Raptors Are Building Around a Trade That Might Not Stand

The NBA investigation into the Clippers' salary-cap practices hasn't moved publicly since Commissioner Silver said he expected resolution before the regular season. That's still the timeline. In the meantime, Toronto is operating as though the Leonard trade is done — signing role players, extending Darko Rajakovic, planning around a core that may or may not be official.

What's already certain is the cost. Ingram, who led this team in scoring last season, is gone. So is Gradey Dick. So are two unprotected first-rounders. Sandro Mamukelashvili, who gave the second unit real scoring and rebounding punch, signed with the Lakers in July. Kyle Lowry retired. The roster that finished 46–36 has been largely dismantled, and what's been added in its place is thin: Trey Jemison on a two-way deal to nominally address the center gap, and Andre Jackson Jr. for perimeter depth. Neither move changes the structural picture.

That picture centers on Jakob Poeltl. He's the only proven big man on the roster, and there's nothing behind him. Last season he played just 50 games. If that number dips further in 2027, the Raptors have no real answer — Jemison is a developmental piece, not a stopgap for a contending team. My read is that the front office knows this and is still looking, but the picks are gone and the cap flexibility was spent getting Leonard here.

Barnes, Quickley, and Barrett are capable of absorbing more offensive responsibility. Whether they can do it consistently, on the road, against good defenses — that's the question this team couldn't answer last year even before the roster was reshaped. The Leonard experiment is worth running. It just hasn't officially started yet.