It was another tough season for the Toronto Raptors.
After finishing 25–57 during the 2023–24 campaign, things didn’t improve much this season. The Raptors closed out 2024–25 with a 30–52 record. For a team that spent most of the last decade making the playoffs—including their first and only championship run in 2019—that’s far from where they expected to be.
Toronto owns the No. 9 and No. 39 picks in this month’s NBA Draft and has been linked to power forward targets who could complement Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.
There’s reason to be optimistic. The Raptors have a solid draft track record and a lottery pick gives them a chance to bring in a young difference-maker. But the front office seems to be thinking even bigger.
Toronto Raptors ‘Looking for a Big Fish’ This Offseason
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Raptors are making noise behind the scenes and may be preparing to chase a star via trade.
The Toronto Raptors are reportedly looking to land a big-name player on the trade market, per @WindhorstESPN
“I don’t want to get too far afield from this, but since this has come up, the Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a… pic.twitter.com/eaae19ADOC
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 1, 2025
“I don’t want to get too far afield from this, but since this has come up, the Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish,” Windhorst said.
He added that teams in the Eastern Conference might be sensing opportunity.
“If you’re an Eastern Conference team that’s in the middle of the pack, you’re looking at the teams in front of you going, ‘Some of them may not be able to come together, may not be able to stay together,'” Windhorst said. “Boston is hurt, and so there are some teams that sniff the ability to make a move, and I think Toronto is one of those teams.”
The biggest name potentially on the board is Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. While landing him might be a long shot, Windhorst believes Toronto is preparing to be aggressive.
“And so naturally, any team that wants to make a move this summer, especially a team in the Eastern Conference, you’re going to have Giannis on the board,” Windhorst said. “But Toronto, I think, is going to try—from their initial conversations, teams in the league are getting the impression that Toronto is going to try to do something.”
Whether the Raptors can make a serious run at Antetokounmpo or another superstar is unclear. But if they do, it’ll likely take some serious draft capital to get it done.
Toronto owns all of its future first-round picks, which gives the front office flexibility. However, cap space is another story. Barnes and Ingram are each set to make $38 million next season. Immanuel Quickley is due $32.5 million, R.J. Barrett will earn $27.7 million, and Jakob Poeltl is set to make $19.5 million. That leaves the Raptors tight on salary space unless a major trade includes one or more of those players.
Still, the messaging is clear: Toronto doesn’t just want to build through the draft. They want to win now—and they’re willing to swing big to do it.
