It’s no secret in NBA circles that Immanuel Quickley is trending toward becoming one of the league's worst contracts. It’s not that IQ isn’t a good player; it’s just that his production has appeared to hit a ceiling that doesn’t match his contract. In a scenario where the Raptors look to move on from Quickley, they have his replacement waiting on the roster in Jamal Shead.
Since arriving in Toronto, IQ has consistently been around the 17-point, six-assist-per-game mark while shooting sub-44 percent from the field and 38-ish percent from three.Â
Don’t get me wrong, these numbers aren’t bad, but they don't quite match the $97.5 million Toronto owes him over the next three years. I’m not saying that the Raptors will be looking to move on from IQ now or this season. But with an immovable contract tied to Jakob Poeltl and with extensions likely for RJ Barrett and potentially Kawhi Leonard, the need to cut ties with Quickley could come sooner than fans expected.
That’s where the door opens for Shead to become IQ’s successor and also the next stable point guard for the Toronto Raptors.
Shead is the long-term guard solution fans have been looking for
That’s the No. 1 difference between Shead and IQ from a team-building perspective right now: both players are in different price ranges. Unlike Quickley, Shead doesn’t have a long-term deal with Toronto. But even when the front office either extends him or brings him back next summer in restricted free agency, he is going to cost a fraction of IQ’s price. Shead right now is slotted in as this team's backup guard, and with that, he probably won’t cost the Raptors any more than $11 million annually on his next deal.
Obviously, there is a reason, as of now, that IQ is the starter and Shead is his backup, as there is a clear drop-off from a stats and skill point of view at this moment. Last season, Shead averaged 6.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 36.7 percent from the floor and 32.1 percent from three.
Those numbers aren’t overly eye-catching, and his shooting splits definitely are concerning, but he’s only entering his third season in the league in 2026-27. With time, his shooting splits should come around, and even if he’s never more efficient than 43 percent from the field and 37 percent from three, his playmaking and defense will make up for it. Also, it’s important to note that with a more star-studded cast like Toronto's expected to have with Kawhi Leonard joining them next season, Shead will see more open looks.Â
While his shooting splits aren’t great, his playmaking is an obvious strength. Shead is a maestro both in the ball screens and as a self-creator. His ability to read defenses while playing a very controlled game with the ball is very rare for a player entering only his third year.
The idea that Toronto originally had when acquiring IQ was that he would be a great scoring guard to pair with Scottie Barnes, playing the distributor role as a point forward. But as Barnes inches closer and closer to the heart of his prime, scoring is expected to become more of a focus over creating for others, and that’s where Shead’s playmaking abilities could thrive. Not to mention Shead is also a much better schematic fit for head coach Darko Rajakovic’s offense, which prioritizes ball movement and unselfish basketball.
Defensively, Shead is miles better than Quickley, which also makes him a much better long-term fit for a Raptors organization that has prioritized grit and defense over the last decade. Despite being 6-foot-1, Shead plays with true pitbull energy, fights hard over screens, and has a real knack for turning over opposing guards from the point of attack.
Being a contender for a long time in the NBA is all about rotating talent in and out around your stars. For the Raptors, a decision on Immanuel Quickley’s future appears to be coming, and thankfully for them Jamal Shead projects to be the perfect replacement.
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