Moving on from an era that culminated in a championship and was led by an iconic core — including names like Pascal Siakam, Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, among others — it became clear to the front office that Toronto needed to shift focus, with new cornerstone Scottie Barnes now at the helm. Over the past three years, the Raptors have built around him.
However, a true rebuild — completely tearing down the walls from inside and starting completely anew — was not exactly the vision. Instead, it has been more of a retool, with new faces joining the fray, such as RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and the latest big-name addition, Brandon Ingram.
Yes, Toronto experienced two consecutive losing seasons and gained some promising prospects through the draft, but they were far from being the league's absolute worst. When they added BI, Raptors fans figured out quickly that the team was aiming to compete now. And here we are at the time of writing, with Toronto holding the Eastern Conference's fifth seed and poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
But I wouldn't exactly consider the current core — especially the starting lineup — a surefire lock for the future, or even guaranteed to run it back next season. Depending on how the Raptors perform in the playoffs, we could potentially see the front office exploring their options to decide whether this current squad is worth going all-in for or if they should condense the vision a bit. They might look at the roster with the goal of identifying who’s untouchable and a valuable asset for the future, while deeming others more expendable.
And if I had to suggest names at the top of the Raptors' radar in that 'untouchable' category, I think it would be a pretty smart assumption to say Scottie Barnes is a lock (unless they're blown away with some crazy offer), 2025 lottery pick Collin Murray-Boyles, and while it might seem like a bit of recency bias — I've long been a supporter of maintaining Ja'Kobe Walter stocks, as he's giving the Raptors a glimpse into his potential as a capable shooter and defensively sound weapon.
Scottie Barnes, CMB, and Ja'Kobe Walter will be vital to the Raptors' future
Elsewhere on the Raptors roster, I don't really know if you can point to any noteworthy cases that suggest their absolute need to be part of this future construct. I love Brandon Ingram and think he's been a tremendous addition to Toronto's outlook, but he's not exactly an irreplaceable asset. If the Raptors could leverage BI's contract and flip him for a higher ceiling raiser, I believe Toronto would jump at that opportunity.
Similarly, RJ Barrett hasn't been the darling of extension talks in his hometown, and we've largely assumed it's not if, but when he may leave the Raptors' ranks. Perhaps Immanuel Quickley has a stronger case to stay, given his unique ability as a sharpshooter, but his streaky shooting and questionable contract also leave a lot to be desired. Likewise, Jakob Poeltl may be returning to peak form, but I still think the Raptors would capitalize on a chance to offload the near-sighted contract they gave him last summer, as the rumor mill suggested at this year's deadline.
With Scottie Barnes firmly secured as the core building block (and generational defender), he would be accompanied by two young guns who similarly embody the culture and identity that this Raptors organization emphasizes. Collin Murray-Boyles is essentially a Scottie Barnes-lite archetype (perhaps a step behind on the offensive end right now), but his defensive versatility and willingness to give 100% are impossible to overlook.
In Walter's case, players in the NBA who can lock down defensively and have a smooth jumper to complement it are rare, nor are they exactly cheap on the trade market or in free agency. If Walter can continue building on these performances, I believe it makes his case as an untouchable even more tangible. Even in his current form, I’d say he surpasses others like Gradey Dick or even Jamal Shead in those conversations.