After news of Fred VanVleet's ACL injury broke, I realized that FVV is the latest ex-Raptor to join a list of players whose chances to chase more NBA success might have been cut short or limited because of injuries — whether it's their own or key teammates around them on their new teams.
Now, you're probably wondering who's on that list. I took a moment to think about it, and I noticed a pretty interesting connection. The two guys who came to mind immediately were Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam.
These ex-Raptors have gotten short end of the stick since leaving Toronto
Lowry left the Raptors back in 2021 and spent some time with the Miami Heat before finding a new home with his hometown Philadelphia 76ers starting in the 2023-24 season. He had every right to return home as he nears the end of his career (even though one final run in Toronto would be a poetic end), but with the Sixers featuring a star like Joel Embiid, it offered the Raptors' GOAT a real chance to keep building on his already impressive NBA resume. However, just as Lowry arrived, Embiid’s health started to decline, and he was no longer quite the MVP-caliber player he once was.
And the bad luck just kept coming in Philly, especially last year when Paul George came to town. Now, Lowry is probably going to call it quits on his NBA career after this upcoming season. And honestly, I don't know many pundits or fans who believe the 76ers are real title contenders.
As for Pascal Siakam, it looked like he was about to claim NBA glory once more when his Pacers team surprised everyone with a deep run to the NBA Finals last year. Of course, Siakam had already tasted the highest level of NBA success with the Raptors, back when he was still figuring out his place in the league.
Now, as a seasoned veteran with Indiana, he brought that championship experience and leadership to a new team. It really seemed like the Pacers could actually pull it off. Siakam might not have been the outright star, but he played a key role as a strong number two option. As co-star Tyrese Haliburton called him, he was like the perfect big brother figure to have around.
But then Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in what felt like an anticlimactic end to the Pacers’ Cinderella story during Game 7 of the Finals. Just like that, all the effort Siakam and company put in came crashing down, as they couldn’t overcome their Haliburton's missing element to secure the victory.
It really sucks to see these former Raptors players — who were all key parts of Toronto's 2019 title win — having injuries and other setbacks keep getting in their way, especially at the worst possible times since. You could even argue that this curse has been following Kawhi Leonard ever since his Raptors glory days. But then again, with his ongoing scandal, you might say that Leonard essentially brought those misfortunes on himself.