Raptors Mailbag: All-Star Possibilities, Trade Talks, & What's Next for Toronto

The Toronto Raptors have been fun so far this season but it's too early to say this team will be in the mix for a playoff spot this year

Nov 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray (13) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

It's been a fun start to the season for the Toronto Raptors.

Somehow this team is 2-6, but still, the future looks bright. Injuries to Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley have made evaluations a little tricky, but Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett have been phenomenal and Toronto's second and third-tier players have all shown progress. It's led to a ton of excitement around this team.

So let's get to this week's mailbag article. As always, if you have questions for a future mailbag article feel free to message me or respond to my Instagram stories @aaronbenrose.

Any estimate on when Scottie will be back? - @_.aasimc

Barnes avoided the worst-case scenario and will not need surgery which means he should be back in roughly two to three weeks. Toronto has yet to share an official timeline, but it won't be as long as it could have been had surgery been deemed necessary.

Can the Raptors trade for a big name player this year? - @hrith_m18

Hypothetically they could trade for a big-name player, but I'd be shocked to see that happen. Toronto isn't in a position to be giving up young players or future assets for a star to win now. One of those big-name players would require the Raptors to trade Scottie Barnes or Gradey Dick and/or multiple future first-round picks. It's been an exciting start to the year, but Toronto isn't going to make a move like that right now.

What are RJ's chances at being an NBA all-star? - @matt_950

This season? Very low. Barrett has been very very good to start the year, but let's not forget the Raptors are still 2-6 and it's tough to see Barrett making it from a team with a record as bad as Toronto's. Once Barnes and Quickley return, Barrett's role will shrink some and that'll take Barrett out of the conversation completely.

I could see Barrett making it one day if his development this season is real. It's still a little early to say he's taken a huge step forward, but so far it's looked good. For him to make it though, the Raptors would have to be among the best teams in the East. It's tough to get two players into the All-Star game if you're not one of the best teams in the league and Barnes will likely be Toronto's favorite to earn an All-Star spot moving forward.

Gradey Dick MIP Year incoming possibly? - @jandugurman

Kings coach Mike Brown mentioned Dick as one of the players in the conversation for the league's Most Improved Player through the first few games of the season and if the award were handed out today, he'd certainly get votes. That said, a jump from a second-year player is almost expected and I suspect voters will hold that against Dick. Regardless, he's looked much improved this year and that's really what matters most.

When healthy is this team maybe better than we thought? - @rmorrison9

They've been better than I anticipated so far in terms of how they've looked. Despite all the injuries, they've been competitive and it stands to reason that they should be even better when Barnes and Quickley are out. I still don't think they'll be a playoff team, though.

Still want to tank or can you now see potential to compete with a healthy team? - @demystifyingpaul

I think both can be true.

This team has the potential to compete in games and be feisty and fun this season, especially when everyone gets healthy. It's totally fair to want the Raptors to win games and when Toronto gets healthy, if they go all-out for a play-in spot this year, they'll have a chance to get in. That would, however, require they stay healthy because any time missed for Jakob Poeltl would be disastrous right now.

I still wonder if that's the best strategy for the organization's long-term health. The Raptors still have at least two weeks without Barnes and presumably their fair share of losses over the next little while against some of the league's best teams. To me, It would make sense for the organization to artificially maneuver its way toward the bottom of the standings for better lottery odds. If you like this core, certainly you'd like it even more with another blue-chip prospect in the mix. This could be the organization's last opportunity to get a top prospect before Barnes, Barrett, Quickley, and Dick are too good for it to happen again.