Raptors Discussion: 2025-2026 NBA Season

[fancy lad]

Totally worth the gamble.

I liked ingram, but that playoff performance was baaaaaad.

Gradey Dick seemed like a nice guy...... that's all i got.

So as far as people actually playing in the NBA. It's a no brainer.

 

[fancy lad]

Also just having Kawhi as a raptor just feels right (again).

 

[TheTotalPackage]

It keeps being said the Raptors were stuck in no-man's land spinning their wheels. They just made a massive move to try and rectify that.

Might not work like the first time. And it still is odd as heck to me Kawhi was dying to come back to Toronto of all places when he didn't want to be here in the first place and couldn't leave fast enough.

But this just rejuvenated the entire fanbase and franchise instantaneously. Kawhi was dead to me the moment he left for the Clippers, and yet I'm back all in with him again now.

 

[Wry n Ginger]

He was a shooter who forgot how to shoot, LOL.

There might be a blue pill for projectile dysfunction...or something "like" that?

 

[ClarkSittler]

Welcome home, Kawhi!

I can't wait to hear your name announced during the Opening Night introductions. Scotiabank Arena is going to absolutely erupt. Hopefully that moment lights a fire in you to bring us another championship and cement your legacy as the greatest Raptor of all time.

Toronto basketball just became very interesting for the next 2–3 years.

 

[bentharbs]

2019 Kawhi >>>>>> 2026 Kawhi

That's ok though. This team was going nowhere in a league where you NEED a top 10 player to compete. They likely just acquired that, so it's a win imo.

 

[thewave]

2019 Kawhi >>>>>> 2026 Kawhi

That's ok though. This team was going nowhere in a league where you NEED a top 10 player to compete. They likely just acquired that, so it's a win imo.

Right and no compete = players leave or won't come. For Toronto competing and establishing a long term reputation of being a good destination is very important.

They could actually win with this.

 

[weems]

Look at his PER and TS% last season compared to his career

 

[Gary Nylund]

The Raps aren't managed like the bLeafs. They will most likely remain competitive. I think it was a good gamble.

Even if they aren't competitive for a 5 years period or WE, who cares? It's so hard to win a title, players generally don't want to come to Canada, now we actually have a chance to win the next couple of years.

Amazing news!!

 

[Suntouchable13]

Even if they aren't competitive for a 5 years period or WE, who cares? It's so hard to win a title, players generally don't want to come to Canada, now we actually have a chance to win the next couple of years.

Amazing news!!

Players are ignorant, that's why. Kawhi Leonard spent a season here and seems like he really had a good time (even championship aside). It's just so annoying how ignorant most players are. Toronto is not even that much different than a New York or a Boston.

 

[aingefan]

Well the trade for Kawhi was literally Ingram Dick Picks

Coincidence that Woodman picked up on this?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Surprised to see posters liking this move. This is a terrible move for the Raps. This guy snubbed us, is 35 years old, always hurt. Still not a contender. What garbage this is.

 

[kb]

Even if they aren't competitive for a 5 years period or WE, who cares? It's so hard to win a title, players generally don't want to come to Canada, now we actually have a chance to win the next couple of years.

Amazing news!!

So you have no problems sending out 5 draft picks for a 35 year old....yet with the Leafs it's rebuild, rebuild, rebuild?

 

[BehindTheTimes]

He probably doesn't like the direction the USA is going in at the moment like many US citizens. Don't forget California is rather nasty these days. Wealth taxes etc

Probably not. He’d rather stay in LA, but wasn’t an option.

 

[thewave]

So you have no problems sending out 5 draft picks for a 35 year old....yet with the Leafs it's rebuild, rebuild, rebuild?

To be fair. NBA and NHL are completely different. 35 year old top 5 star is still a complete team makeover in a single move.

 

[Stylizer1]

God, I hope DeRozen doesn't come out with another book on why they didn't bring him back too.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Our management are morons. Two unprotected firsts? For a 35 year old, and the same guy that wouldn’t stay here unless we mortgaged our whole future away. This is just bending over to make entitled players happy all over again. Him and Mathews can both get bent.

The team is likely to be extremely bad by then too. I think it’s a terrible move.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

NBA 2nd rounders are practically useless. And unless this whole plan blows up spectacularly the 1sts should be late in the round, which by NBA standards is the "you pray that you get a guy for the end of your bench" range of picking. Dick is basically worth... dick at this point and Ingram is an expensive but replaceable B-tier star that gets hurt a lot.

If you wanna make an issue of Kawhi's contract being worth so much that it's gonna hamstring them as their youth comes off their rookie scale deals, sure. But the trade value itself is totally fine considering that it's nearly as likely that Ingram sits on injured reserve as it is that Kawhi does it.

Not sure what makes you think the picks will be late. Couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

[Thornbury]

Not sure what makes you think the picks will be late. Couldn’t be further from the truth.

It is impossible to predict what the unprotected first would be five years down the road. Given they don't give up any firsts until 2031, there's no reason to assume the team will be bad by then. I agree top 5 protection would have been preferable.

 

[tmlfan98]

When Kawhi dunked on Giannis with his weak hand in Game 6 of the 2019 ECF, I made that my pfp and decided I would only change it if a bigger moment in Toronto sports ever happened after. I gotta say, I didn't have The King of the North returning before changing this pfp on my bingo card.

The past is written, and Kawhi knows he pissed his legacy away. But that doesn't change how exciting the next few years are going to be. The wing trio of Kawhi, Scottie, and CMB is going to be an unimaginable nightmare for opponents defensively when all 3 are on the court together. A coach's dream.

 

[StrictlyCommercial]

So you have no problems sending out 5 draft picks for a 35 year old....yet with the Leafs it's rebuild, rebuild, rebuild?

It's two picks of consequence for a top 10 star.