A day after a rough exit from the NBA playoffs, the Toronto Raptors held their heads up high and hoped they'd get a chance to continue to grow together. When asked if the Raptors have what they need to take another step forward in 2026-27, face of the franchise Scottie Barnes was adamant.
"For sure. I feel very confident in the guys we got out there on the floor. We got some dogs out here," Barnes said. "We've got everything it takes. We feel like we could have got much (further) and that would have been a totally different conversation and people would have started seeing stuff different. But, you know, unfortunately, it didn't go the way it went. But I feel like we're gonna be back. We're gonna be better. We got a long ways to go. But we took a step in the right direction."
Roster Stability and Key Decisions
General manager Bobby Webster, who will speak to the media Wednesday, can bring back most of the roster pretty easily. The two biggest question marks are likely Sandro Mamukelashvili — who surely will opt out and become a free agent, in line for a big raise — and RJ Barrett, who has one year left on his deal but is eligible for an extension.
Otherwise, Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl are inked to long-term contracts. The impressive youngsters Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead are under team control for a while on cheap deals.
RJ Barrett Wants to Stay Home
Asked by the Toronto Sun if he hopes to stick long-term, Mississauga-born Barrett gave no doubt. "What do you think? I think that this is the easier question for me to answer because I'm from here and who doesn't want to play at home?" Barrett said. "So of course I'm trying to stay here. I understand the business, but I want to stay here. I have no problem saying that. I want to be here. I want to be here for the rest of my career. I don't ever want to leave, like I don't have any problems openly saying that. So that's out of my control. I've done my part on the court this year and I will continue to do my part, so, just hope things work out that way."
Mamukelashvili's Future
Mamukelashvili, who got votes as sixth man of the year and was a superb value signing last summer but struggled in the playoffs, said he thinks he can continue to get better and loved his fit in Toronto. His first choice would be a return as well, but the Raptors don't have much flexibility below the luxury tax once the salary of the incoming 19th overall selection is factored in. "I think this summer will be understanding where I fit the best and what role I can play, and hopefully it'll be here," he said. "I really want to be back."
Young Players Gaining Experience
Walter, Shead and Murray-Boyles all believe they got invaluable experience being relied heavily on in the playoffs and plan to attack the summer hard and come back able to make a season-long impact.
Injury Updates on Ingram and Quickley
Both Ingram and Quickley lamented the injuries that took them out for all or most of the post-season. "It sucked, mostly because I wanted to be there for my teammates, I thought I could be effective in some way," Ingram said of wanting to shake off a poor start against Cleveland and come back to help the Raptors win. "(Ingram and Quickley) had that conversation last night. He just walked up to me, 'How you feeling, bro?' I'm cool, but that s*** sucked," Ingram added.
The bright side for the veterans Ingram, Quickley and Poeltl is all believe they'll be 100% before too long and able to work on their games. A year ago, Ingram spent the whole summer rehabbing his major ankle injury and Poeltl first tweaked his back at training camp. Quickley wants to add a couple new tricks to his game. The Raptors will need them because there are still weaknesses to be addressed. But Day 1 of the off-season was all about embracing the positives.
