The National Basketball Association begins this week, and it is once again time to preview every NBA franchise. I will be covering the teams in the Eastern Conference and my colleague, Joel Beatton, will feature teams in the Western Conference. Today we are featuring the Toronto Raptors.
Key Acquisitions
There is no doubt that the Toronto Raptors are dealing with a youth movement. Three of their most notable acquisitions came via the draft. They selected shooting guard Ja’Kobe of Dallas, Texas in the first round (19th overall) out of Baylor University, and power forward Jonathan Mogbo of West Palm Beach, Florida in the second round (31st overall) out of the University of San Francisco. The Raptors also acquired point guard Davion Mitchell of Hinesville, Georgia, and the Kings’s second round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft (Jamal Shead of Austin, Texas) in a minor trade with Sacramento on June 28.
Fantasy Star
Last season when Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic when on his noteworthy rant, he stated that Scottie Barnes of West Palm Beach, Florida is “going to be the face of the league.” From a fantasy perspective, Barnes is right there among the best. He is projected to be ranked in the top 10 among shooting guards (eighth), small forwards (seventh), and power forwards (fifth). Last season, Barnes was an All-Star for the first time. He averaged 19.9 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 6.1 assists per game, 1.5 blocks per game, and 1.3 steals per game. Barnes also had a field goal percentage of .475, three point percentage of .341, and free throw percentage of .781.
Projected Finish
The Raptors are expected to be in the basement in the Atlantic Division. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri admits the franchise is in the process of rebuilding and will take time for the Raptors to contend among the elite teams in the league again.
