12 h. ago Last Toronto Raptors player from 2019 Championship team keeps getting benched

Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher has pretty much seen it all since joining the franchise nearly seven years ago.The longest-tenured player on the roster, who's suited up for 406 games with Toronto, Boucher's one of the few people who have stuck around to see out the Raptors rebuild over the past few seasons.But while he's played in Toronto more than any of his teammates, suiting up isn't exactly something he's doing right now.Boucher has sat out the last seven contests, six of which were listed as coach's decisions, with one absence on March 7 related to a wisdom tooth extraction. In total, Boucher has 14 "did not play" designations on his game log this season, despite not dealing with any reported major injuries.When he has played, Boucher has been one of the team's most reliable bench contributors, averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 50 games this season.As per Toronto head coach Darko Rajakovic, the team met with the 32-year-old to discuss his role with the ...

Sport

18 h. ago Simu Liu and Kyle Lowry surprised crowd at Toronto movie theatre

The Toronto Raptors organization might not officially employ Kyle Lowry anymore, but he still seems pretty happy to support them whenever he can.Coming to Toronto this week as a member of the visiting Philadelphia 76ers, the team's all-time assist leader made sure to show some love to the local fans.On Tuesday night, Lowry crashed a screening of We the North: From Prehistoric to Historic taking place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The 75-minute documentary, which premiered last month, showcases the 30-year history of the Toronto Raptors."Still feels like yesterday, winning the championship and being around the fans," Lowry told the crowd about the Raptors' historic NBA title in 2019.Turning 39 later this month, Lowry is the fourth-oldest active player in the NBA. He's 41 days older than Toronto's current oldest player, Garrett Temple, and trailing only LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Taj Gibson as the NBA's senior statesmen.    View this post on Instagram  &n...

Culture

20 h. ago Possible solution to NBA’s tanking problem worth considering

It's clear the current format needs to be replaced.

Other

28 h. ago Raptors win embarrassing tankathon against Philadelphia 76ers

Despite lack of most regulars, Toronto easily wins against Nick Nurse's depleted squad.

Other

34 h. ago The one factor key to how the Toronto Raptors schedule travel on NBA road trips

The Toronto Raptors, like most NBA franchises, have always had a habit of having a strong attention to detail.Second-year coach Darko Rajakovic lines up well with that phenomenon, having garnered a reputation for his meticulous development plans for each and every player.Recently, the Raptors skipper joined the X&Os Chat podcast in his native Serbian, where he dove into many topics, including his journey into the NBA and how he deals with coaching young players.But perhaps the most interesting insight involved Rajakovic explaining how he prioritizes sleep when the team goes on road trips, including working with the team staff to ensure their travel schedule is as smooth as possible."Sleep is the cheapest and the best medication not only for professional athletes, but for every person. When you sleep well, you are in a better mood. It regulates body chemistry and proper nutrition throughout the day… you don't change your patterns," Rajakovic said on the show."Tru...

Transport

61 h. ago Toronto Raptors just pulled off something not seen in NBA for over 3 decades

For most folks taking in the Toronto Raptors-Washington Wizards contest last night, they might not have even realized they were witnessing NBA history.In a mid-March game between two of the teams with the worst records in the NBA, it wasn't exactly set up to be one for the ages.But on their way to the 119-104 win, the Raptors set a single-game franchise record for 73 rebounds on the night.While the Raptors have been in the league since 1995, the historic nature of their performance dates back a little further.As per Stathead, it's actually the best single-game performance by any NBA team since 1992 in a non-overtime game. Facing off against the Charlotte Hornets on March 7, 1992, the New York Knicks picked up 75 rebounds in a 107-78 rout, led by 20 from Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing.Four Toronto players picked up at least 10 boards on the night, with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, AJ Lawson, and Orlando Robinson all registering in double digits. It was the first time in franchise history...

Other

62 h. ago Raptors players have been shouting Toronto slang at each other

The Toronto Raptors may not have won all that many games this season, but they're making sure they're having a good time when they do.On Monday, Toronto picked up just their 22nd win of the season in 65 tries, as they currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference standings.And a good chunk of the team's offence came from an unlikely source last night, with 24-year-old Toronto native A.J. Lawson putting up a career-high 32 points while coming off the bench against the Washington Wizards."I've been dreaming about this, who knows how long since I first touched the basketball… It just means everything, for the city, for the family, for the country," Lawson said postgame. "I just felt like every shot I was gonna shoot was gonna go in. I just showed the confidence in myself. I mean, I'm not gonna get down if I miss a couple in a row. Keep shooting."Lawson's previous career high was 17 points, achieved last season with the Dallas Mavericks.In the locker room postgame, loud cheers cou...

Other

3 d. ago From childhood teammates to Raptors, Lawson and Barrett living dream

'Look at how far we've come.' It's pretty cool.'

Other

3 d. ago Canadian A.J. Lawson stars, Raptors set franchise record in win over Washington Wizards

Beasts on the boards all night, Toronto easily able to overcome poor shooting.

