For a team that suffered a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the first round, the Raptors are in a pretty good position. They have a young two-way star to build around, absolutely nailed last year’s draft pick, saw Ja’Kobe Walter morph into a capable 3-and-D contributor throughout the season, and vastly exceeded expectations with a top-five regular-season finish and a lengthy series against a more veteran team.
That’s a good foundation to start with, but the Raptors still have ways to go until they are considered a potential contender in the Eastern Conference. They need an infusion of offensive creation and 3-point shooting, but they don’t have a ton of options to bring in outside help except for in the draft and via trades.
So, internal improvement will be big. With Gradey Dick likely headed out in a trade—moving him would free up the money the Raptors need to re-sign Sandro Mamukelashvili—Toronto should look at Jamison Battle as a potential 3-point spark off the bench. Battle wasn’t a part of Darko Rajaković’s regular playoff rotation, but he got his big playoff moment when he went 4-4 from three to seal the Raptors’ Game 3 win.
With the confidence a moment like that can give a young player and a full offseason to improve his game, can he put in the work to crack Rajaković’s regular-season rotation and provide some of that 3-point shooting the Raptors so desperately need?
Battle’s role shrank in his second season, but he’s still a knock-down shooter
Battle averaged almost 18 minutes across 59 games in his rookie season with the Raptors. He played his way out of a two-way contract and into a standard deal with his knock-down 3-point shooting. He shot 40.5% on 4.4 attempts per game on his way to an average of 7.1 points.
His role shrank notably in the 2025-26 season. He only averaged 8.5 minutes per game and took just 1.4 shots from behind the arc. He still made them at a high clip, though, converting 41.2% of his attempts.
Battle is far from the most versatile or reliable defensive player on the Raptors’ roster, but he has one elite skill the team desperately needs: He can knock down open threes and space the floor, which creates more space for players like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Brandon Ingram to work around the rim and in the mid-range. If Battle can earn Rajaković’s trust and break into the rotation next season, his 3-point shooting will be a valuable asset, especially if the Raptors can’t get a ton of outside shooting from elsewhere.
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