Lottery Look: Raptors Must Remain Focused on the Prize as Final Stretch Nears

The Toronto Raptors enter the final stretch of the season with the league’s easiest remaining schedule and their sights set on the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft

Mar 20, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

Losing is about to get a whole lot harder.

That is the problem facing the Toronto Raptors, who have done a surprisingly solid job of staying competitive while collecting losses over the past few games. Thursday’s loss to the Golden State Warriors extended Toronto’s skid to three games and kept the team within a game of the Brooklyn Nets for the fifth worst record in the league.

But that might be where the slide ends. Thursday marked the end of Toronto’s toughest remaining stretch of the season. Of the Raptors’ final 12 games, only one — an April 4 matchup with the Detroit Pistons — comes against a team with a winning record. The other 11 are against a mix of the league’s worst teams, including six games against teams currently below Toronto in the standings.

In short, it could get messy.

The Raptors have already begun resting key players, and there is little reason to think that will change. Jakob Poeltl, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett are all expected to get their share of nights off over the final few weeks. Scottie Barnes will see his minutes reduced, and Toronto’s closing lineups are going to lean heavily on the team’s deepest bench players.

The good news for Toronto is that both Brooklyn and Philadelphia also have relatively easy schedules. The 76ers face the third easiest remaining slate in the league, while the Nets rank seventh. Philadelphia still has three games against teams below them in the standings, and Brooklyn has two more, along with a pair of matchups against a depleted Dallas Mavericks team.

That should give the Raptors an opportunity to fall in the standings if they can lose enough. Two games against Brooklyn still remain, and they loom large as pivotal swing games. If the Raptors can reclaim the fifth worst record, they would boost their odds of landing the number one pick and Cooper Flagg to 10.5%.

Looking the other way, the Raptors have created a bit of separation. They hold a five-loss lead over both the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs in the reverse standings. Miami’s remaining schedule should be soft enough to keep the Heat safely out of reach, but San Antonio could still make things interesting. The Spurs have two games left against Toronto, and a pair of losses in those matchups would quickly close the gap.

At this point, improving or at least maintaining their lottery odds is all that matters for the Raptors. After grinding through a largely painful 70 games, Toronto sits seventh in the lottery standings. Now, the mission is simple: lose as often as possible and hope the lottery gods smile on them this spring.

Further Reading

•

Raptors Starters Show Their Value in Reluctant Victory Over Wizards

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Former Raptors Guard Praises Toronto But Notes it Has 'Disadvantages'

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Raptors Share Injury Report vs. Wizards

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Raptors Hit the Road to Take on Wizards: Where to Watch, What to Watch For, & More

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Takeaways for Toronto as Raptors Clinch Crucial Loss vs. Spurs