The term "hidden gem" or "secret weapon" gets tossed around quite a bit in Raptors Nation. The team is often a place where under-the-radar talent can break out beyond expectations or show real potential to become high-impact, influential pieces of the puzzle. Toronto is far from superstar central or the most alluring free agency destination, but it sure is a breeding ground for emerging talents.
As far as this season goes, perhaps no other player deserves the moniker "hidden gem" more than Sandro Mamukelashvili.
Raptors are enjoying the presence of Sandro Mamukelashvili on their roster
His rapid ascent to fan favorite status in Toronto seemed inevitable from the moment he signed with the Raptors as a free agent this past summer. And it’s clear that the recognition is following suit. I actually wrote a piece a few days ago about how Mamu was named the Raptors’ hidden gem that deserves more respect in a recent Bleacher Report list.
But there’s a reason why so many believed in Mamu’s ability to make an impact and be a key part of the rotation, especially considering his time with the San Antonio Spurs. It was with the Spurs that Mamukelashvili showed he can play a meaningful role, even if his minutes were limited. His career-defining 34-point performance in just 19 minutes is proof of that.
As the Raptors prepared to face Mamukelashvili's old crew on February 25 (an eventual 110-107 loss), San Antonio's head coach Mitch Johnson took a moment to chat with reporters during a pre-game media scrum. In it, Coach Johnson talked about the former Spurs big man now with Toronto, whether Mamukelashvili's breakout came as a surprise or something he had seen coming.
The San Antonio head coach revealed (YouTube link here):
"Yeah, we wanted Sandro to return. We thought that he was growing, there was a role, and we also understood that, Toronto and Darko [Rajakovic] laid out a vision for him. And that vision has been true. Happy for him. It's great to see when that fit happens for people. "Mitch Johnson, Feb 25, 2026
Coach Johnson didn’t exactly lay out what those talks with the Spurs looked like, in regards to the exact extension talks or if other factors were at play. But honestly, it’s not hard to see why San Antonio wanted to bring him back. Considering how strong he’s looked with Toronto so far, I’m convinced that if he’d continued that same progress in San Antonio, it would’ve added another dynamic element to the Spurs’ already successful winning recipe (an 11-game win streak and counting, at the time of writing).
Along the lines of what Coach Johnson mentioned, they understood that the Raptors and their head coach Darko Rajakovic perhaps sold Mamu on a vision that he simply couldn’t resist. Luckily for everyone involved, it’s turned out to be more than just a successful investment. The Spurs definitely could’ve used Mamu around, but they’re holding up just fine without him. As for the Raps, they recognized a great talent in Mamu, and they're fortunate that he made the call to join Toronto.