Raptors called 'the most trick-or-treat' team in the NBA

Billy Heyen

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Raptors called 'the most trick-or-treat' team in the NBA image

The Toronto Raptors could be pretty much anything.

They've got high-end talent all over their roster. They've also been wildly disappointing for the last few seasons.

So what's to come in 2025-26? No one really knows.

That's why ESPN's Vincent Goodwill described them like this:

"The Raptors could be the most trick-or-treat, hard-to-project team in the Eastern Conference this season."

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Think about some of these top names.

Scottie Barnes is a do-everything star.

Brandon Ingram remains an absolute bucket.

RJ Barrett is a solid wing player, too.

Jakob Poeltl continues to get better on the inside.

"They have wings," Goodwill writes. "Long and versatile. Barnes. Ingram, assuming health. RJ Barrett continues his understated consistency, and playing with the smooth Ingram should only help. After being a trade candidate for years, Ingram has a home and can easily score 25 a night. Again, that length, if deployed, can cause headaches for opposing offenses every night."

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The Raptors are also in the weaker Eastern Conference, which helps, especially this season as injuries have crushed a few other teams already.

"In terms of sheer talent, the Raptors have one of the best rosters in the Eastern Conference, and although their ceiling looks low, their floor is a lot higher than those of the other injury-decimated rosters in the East," writes ESPN's Zach Kram. "Even a win total in the low 40s could be enough to avoid the play-in tournament."

The Raptors did close 2024-25 in slightly encouraging fashion, going 20-20 over their last 40 games.

They'll hope to start this campaign even stronger and be much more of a treat than a trick.

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Editorial Team