Toronto Raptors Showcase Two Candidates for Most Improved Player

Anticipation continues to build for the Toronto Raptors heading into next season, and rightfully so. With the Aspiration investigation finally complete, the trade sending seven-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard back to the lone Canadian franchise should be finalized in the coming days. Pairing him with a rising superstar in Scottie Barnes should make for one of the most electric dynamic duos in the league, and they have the supporting cast to make a real run at winning an NBA championship. 

Having such substantial star power makes it very easy to forget the other pieces necessary to become the top team in the league. Several of the best teams have three All-Star-level players, so Toronto will need its other three starters to be stars in their roles, especially considering they’ll be earning a combined $81.6 million next season.

Another area where the Raptors struggled mightily last season was bench production. They lacked the offensive stability needed to keep up with opposing benches due to poor playmaking and shot-creating opportunities. Luckily for head coach Darko Rajakovic, two players look poised to make immense jumps to help in those areas. 

Two players who are again expected to come off the bench next season are Ja’Kobe Walter (22 years old) and Collin Murray-Boyles (21 years old). The young guns may not be in a position to overtake RJ Barrett or Jakob Poeltl for starting spots quite yet, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have an emphatic impact off the bench. 

Walter saw a very quiet increase in efficiency last season in his second year. His averages took slight dips in the regular season, but the former No. 19 pick in the 2024 NBA draft shot 40.9% from three; this includes shooting 47.6% from behind the arc after the All-Star break, the second-highest percentage of any player who made two or more threes per game in that stretch (via StatMuse). Playing in Rajakovic’s demanding defensive system for two years also allowed him to improve as both an on-ball and help defender on the perimeter, an aspect of the game that never goes unnoticed in Toronto. 

Murray-Boyles had a very different season in 2026. Selected with the No. 9 pick in last year’s draft, the former South Carolina Gamecock was expected to be useful as a rookie, but not nearly as important as he became in the playoffs. His ability to seemingly do it all on defense was immediately evident; whether it was defending the post, roaming the paint, switching onto the perimeter, etc., there wasn’t anything Murray-Boyles couldn’t do on defense. Add in the unexpected development in paint scoring and second-chance opportunities, and then it was very hard to take him off the floor for an injured Poeltl. 

Heading into next season, these two will surely be the most important players among the bench unit. They’ll be expected to play minutes similar to the starters, and may even be found in closing lineups very early on, especially considering Walter’s elite outside shooting and Murray-Boyles' elite defense. While unlikely at this point, there are certain scenarios where either of the two could be inserted into the starting lineup, whether it be because of injuries, trades, or just simply better play. If one of these becomes a reality, be on the lookout for them to make some noise in the Most Improved Player award because with winning basketball come individual awards alongside it.