The Toronto Raptors, more so than perhaps any other organization in the NBA, have been willing to find terrific players in every corner of the globe. Some of the best players in Raptors history have come from far outside North America.
Masai Ujiri and the Raptors’ front office are once again trying to keep up their reputation as one of the league’s foremost global representatives, as they have players from Austria, Cameroon, Germany, and Nigeria (just to name a few countries) on their roster.
The Raptors have gone all over the globe for talent, though some names stand out above the rest of the names who have once worn Toronto’s colors. Which names will be remembered throughout franchise history as the best player from their respective countries to play for them?
The best Toronto Raptors players from every country.
Argentina: PF Luis Scola
Scola had to fight off a fierce challenge from Carlos Delfino, who played all 82 games as a bench player for Sam Mitchell. Scola, who averaged 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for a Raptors team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, got the edge due to his role on one of the best Raptors teams ever.
Australia: C Aron Baynes
While Baynes was mocked for his poor play and the fact he was an inadequate replacement for Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the Tampa bubble, he is still the best Aussie to suit up for Toronto. After nearly suffering a career-ending injury, Baynes luckily managed to fully recover.
Jakob Poeltl is a terrific Toronto Raptors center.
Austria: C Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl, who recently signed a four-year contract with the Raptors a few years after the former No. 9 overall pick by Toronto was traded to the Spurs, has made his mark. A terrific rim protector, passer, and rebounder, Poeltl could be a long-term asset as Toronto tries to turn it around.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: C Aleksandar Radojevic
The Raptors drafted Radojevic 12th overall in 1999 (before Corey Maggette, Metta World Peace, and Manu Ginobili), and he played just three forgetful games for the team. Bosnia, like many Balkan states, has a strong basketball infrastructure, but they haven’t sent many of their best products to the Raptors yet.
Brazil: SG Leandro Barbosa
While names like Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira have come from Brazil to Toronto, Barbosa’s 1.5-season stint with the Raptors was more impressive than what either of them put on film. While he wasn’t as good as he was in Phoenix, Barbosa averaged 12.8 points per game with Toronto.
Cameroon: PF Pascal Siakam
Siakam is one of the best players in franchise history, as his name is plastered all over the record books. Siakam’s legend will only continue to grow, as Toronto figures to make him the focal point of Darko Rajakovic’s offensive during his debut season.
Pascal Siakam is an all-time great Toronto Raptors player.
Canada: PG Cory Joseph
Dalano Banton may have been the first player the Raptors ever drafted from Canada, but his two-year stint paled in comparison to what Joseph put on display. After averaging 8.9 points per game in two seasons as a backup point guard, Joseph built the foundation for a strong career.
Congo: C Serge Ibaka
Ibaka was an underrated part of the Raptors’ title run and success before that season, as his shooting, shot-blocking, and physical edge gave Toronto a degree of nastiness that helped the squad withstand some very tough challenges in the postseason. The love he feels for Toronto is reciprocated.
Croatia: C Zan Tabak
Tabak had a stellar international career, getting playing time in professional leagues from the time he was just 15 years old. Unfortunately, Toronto only for 2.5 seasons of him, in which he averaged 7.1 points per game. Perhaps he could have lasted more if he had come to the NBA earlier.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: C Bismack Biyombo
Biyombo only played one season with the Raptors, and he is a limited player offensively, but some fans will remember what a terrific rebounder he was. While he faded away against elite teams in the playoffs, Biyombo has some individually terrific games in the postseason.
Bismack Biyombo had nice moments for the Toronto Raptors.
France: C Jerome Moiso
Mosio played just 43 games with the Raptors and averaged just 2.7 points per game. While he bounced around the league in an attempt to find someone who would take the 6-10 big man and make him a consistent presence, Moiso was out of the league by the time he was 26.
Germany: SG Isaac Bonga
Dennis Schroder will overtake Bonga as soon as he plays his first few games with Toronto. Nick Nurse was interested in Bonga due to his defensive skills, but his inability to shoot well from 3-point range led to infrequent playing time and a stint back in Germany with Bayern Munich.
Italy: PF Andrea Bargnani
Bargnani may not have been worthy of being picked No. 1 overall, but he eventually evolved into a 20 points per game scorer during his NBA career. Bargnani’s Raptors career could have been better with more support around him, but his scoring skill makes it tough to be too critical of what he became.
Japan: SF Yuta Watanabe
FIBA World Cup star Watanabe, who has since moved to Brooklyn and Phoenix after leaving the Raptors, went from an also-ran who signed a two-way contract with Toronto to a legitimate high-energy wing off the bench who can hold his own offensively due to his deadly 3-point shot.
Andrea Bargnani had success with the Toronto Raptors.
Lithuania: C Jonas Valanciunas
Valanciunas might be having his best statistical seasons away from Toronto, but his legacy in the NBA will be centered around what he did during his time with the Raptors. A consistent rebounder and post presence, history will look on Valanciunas’ Toronto tenure favorably.
Nigeria: PF Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa will put even more distance between himself and the rest of the pack in 2023 and beyond. He isn’t a terrific creator, but it’s hard to look at his raw athletic ability and impressive on-ball defense and not get excited about what he could be when fully realized.
Saint Lucia: PF Chris Boucher
Saint Lucia-born and Canadian-bred, Boucher is one of the crown jewels of the Raptors’ developmental system. While he can be inconsistent, Boucher’s rise from a complete unknown to an NBA champion and well-compensated bench player is straight out of Hollywood.
Serbia: SF Peja Stojakovic
Slovenia: PG Goran Dragic
Both Stojakovic and Dragic failed to provide any sort of value to the Raptors despite the fact they have individually terrific careers. Dragic was a clutch playoff performer, and Stojakovic is one of the best shooters ever, but Toronto has very few positive memories of them.
Jose Calderon was terrific for the Toronto Raptors.
Spain: PG Jose Calderon
Calderon averaged 11.0 points and 8.1 assists per game in an eight-year stretch between 2007 and 2011, as his steady tempo and historically good free throw shooting helped him stand out as one of the few competent starters who suited up alongside prime Chris Bosh.
Venezuela: PG Greivis Vasquez
Vasquez averaged 9.5 points and 3.7 assists per game in 1.5 seasons with Toronto, which didn’t exactly help him stand out in the annals of team history. However, his best contribution to the Raptors is memorable, as he was traded away for the picks that became OG Anunoby and Norman Powell.
Ukraine: SG Svi Mykhailiuk
While Mykhailiuk started his Toronto career on a fairly high note, the Ukrainian guard fell out of the rotation after a string of iffy performances. Mykhailiuk, to his credit, hasn’t stopped trying to stick in the NBA, as he recently signed a deal with the Boston Celtics.
UK: SF OG Anunoby
Anunoby, who was born in Harlesden in London, is the ideal player that Ujiri wants to populate the team’s roster with. Anunoby’s strong defense is impressive enough, but the tweaks he has made to his offensive game has been enough to vault him up several tiers.
Kyle Lowry remains a legendary Toronto Raptors player.
USA: PG Kyle Lowry
It’s hard to describe what Lowry means to the Raptors. The best player in franchise history and one of the most consistently underrated players at any position during his career, Lowry’s numbers and impact on the lone Raptors champion will last in perpetuity in Toronto.
It will be quite some time before someone comes and unseats Lowry from this top spot among all American-born players. Even if the stats are impressive, the leadership he brought and the iconic nature of his status with the Raptors will be almost impossible to replicate.