With the NBA Finals not set to begin until Thursday and 28 teams already amid their off-seasons, the rumour mill is naturally starting to spin.
And on Sunday, some of the chatter that trickled down involved the Toronto Raptors and a possible clue to their team-building intentions moving forward.
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst mentioned Canada’s lone NBA franchise as a team worth keeping an eye on throughout the summer.
“The Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish,” Windhorst said.
The long-time NBA insider went on to note how the landscape of the Eastern Conference could be in for a major makeover this off-season given recent events — Jayson Tatum’s achilles injury impacting the trajectory of the increasingly expensive Boston Celtics, and reporting that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is “open-minded” to a move away from the Milwaukee Bucks — and how that may create an opportunity for organizations like the Raptors.
“And, you know, I think because … if you’re an Eastern Conference team that’s in the middle of the pack, you’re looking at the teams in front of you going, ‘Some of them may not be able to come together, may be able to stay together,'” Windhorst explained. “Boston is hurt, and so there are some teams that sniff the ability to make a move, and I think Toronto is one of those teams.”
The Raptors are coming off a lacklustre 30-win season and missed the playoffs for a third consecutive year. All of which earned them the league’s seventh-worst record and the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft after the lottery draw.
Yet, despite sitting cozy with the NBA’s cellar-dwellers, the front office has alluded to the idea that they’re ready to leave their brief rebuild in the rearview mirror. That began at the 2024-25 trade deadline when Toronto acquired Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans and extended the former all-star with a three-year, $120 million contract.
If president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster did want to make another splash, it’s clear the “big fish” to reel in is the seemingly perturbed two-time MVP in Milwaukee.
“And so naturally, any team that wants to make a move this summer, especially a team in the Eastern Conference, you’re going to have Giannis on the board,” Windhorst said. “But Toronto, I think, is going to try — from their initial conversations, teams in the league are getting the impression that Toronto is going to try to do something.”
While there may be mutual interest between the two sides — stemming from Antetokounmpo’s well-documented relationship with Ujiri — the Raptors would need the “Greek Freak” to do much of the legwork for anything to materialize.
It’s been reported that Antetokounmpo has a desire to stay in the East should he leave the Bucks, but given the state of the conference, there may not be many compelling offers to compete against.
And Ujiri is no stranger to making bold moves in pursuit of a title.
As for what Toronto could offer in a deal, they own 13 picks between now and 2031 and control all seven firsts in that span. As far as players go, there are multiple useful contracts on the books — including a trio of extension-eligible Raptors in RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Ochai Agbaji — that could be used to match Antetokounmpo’s $50 million-plus salary. The Raptors also have a pair of recent first-rounders in Gradey Dick and Ja’Kobe Walter — along with a promising 2024 rookie class — they could include to fill out the prospect portion of a deal.
Even if Toronto doesn’t get in on the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, Windhorst believes it’ll be quite an active off-season around league circles. The kind of wheeling-and-dealing that could lead to a couple more fish in the pond — all while the Raptors keep casting in hopes of a bite.
“I had an executive tell me yesterday that he thinks this could be an explosive summer,” Windhorst said. “People are saying that the amount of activity and calls happening in the league right now is at a much higher volume than has been in years past.
“I know it does not mean it’s going to happen, but Toronto is one of those teams that is sitting there on the balls of its feet, which is interesting.”
