Toronto Raptors Biggest Need in 2026 NBA Offseason

After ending a three-year playoff drought, the Toronto Raptors were unsuccessful in winning their first postseason series since the Bubble in 2020. They fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games in the first round series, and there were several reasons why they were not victorious. 

If the Raptors want to improve again next year, these issues need to be addressed this offseason. Issues like bench scoring and paint presence will be easier to solve than others like fourth-quarter scoring and durability. Regardless, all of these played a part in Toronto’s continued disappointments throughout this season, and simply running it back with the same group will not magically fix the problem. 

Some of the simplest issues to resolve are the consistency in rebounding and paint aggression. Starting center Jakob Poeltl did not have his best basketball this year in all aspects. He sat out 24 straight games in the middle of the regular season because of a lower back strain, and it seems that limited his willingness to crash the glass and attack the rim through traffic. Those qualities are what earned him a three-year extension to keep the 30-year-old with the franchise through 2030. 

One would like to assume that he would return to form next season, after a summer of rest and recovery. However, he isn’t the main problem when it comes to the rebounding and paint presence on both ends. The Raptors struggle mightily in both ways when he goes to the bench because those aren’t the strengths of his backup, Sandro Mamukelashvili. 

Coming off the best year of his career, Mamukelashvili proved to be the Raptors’ best option when it came to bench scoring, while being one of the only reliable shooters on the team. At just 6-foot-9, he has no business staying in the paint on either end of the floor. While he is 240 pounds, he lacks the general verticality or athleticism needed to outperform opposing centers. 

With him likely to decline his player option for next season in pursuit of a larger contract, general manager Bobby Webster should work hard to keep the 26-year-old. However, they need to address the frontcourt depth with a backup big man who is ready and willing to make rebounding, rim-running, and interior defense his primary focus. As far as cheap free agents go, one of the best options could be a veteran like Andre Drummond, who has led the league in rebounds for multiple years. 

It’s no secret that Poeltl will be a heavily talked-about trade asset for Webster and the Raptors this offseason. It was already disclosed by a source close to the team that his contract is what prevented a trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline, so it will be interesting to see which teams are more willing to take on his contract, given his poor play and health this season. 

If he is traded, the Raptors will not only need to get a quality big man in return, but they will also need to use leftover money to sign a quality backup. If he stays with the team, he will need to prove that he can get back to his best, physical basketball, otherwise there may not be a world where he remains with the franchise after the trade deadline next season.