No matter how it ends, this Raptors season was a success

The trick for the Raptors will be how to make another leap in 2026-27

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Published Apr 30, 2026  •  Last updated 24 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

Ja'Kobe Walter of the Toronto Raptors celebrates during the second quarter of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 29, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. Photo by Jason Miller /Getty Images

No matter what happens Friday night in Toronto, or in a possible Game 7 in Cleveland on Sunday, this Toronto Raptors season has been a success.

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Sure, the bar wasn’t all that high following 25 and 30-win seasons, but the goal for the year was to develop young building blocks, keep Brandon Ingram healthy and see if Scottie Barnes had another level to reach, while also giving the group some valuable post-season experience.

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Check marks on all accounts.

And while it would be great if the Raptors could win two more games and upset the rather unimpressive Cleveland Cavaliers, the team with the NBA’s highest payroll but little consistency from its players, if not, this was a good year for the Raptors.

The front office, run by Bobby Webster for the first time after the firing of Masai Ujiri, hit a grand slam with Collin Murray-Boyles at nine in last June’s draft. Previous picks Ja’Kobe Walter (19th in 2024) and Jamal Shead (45th in 2024) both turned in solid sophomore regular seasons before, like Murray-Boyles, emerging as playoff risers. Sandro Mamukelashvili was one of the best budget free agent signings of last off-season.

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Additionally, Raptors 905 had the third-best record in the G League and last year’s second round selection, Alijah Martin, showed some promise. Webster, Dan Tolzman and Co. will have the 19th pick in this year’s draft, regarded as a very deep one, to add a desperately needed attacking guard and/or more shooting (though they always opt for the best available player, regardless of positional need, which show they landed on Murray-Boyles, who overlaps with Barnes at power forward).

Barnes has been the main story

Speaking of Barnes, he’s the biggest story of the year. Already a rookie of the year and one-time all-star with elite defensive versatility, Barnes improved a bit offensively in the regular season while providing defence that had him in the conversation for defensive player of the year and the all-defensive first team. From there, he’s merely been by far the best player in a series that also features three-time scoring champ, 8-time All-NBA guard James Harden, 7-time all-star Donovan Mitchell and former defensive player of the year Evan Mobley. On a bigger stage, even without point guard Immanuel Quickley and sometimes without Ingram, Barnes has turned heads and opened eyes about what his ceiling might actually be.

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Seeing RJ Barrett, pushed to a smaller role this season and constantly questioned or bandied about in trade rumours, thrive in big games, has been another positive. The same can be said of the way Darko Rajakovic has coached the group, how he always gets them to play hard, show up, execute defensively and grind it out. Rajakovic has made clever adjustments and proven he picked up a lot while working alongside a number of talented coaches in previous stops, building on his previous international work as a head coach.

Ingram has stumbled

Keeping Ingram on the court almost all year — until he left Game 5 due to a heel issue – was another win for the organization, though his playoffs have easily been the most disappointing of any Raptor and spark questions about the future.

The trick for the Raptors will be how to make another leap in 2026-27. Being awful is easy, as is being pretty mediocre. Getting to middle of the pack (and Top 5 defensively) the way they did this year deserves praise. But chasing 50  wins next season and home court advantage in an improved Eastern Conference, with a bigger target on their backs amidst higher expectations and the same roster issues (perhaps more if Mamukelashvili signs somewhere else) is a different level of challenge.

There will be a summer to think about all of that though.

For now, Raptors fans should enjoy the season that was, and perhaps, a little more magic from a fun group

@WolstatSun

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