Watching Ochai Agbaji's surprising decline in the Raptors' 2025-26 campaign has been very strange. Last year, Agbaji started strong with a chip on his shoulder after looking like an afterthought during his initial Raptors stint in the 2023-24 season, where he seemed expendable unless he completely changed how he was perceived, and man, did he do just that in his breakout 2024-25 season.
Agbaji emerged as one of the league’s most underrated complementary pieces, transforming from a 21.7 percent three-point shooter in 2023-24 to nearly 40 percent in his breakout 2024-25 season, which quickly got the attention of NBA data watchers as a historic statistical surge.
So, how did a 40 percent shooter like Agbaji suddenly fall to an alarming 5.9 percent from three after 15 games in the 2025-26 season? The 25-year-old is just 1-for-17 from three and appears to be stuck in a frustrating slump that shows little sign of improvement. Agbaji is barely attempting any threes now, going from 4.0 attempts a game last year, to just 1.2 attempts. Similarly, his overall field goal percentage has taken a hit, as he's only shooting 35.6 percent from the floor, compared to nearly 50 percent last year.
Though Agbaji's minutes and role have decreased amid Toronto's expanding depth and roster changes, it still doesn't explain why he's suddenly unable to sink shots that looked effortless for him last year.
Ochai Agbaji's downturn in the 2025-26 season is hard to ignore
To be fair, going into the new year, I noted that Ochai Agbaji could establish himself further in the Raptors' pecking order thanks to his defensive intensity and relentless effort, which earned him the new "Cobra Staff" award after their dominant season opener win over Atlanta. No matter how fierce or tenacious Ochai Agbaji is, his offensive struggles make him a liability on the court, as it's not worth having someone who provides zero help offensively even if he remains locked on his matchups and influences the defense.
And to think we're at these all-time lows here for Agbaji is just absolutely crazy to me. But then again, he has a pattern of having a solid year followed by a slump, which has pretty much defined his NBA career so far. His rookie season was decent but not remarkable, his sophomore year was disappointing, his third year was outstanding, and now in his fourth season, he's hitting career lows across the board.
I'm not just thinking about how Toronto can maximize Agbaji as a trade asset — though they should still explore that if the right opportunity comes — but I really hope he can turn over a new leaf with his three-point shooting. Like Quickley’s early slump this season, there's still a chance to bounce back, but time is running out (especially if he's rendered a DNP), and it’s starting to look like Agbaji has lost his shooting touch or that last season’s breakout was just a flash in the pan.
Perhaps it's a matter of confidence, a role issue, or something deeper, but only Agbaji will be the one to either transform the situation for the better or sink further into this hole.