Boston will be competitive, Detroit had a good year from which to build, Orlando has a lot of upside, and teams such as Atlanta and Chicago have similar potential for upward mobility as the Raptors. Milwaukee and Philadelphia are wild cards, capable of 55 wins or 55 losses depending on the offseason and health.
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In general, the conference's weakness should push teams such as the Raptors a smidgeon toward aggressiveness. It doesn't change the calculus too much, but it should provide a little more incentive to try to win in the present.
What are the odds of the core of Quickley, Barrett, Barnes, Poeltl and Ingram staying on the team at the start of the season? As well as the odds of that core making it past the trade deadline? — Malik H.
If I were a betting man and it wouldn't jeopardize my professional credibility, assuming I have any of that, I would bet on those five still being Raptors after the end of the season. As stated often, the Raptors have potential fit questions and definite financial issues, so I'm not ruling out a trade, but it isn't easy to construct one.
If there is a trade, Barrett is the most likely to go because of the team's relative depth on the wing and his shorter, cheaper contract compared with Quickley's, Ingram's and Barnes'. He doesn't have a lot of (or maybe any) positive value, but trading him would be the simplest.
If they have a disappointing year, Ingram and Poeltl instantly would become more likely to be dealt — assuming Poeltl doesn't sign a contract extension this offseason. (They can offer him an extension starting at $27.3 million this offseason.)
Congratulations on the promotion at work, Eric.
The Raptors have consistently overpaid in both money and term. Has it worked for them? Or do they need to revise that policy?
Meanwhile, let's watch a few Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals. — Kevin M.
Thanks, Kevin. If you're wondering what the main difference between being a staff writer and a senior writer is, it's that I now smoke cigars in rooms with mahogany bookshelves and complain about youths. (Just joking. I was doing that before, too.)
When reading my colleague Michael Grange's column about OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam (and the end of the post-Kyle Lowry Raptors, in general), I was reminded of Masai Ujiri's saying, 'I personally don't think contracts were an issue because historically here the players know that we've taken care of the players here' in regard to the disappointing 2022-23 team that led to the departure of Fred VanVleet and eventual trades of Anunoby and Siakam.
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I have two main thoughts about your question and the quote. First, though players pay attention to how teams treat their players, if it doesn't work out exactly the same for them, that ceases to matter. The Raptors' offering Lowry, VanVleet and others friendly deals even when markets didn't develop for them as they expected didn't matter to Siakam when he ultimately thought he was worth more than the Raptors were prepared to offer. It's one of those things where you don't want a bad reputation, but the goodwill it creates lasts as long as any individual is paid.
Secondly, it's the role-player contracts that will kill you. We'll see how the Ingram and Quickley deals play out, but it's the Chris Boucher, Khem Birch and Gary Trent contracts that bother me more from a process standpoint. The length of the Birch deal likely cost the Raptors some draft equity in the Poeltl trade. If you're going to create one-team bidding wars, make sure the players are essential to your plan.
Is it wrong to think Ja'Kobe (Walter) is the best/most interesting wing player on the roster? — Chris B.
It isn't if we're talking about the younger players. His length makes him an intriguing defender, and he didn't appear too bothered by the NBA's physicality even in his rookie season. We will need to see how he develops offensively, but his rookie season showed me he could be an effective two-way player.
Wondering who you think would be the best fit at No. 9 for the Raptors with the players that are likely to be available? — Patrick L.
I am not going to pretend to be a draft expert. The Raptors aren't set anywhere that they should be avoiding any type of player.
Saying that, in terms of pure fit, Arizona freshman Carter Bryant makes a lot of sense. Ignore his per-game stats — everything about his game says he could very easily turn into a very good 3-and-D role player. Also, he has a 7-foot wingspan. Raptors! Truly, that archetype fits anywhere.
Of course, I was also very high on Dalen Terry, another long wing from Arizona with comically low usage. Ask Chicago Bulls fans about Terry. Or better yet, don't.
Hi, Eric, how do you think Toronto is viewed as a destination for free agents now?
Toronto seems to be in a weird grey area in the NBA, as it is a major North American city in terms of market size, with a massive population and crazy fans. But players have avoided us in the past, which is why we've typically had to trade for and then sign all our talent (see Ingram, Quickley, Poeltl) — Pietro P.
First of all, trades have largely replaced free agency as the way major players change teams. It is easy to parse Ujiri's words and see there has been some difficulty getting superstars to be all in on coming to the Raptors, as players tend to have lots of say on where they end up in trades of that magnitude.
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Beyond that, I'm not interested in the conversation. The weather and taxes are real, but it is not as if Oklahoma City is a destination. Yet, the Thunder signed Isaiah Hartenstein, the free agent who fit best with the team's young core, by building an amazing team and targeting him. Have you been to Oklahoma City? All apologies, but it is not bustling.
I'm not a league historian, but I can't imagine there have been many better times to be a team in a non-glamour market. The CBA, with its punitive measures against overspending, is likely to ensure that continues to be the case.
Are we ready to say that next year it's playoffs or bust? What expectations should the Raptors be setting for themselves? — Zac W.
Let's wait until the offseason plays out for anything definitive here. We're definitely trending in that direction, though.
(Top photo of RJ Barrett: Kevin Sousa / Getty Images)