If you've been following the recent attention surrounding the Toronto Raptors like I have, you'll know that it's rare for this often-overlooked franchise to generate such widespread buzz in the rumor mill.
Well, it's definitely for good reason, as numerous insider reports mentioned the Raptors being in the hunt for a "big fish" this offseason, which was certainly enough to send everyone into a frenzy.
As I’ve covered over the past week, the main focus of that "big fish" attention has largely been on one player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is expected to be shopped on the market this summer after an uneventful last few seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Aside from the Giannis trade rumors and discussions, NBA insider Jake Fischer offered further insight into the plan that Masai Ujiri and the Raptors' front office intend to focus on this offseason.
Jake Fischer says Raptors generating buzz across the league
Fischer referred to the Raptors as a "surprise team from this week," and, according to his NBA Insider Notebook live stream for Bleacher Report, his understanding of Toronto's activity was as follows:
"I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Toronto. The Raptors clearly took a step forward, or tried to move their group a step forward this season by going out and acquiring Brandon Ingram at this past trade deadline. That move was clearly designed to take a step forward and improve everything, and push Toronto into a position to competing for a playoff push this 2025-26 campaign. Right now, it seems like the Raptors are canvassing the league for more opportunities to get better like that."Jake Fischer, June 5, 2025
The other Eastern Conference team Fischer highlighted as making some noise was the Orlando Magic, another up-and-coming squad aiming to propel their core toward a noteworthy playoff push.
Given that yet another insider has been hearing the scoop about Toronto’s eagerness to pull off a move on the level of Brandon Ingram—or even bigger—I think it’s clear that the Raptors are determined to be in a winning situation.
It appears that Ingram's acquisition was not the conclusive deal to push Toronto over the hump, but rather a step to keep them on a meteoric rise toward landing an available superstar.
Demonstrating to the league that they could attract a quality talent like Ingram was certainly a positive move, but now, it's up to the always ambitious Masai Ujiri to replicate that wave of aggression and swing the pendulum in his favor when it comes to trading for that coveted, game-changing talent.