Top 50 Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors arrived in the National Basketball Association with Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995 as part of the league’s first foray into international expansion. The Grizzlies would not last in Vancouver, moving to Memphis shortly after it came into the league, but the city of Toronto embraced basketball and would sell out regularly upon the arrival of Vince Carter, arguably the most exciting player to watch at the time.Carter could not take them deep into the playoffs, and neither could Chris Bosh, who would become their star player after. The duo of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry would however take them to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2015, but the former was traded for Kawhi Leonard, who only stayed one year, but led them to the 2019 NBA Championship.
This list is up to the end of the 2022/23 season.
Note: Basketball lists are based on an amalgamation of tenure, traditional statistics, advanced statistics, playoff statistics, and post-season accolades.
Before the “Red Rocket” became a fan favorite in San Antonio, he was a Toronto Raptor where he too was a beloved by the Raptors faithful.
Going from the NBA Champion Houston Rockets to the expansion Toronto Raptors Tracy Murray knew he was going to win less but play a lot more.
Dell Curry will be far better known for being Steph’s father and for his run in Charlotte but he was actually with the Toronto Raptors for his last three seasons bringing a veteran presence to the team. Statistically speaking Dell Curry was a fraction of what he was as a Hornet but he still could jack up a three from time to time coming off of the bench.
How could Cory Joseph not be loved in Toronto? He is a Torontonian after all! After winning the NBA Title with San Antonio, Joseph would become a Raptor and play for his hometown team. The Guard has been used mostly off of the bench and has done well for Toronto especially in clutch situations. Joseph was traded after two seasons to Indiana, and he averaged 8.9 Points per Game as a Raptor.
The starting Small Forward for the Raptors in the 1996-97 season, Walt Williams would have a 16.4 Points per Game campaign. That year, his 5.0 Rebounds per Game season would be the most productive of his career.
It can be argued that the missing piece of Toronto’s puzzle was Marc Gasol, a three-time All-Star with Memphis, whose veteran presence the Raptors gave up Jonas Valincuinas for. It was a heavy cost, but it worked out. Gasol was not as productive as J.V. in terms of stats, but he was a proven veteran who helped to alter the team chemistry. The Spaniard was fantastic for Toronto after the trade, and he helped the Raptors win…
A member of the inaugural season team for the Raptors, Carlos Rogers would have his most productive year as Toronto turned two. Rogers finished with 9.8 Points per Game and career high numbers in Steals and Blocks per Game. He would also have a career high PER of 17.0.
Probably best known for winning the 1991 Slam Dunk contest and starting for a spell with Boston, Dee Brown had two and half seasons as a Toronto Raptor. Brown averaged 10.1 Points per Game in Toronto, which is not that much less than he had as a Celtic.
The biggest trade in Raptors history was Kawhi Leonard for DeMar DeRozan, but it can’t be dismissed how important the add-on of Danny Green was in Toronto. Green was in his ninth NBA season, and he would start all 80 Games for Toronto at Shooting Guard. Providing many clutch shots from the three-point arc, Green had a career-high .455 3P% which was good enough for second in the NBA. Green was also very good defensively, and his…
A Toronto Raptor for two years, Venezuelan Greivis Vasquez provided depth off the bench in the Guard position. He would average 9.5 Points per Game in each of his seasons with the Raps.