Raptors Mailbag: Future Starters, MIP Hopes, Trade Talks, and More

The Toronto Raptors have fans excited about the future despite sitting with the worst record in the NBA to start the season

Nov 10, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Davion Mitchell (45) drives the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Raps competing in every game and losing is the best-case scenario this year. Agree? - @eddiemarkhampyro

Yup. It seems like this is the first year in which the fans and the team seem to be on the same page. The Raptors are losing, developing, and not too upset about it, and the fans seem to be pretty happy with how things are going. My sense is people aren't upset that this team is losing because they've exceeded expecations given the circumstances and have their eyes set on a top pick in the 2025 draft.

It will be hard to stay this bad over the course of the season when everyone is healthy without manufacturing some absences, but until then, enjoy how this season has started.

Trade Jak to tank and for assets? - @shaf8073

If the goal next season is to add a blue-chip prospect and begin to compete, Toronto is going to want to keep Jakob Poeltl around for next year. He's the kind of stabilizing force the Raptors will want with a young group as it begins its ascent back to the playoffs.

That said, it's hard to see Toronto being bad enough to clinch one of those top picks if Poeltl plays down the stretch of this season. The Raptors will need to make him disappear somehow and the most obvious way to do that is through a trade. If there's a reasonable deal for Poeltl, I'd probably take it in February.

Where would Scottie land in a redraft? - @andrew_m_snoddon

Certainly not as low as Bill Simmons seems to think! You could argue for Barnes anywhere in the top three alongside Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley. I'd probably take him No. 1 followed by Cunningham and Mobley, respectively. Arguing he's worse than the No. 3 prospect in that draft seems pretty outrageous.

What would tanking mean for Scottie Barnes' contract - @jamespatrickcunningham

Contract wise, Barnes' deal would jump from $224.2 million (25% of the salary cap) over five years to roughly $270 million (30%) over five seasons if he qualifies for an All-NBA team this season. That's plenty of reason to go all-out for an All-NBA spot this year.

Realistically, though, Barnes isn't likely to be in the hunt for a spot. He has already missed seven games and will miss at least three more with his fractured orbital bone. That leaves him just eight games of wiggle room to qualify for the 65-game threshold for NBA awards.

Even if the Raptors don't bench Barnes in an all-out tank job, it's hard to see Barnes earning a spot on a team that'll likely be a play-in team at best, and likely quite a bit worse. We'll see how the next few months play out, but I don't see this becoming an issue between Barnes and the organization.

Rotational minutes if everyone is healthy - @xdjosh_

Starting five: Quickley, Dick, Barrett, Barnes, and Poeltl

Next Up: Mitchell, Agbaji, Brown, and Olynyk

Third Group: Boucher, Mogbo, and Fernando

G League: Walter, Shead, Battle, Carton, and Chomche

If the Raptors end up in the Top 5 of the draft, who from the current starters will be benched? - @pinoyswishpapi_97

It's way too early to do this. We still have a full season of development from Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett to see and so much of this will come down to who Toronto gets in the draft. Right now, though, I'd lean toward Dick being the odd man out assuming that top pick can shoot at a high level. That would give the Raptors more size and defensive versatility in the first unit while allowing Dick to really lead a second unit as a microwave scorer off the bench.

Do you think Gradey and RJ have real shot at MIP? - @_paemon

They've both been really impressive to start the season, but my sense is probably not. Barrett has been much improved, but he's been a 20-point-per-game scorer in the past and voters aren't going to dive into the weeds to see that his efficiency is way up. For Dick, some voters tend to stay away from second-year players because a developmental jump between Year 1 and Year 2 is seen as expected. That's not to take anything away from Dick, but I would rather see it go to someone later on in their career. I also doubt voters give it to someone on a team as bad as the Raptors.

I will say, Norman Powell deserves some recognition in this conversation. He's been exceptional to start the season and is exactly the kind of player I'd be thrilled to the Most Improved Player award going to.