2024 was a year of change for the Toronto Raptors, as the team embraced a fresh direction in Canada's largest city.
The Raptors have entered a new era, led by franchise star Scottie Barnes, with a talented supporting cast that includes RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick. However, it took some time for the franchise to reach its current position. The year 2024 had its share of lows, but it also featured a surprising number of highs for the team. The latter will be the focus of today’s piece.
Despite the Raptors' record last season and even this year, there are several positives to take away from this calendar year. At times, these positives may not have felt significant in the moment.
However, hindsight has revealed that they ultimately benefitted the Raptors.
January - Pascal Siakam gets traded to the Indiana Pacers
The trade that sent OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks was finalized just before the buzzer of 2023. Otherwise, it could easily have been the highlight of this list, as it provided the Raptors with two-thirds of their current trio.
Instead, the trade that sent Siakam to the Indiana Pacers opens our list.
Looking back at the two deals, this one was the less impactful of the two. However, it still marked a definitive moment in the Raptors' year. Siakam served as Toronto's primary franchise cornerstone for several seasons, experiencing a range of ups and downs in his Raptors tenure.
Dealing Siakam to the Pacers officially ushered in a new era for the team, with Barnes emerging as the primary figure in Toronto.
The trade return for Siakam may be seen as somewhat underwhelming. However, it ultimately led to the team acquiring Ochai Agbaji. Given how well Agbaji is performing in the 2024-25 campaign, Raptors fans can take solace in this outcome.
February - Scottie Barnes participates in his first All-Star Game
An encouraging sign of a young player's growth is being recognized as one of the better players in the league. The NBA All-Star Game can serve as a platform for achieving this.
Despite the Raptors' struggles as a team last season, Barnes' individual performance was ultimately acknowledged as good enough to earn him a spot in his first All-Star Game.
Barnes and Trae Young were named injury replacements for the Eastern Conference after Joel Embiid and Julius Randle were unable to play.
The Raptors star finished the game on February 18 with 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in just 18 minutes of play.
May - Raptors lose their 2024 NBA Draft pick
The initial reactions to the Raptors' pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which fell out of the top six and was thus forfeited to the San Antonio Spurs to officially complete the Jakob Poeltl trade, were largely negative.
However, this ultimately turned out to be a positive development for Toronto.
If the Raptors had retained their pick by finishing within their protections, they might have missed out on a selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. Given the weaknesses of the 2024 rookie class and the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated upcoming draft class, this outcome proved beneficial for the Toronto Raptors.
Even better, with the hand Toronto was dealt in the 2024 NBA Draft, they are poised to make the most of their rookie selections.
With Toronto ranking among the worst teams in the NBA this season, they are well positioned to secure one of the top players available in the 2025 NBA Draft. If the Raptors emerge from the upcoming draft with a talent like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Egor Demin, Ace Bailey, or another standout, both management and fans will be thrilled.