Sandro Mamukelashvili played four NBA seasons before he joined the Raptors ahead of the 2025-26 season. In those four seasons, he never averaged more than 15.3 minutes, 6.3 points, and 4.3 rebounds per game for a whole campaign.
The Raptors gave him an opportunity to be much more than that and put together a career season. Giving him that opportunity led to regular-season success, but could also cost the Raptors this offseason if Mamukelashvili declines his player option, becomes a free agent, and receives offers from teams with more financial flexibility than the Raptors that they simply cannot match.
Mamukelashvili had a good regular season with the Raptors
Mamukelashvili quickly became a key reserve for the Raptors. He averaged 21.9 minutes off the bench and started 13 games when injuries plagued the Raptors’ starting lineup. He averaged career highs all across the board with 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. He also shot 38.9% from three on 3.7 attempts per game.
The latter is what made Mamu such a valuable asset for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes was a middling outside shooter at best in the regular season, and Jakob Poeltl and Collin Murray-Boyles weren’t 3-point threats at all. So, a 6’9” big who could reliably sink a few 3-pointers gave the Raptors a new dimension on offense.
He didn’t perform nearly as well in the playoffs, making only 28.6% of his two 3-point attempts per game and struggling to keep up defensively.
Nevertheless, a floor-spacing big man is a valuable regular-season asset to have for pretty much any team.
The Raptors are limited in what they can offer Mamukelashvili
One of the general takeaways from the Raptors regular season is that Mamukelashvili outplayed his player option.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks said in his offseason guide for the Raptors, “I think he will opt out and become a free agent.”
If he does, the Raptors can offer him a significant raise but maybe not as much as another team may be willing to pay him. Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl are all on expensive long-term contracts, and RJ Barrett is also under contract for the 2026-27 season, which already puts the Raptors close to the apron.
Losing Mamukelashvili in free agency would leave a notable hole in a frontcourt rotation that doesn’t feature much 3-point shooting elsewhere—unless Scottie Barnes’s uncharacteristically good 3-point shooting from the playoffs carries over to the regular season.
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