The 2025-26 Toronto Raptors campaign was chock-full of some feel-good developmental stories.
One such highlight was the emergence of big man Sandro Mamukelashvili. Mamu was brought in the 2025 offseason to help bolster Toronto's frontcourt depth, giving them a breath of new life at the position in a player who could stretch the floor and isn't your protoypical big man.
It didn't take long for the organization and Raptors fans to realize they had struck gold with a low-risk, budget acquisition.
Mamukelashvili earned a significant role from the get go, being one of the Raptors' key bench sparks as he averaged 21.9 minutes of run per game. He was a healthy fixture of Toronto's roster, suiting up in a total of 80 games and even getting 13 starting appearances in the 2025-26 campaign. Mamu would finish the season top-10 in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, and rightfully so, having put up a career-high 11.2 points on 52.3 percent shooting, including 38.9 percent from three.
His ability to provide the Raptors with a unique offensive spark was highly touted throughout the regular season, but a concern was raised regarding Mamukelashvili's ability to impact the game in a playoff atmosphere. There were already signs that Mamu's impact could take a quiet turn against tougher competition, and with the Raptors taking on a competitive Cavaliers squad in the postseason, it was going to reveal a lot about the true Mamu experience.
Mamukelashvili's weak playoff showing could influence the Raptors' offseason decision
Needless to say, the 2026 postseason sample for Mamukelashvili left a lot to be desired. Mamu played in all seven games of Toronto's first-round series, but he was far from the key fixture that we saw in the regular season. He'd average just 14.9 minutes in the series, putting up 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, but on shaky 40.0 percent shooting, including a disappointing 28.6 percent from the three.
Toronto quickly figured out that rookie Collin Murray-Boyles was their best big man option to face Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen head-on, while Mamu and the also struggling Jakob Poeltl took a back seat in the matchups. Mamukelashvili looked slow to keep up on defense, which is already not a strong suit of his game. Things got even worse when his touted offensive output also went quiet, so having him out on the floor raised serious concerns.
Mamukelashvili has a $2.8 million player option to consider in the offseason after signing his modest two-year, $5.5 million deal last summer. Given his standout regular season campaign, it is highly likely that Mamu bets on himself and looks for a more lucrative offer in the open market. Toronto should have the first dibs on trying to retain his services, but after learning from their postseason sample, would it actually be in the Raptors' best interests to splurge a decent chunk of salary in a player who went cold in the playoffs?
All due respect to Mamu and his impressive regular season emergence, but this Raptors squad has learned they can keep up in the playoffs even with the odds stacked against them. The focus should be on putting worth, value, and money into players who can help them succeed in those high-pressure moments.
Mamukelashvili was fantastic over the 82-game run, but also considering the Raptors' current financial situation, it might be wiser for Toronto to find that same production in alternative options. Alternatively, if the Raptors decide to explore a Mamu extension, they have this sample on their side to potentially work out a more modest offer that doesn't put a ton of pressure on their salary cap. In either outcome, the Raptors uncovered important insights into how they will handle Sandro Mamukelashvili moving forward.
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