The Toronto Raptors are an anomaly across NBA history. While they have not existed for a very long time, they have already established themselves as a quality organization from the top on down while playing host to multiple future Hall of Famers.
As a result, the Raptors’ record book is littered with names that managed to establish themselves as supremely talented players in the NBA. Their assist leaderboard has been dominated by a few recognizable names from yesteryear as well as some standouts in the paint.
Be them transcendent forwards who managed to pick up tons of assists through sheer longevity or wings who had to reinvent themselves as passers in their Raptors careers, Toronto has plenty of recognizable names that litter this all-time ranking.
These 10 players have set themselves apart as the best passers and distributors the Toronto Raptors have ever seen. Perhaps in a few years, a young star like Scottie Barnes could find his name among these fantastic Raptors standouts with a few more years of work.
Top 10 assisters in Toronto Raptors franchise history.
No. 10-8
10. Chris Bosh (1,115)
9. Doug Christie (1,197)
8. Pascal Siakam (1,215)
Bosh’s dominance in Toronto helped him sneak into the top ten over names like Morris Peterson, TJ Ford, and Rafer Alston. Bosh only averaged 2.2 assists per game in Toronto, but he was able to get some impressive total numbers by way of being the sole ball-dominant force north of the border for a half-decade.
Christie might be considered a defense-first player who ended up taking the Kings just a few steps short of the Finals, but he made plenty of memories during his time in Toronto. The four-time All-Defensive nomination averaged 3.8 dimes per contest during his time with the Raptors.
Toronto Raptors: Pascal Siakam has become a great passer.
Siakam came to the Raptors as a somewhat raw player from a smaller school in New Mexico State, but he has since grown into one of the absolute best passing big men in the game. Siakam’s distribution was so good that he saw some time as a backup point guard last season.
With Siakam locked in as the unquestioned top scorer and premier offensive option for the next two seasons, his total assist figures to get even better. Siakam was and remains a game-changer, and a few more strong seasons could prompt conversations about hoisting No. 43 to the rafters.
No. 7-4
7. Vince Carter (1,553)
6. Fred VanVleet (1,704)
5. Damon Stoudamire (1,761)
4. Alvin Williams (1,791)
Carter might be most well-known for a level of offensive electricity that few players have reached in their careers. His 3.9 assists per game during his Toronto career shows that the Raptors completely revolved around his ability to make magic happen with the ball in his hands.
VanVleet will almost assuredly leapfrog over those two players currently ahead of him in the 2021-22 season. A near-elite passer who has already put up some of the best numbers of his career in the last few seasons, VanVleet has just started etching his name in Raptors history.
Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet is a franchise legend.
Stoudamire was not in Toronto for a very long time, as the struggles of the franchise early in his NBA career prompted him to ask out. Still, his formative years were so dominant that he set an assists per game mark that no Raptor will break in the near future.
A player ahead of his time, Williams was a 6-5 guard who could defend like hell and get you a basket when the situation calls for it. Had he not come down with a knee injury that essentially ended his career, Williams’ status as a Raptor great may have become impregnable.
No. 3-1
3. DeMar DeRozan (2,078)
2. Jose Calderon (3,778)
1. Kyle Lowry (4,277)
Even though DeRozan was a ball-dominant wing who excelled as an isolation scorer, he wasn’t above kicking out to a player like Lowry on the perimeter to dropping it off to Jonas Valanciunas in the paint. No Raptors all-time list would be complete without an appearance from DeMar.
While Calderon might not have had the highest ceiling in the world, there’s something to be said for his rock-solid, always consistent presence in the Raptors’ starting lineup. Calderon may not have got his due thanks to a lack of postseason success, but his numbers with Toronto hold up to this day.
Toronto Raptors: Kyle Lowry stands alone
Did you really expect anyone else at the top of this list? Lowry was the main catalyst behind the most successful decade of basketball in franchise history, leading the team to a championship when Kawhi Leonard’s dominant style mixed with No. 7’s leadership skills.
It’s going to take a near herculean effort for a player to overtake or supersede Lowry’s impact on the franchise. Lowry built the bulk of a Hall of Fame career in Toronto, and he did it by being the steady leader at point guards other GMs would throw their mothers in front of a bus for.