Last week during Raptors Media Day, I highlighted comments from Darko Rajakovic during his media availability. He reiterated sentiments he shared during April’s end-of-season scrum. Rajakovic explained that going into the next season, minutes would not be allocated based on a fixed group of players. Instead, players must be ready at all times to earn their playing time. While this may be concerning for some, Rajakovic also offered an optimistic view. He said that every player on the roster should expect opportunities to make an impact, especially considering the talent depth across the full 15-man lineup.
Now, a week later and following new insights from Raptors training camp, we have some additional details to share. Thanks to veteran Raptors insider Michael Grange, there’s been an interesting development involving one player I believed would be an undeniable part of the future outlook (or 'dark horse' as I put it). Though it seems the youngster will have his work cut out for him after all: Ja'Kobe Walter.
In his piece for Sportsnet titled "Five thoughts after Raptors' annual end-of-training camp scrimmage," Grange highlights the following:
Ja'Kobe Walter and Gradey Dick are likely going to scramble for minutes
"Based on practice jersey colour, the Raptors starters, in black are — as has been widely projected — Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Ingram and Barnes. More intriguingly, the second unit (wearing grey) would appear to be Jamal Shead, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Murray-Boyles. That leaves the likes of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamison Battle, and Jonathan Mogbo — who averaged 21.2, 20.4 and 17.7 minutes per game last season, respectively — battling for opportunities behind those five. An interesting game within the game will be the battle between Dick and Walter for minutes in the second unit. Walter looked fast and smooth in his stints and knocked down a pair of threes early and a very confident turnaround in the lane late."Michael Grange, Oct 4, 2025
That line towards the end really caught my attention: "An interesting game within the game will be the battle between Dick and Walter for minutes in the second unit." Based on that, even though Dick seemed to be the favorite in training camp for the backup swingman role, Grange points out there will likely be a proving ground for both young players to earn consistent playing time.
This was something I somewhat anticipated during the offseason, and I even noticed it could happen as early as late in the 2024-25 season. I initially thought Dick was going to be stuck in roster purgatory, while Walter — who showed a ton of promise in his rookie season — and his potential to develop into a strong defender, could become the Raptors' new darling at that spot. However, Dick still has a pretty clear future in Toronto, especially considering what Rajakovic said about him during Media Day.
Now, it’s just a matter of seeing who actually steps up and who eventually falls out of favor.