Sport

5 d. ago Jordon Poole leads Wizards past Raptors; Barrett, Barnes and Poeltl see limited play

Jordan Poole led all scorers with 34 points to lead the Washington Wizards past the Toronto Raptors 118-117 on Saturday in a game between two teams hoping for a high pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Bilal Coulibaly and rookie Alex Sarr each had a double-double as Washington (13-49) won back-to-back games. Coulibaly finished with […]

Other

6 d. ago A.J. Lawson gets to live dream starting for hometown Raptors

'It felt amazing. I mean, we got the win. I'm super happy about that.'

Culture

8 d. ago Too good to fail: Why the Toronto Raptors can’t tank properly

Easy schedule combined with losing desires of many opponents could spell doom for Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

Other

9 d. ago Toronto Maple Leafs and Raptors' parent company MLSE slashes workforce

The parent company of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors appears to be undergoing a major restructuring.On Tuesday, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment's CEO, Keith Pelley, sent an internal memo to its employees informing staff that large layoffs were coming to the company.The Canadian Press first reported the news.According to the report, approximately 80 of MLSE's nearly 1,000 full-time jobs have been impacted.Pelley was hired in January 2024 to be the new MLSE CEO and officially took over the position last April.The news of the restructuring comes just one day after an announcement of a $146-million renovation to BMO Field ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, C$23 million of which will be coming directly from MLSE, with the city footing the rest of the bill.MLSE is currently co-owned primarily in equal 37.5 per cent shares by the parent companies of telecommunications giants Bell and Rogers, though Bell's stake in the company has been sold to Rogers in a deal that will be...

Economics

1 week ago Raptors nearly blow it spectacularly again, but survive in Orlando

The unthinkable nearly happened again two days after Toronto's worst loss of season.

Other

2 w. ago No Scottie Barnes, no defence, no win in Indiana for Raptors

Spectacular Tyrese Haliburton performance too much for Raptors to overcome, even with Jakob Poeltl back in lineup.

Events

2 w. ago Steve Nash reveals reason why he didn’t sign with the Toronto Raptors

'I was going through a tricky period in my life, This opportunity meant a lot to me but there was another opportunity that had to come first.'

Other

2 w. ago Norman Powell says Toronto Raptors should never have traded him

For longtime fans of the Toronto Raptors, there's often been a lot of second-guessing as to how exactly the team navigated the years following their 2019 NBA title win.And for Norman Powell, who was traded away to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021 after being a pivotal bench piece of that playoff run, there’s been a lot of “what-if” thinking in the four years since he left the Raptors."The fans still talk about [that era], especially that year after we won the championship," Powell said to the Young Man And The Three podcast, released earlier this month.Powell said he'd received reassurance from his agent in the minutes leading up to the 2021 trade deadline that he’d be staying in Toronto, before he got the sudden shocking news that he'd been sent to Portland in exchange for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood."I just got off the phone, they said I'm good," Powell recalled. "I didn’t know what to do, I didn't know what call to ...

Economics

2 w. ago Steve Nash explains the real reason he didn't join Toronto Raptors

If not for a divorce, Steve Nash says he would have played for the Toronto Raptors.Nash and former Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo each spoke openly about how close the Canadian basketball legend came to coming north in 2012."We tried to get Steve Nash in free agency," Colangelo said in a recent edition of Open Gym, a Raptors-produced video."We had a meeting set with the Raptors, July 1st in New York City at Mr. [Larry] Tanenbaum’s apartment," said Nash. "It was a meeting that was exciting for me."Nash had already put together a Hall-of-Fame resume by the summer of 2012. The Victoria, B.C. native was fresh off his eighth trip to the NBA All-Star Game, and was six years removed from winning back-to-back MVP awards in 2005 and 2006.The Raptors pulled out all the stops, offering Nash a three-year, $36-million contract according to reports at the time. They also pulled at his Canadian heartstrings, going so far as to enlist the services of Wayne Gr...

Other

2 w. ago 6 troubling trends for Edmonton Oilers through 6 February games

When the NHL stopped play to stage the 4 Nations Face-Off, it seemed that the 2-week break had come just in time for the Edmonton Oilers. The team had faced a brutal travel schedule while a bug ravaged the dressing room. By the time they dropped a 5-4 decision in regulation to Colorado Avalanche on […]

Other

2 w. ago NBA star Kevin Durant explains why he loves Toronto and the Raptors

Though he never has suited up for the Toronto Raptors in his 17-year pro career, Kevin Durant has had quite the connection to Canada's lone NBA franchise.In 2014, team ambassador Drake got fined for trying to recruit Durant to Toronto while the NBA star was in attendance at his OVO Fest concert in the city.In 2019, Durant and his Golden State Warriors side faced off against Toronto in the NBA Finals, where he suffered a season-ending injury during Game 5 that ended up sidelining him for the following season.Despite the bad memory of the injury — and an often-referenced clip of fans cheering after Durant hit the floor before the severity was recognized — Durant has often referenced the energy he felt in the city during that series.And in 2022, while he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, Durant was heavily linked to a possible trade to the Raptors before eventually being shipped to the Phoenix Suns.But Durant's connections to Toronto actually run much longer than...

Other