2 Winners & 2 Losers From Toronto Raptors Offseason So Far

The Toronto Raptors have been one of the league's most dynamic teams this offseason.

Other than waiting on the results of the league's investigation into Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers regarding alleged salary cap circumvention, the Raptors are pretty much done with their offseason.

The offseason has changed a lot of outlooks within the team, which shakes up the pecking order for the Raptors. Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from the offseason.

Winner: Darko Rajakovic Gets Contract Extension

Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic reacts against the Cleveland Cavaliers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic is going into his fourth season as head coach of the Raptors, and he is going into the year with a little bit more financial stability after signing a contract extension last month.

Rajakovic ended a four-year playoff drought for the Raptors last season, and the team appears to be picking up where he left off. His offensive system was executed as well as it had been this past season, partially due to the change in personnel, but he was able to get a lot out of his players, including Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili.

Now he's going into next season with high expectations and a pay raise, so if that's an indicator, Toronto should be in a better position a year from now.

Loser: RJ Barrett Does Not

Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dennis Schroder. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unlike his head coach, Barrett has not signed a contract extension, even though he probably deserves one.

Barrett was a hometown hero for the Raptors when he hit a game-winner in Game 6 of the team's playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers to survive elimination and push the series to a seventh game. The Raptors ultimately lost the final game of the series to the Cavs. It's possible that if they had won that game, Barrett might have a new contract at this point.

Barrett has one year remaining on his deal, and he probably would like to go into the upcoming season with a little bit more stability. One injury before the contract is signed could derail his entire career. There might be negotiations between now and training camp for the Mississauga native to stick around in Toronto for a few more years.

Winner: Jakob Poeltl Doesn't Have His Role Challenged

Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl during warm up before game three. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors have had many chances to figure out a solution for Poeltl, who is coming off a season where he struggled both on and off the court. Poeltl dealt with a back injury that limited him to just 46 games. While he was on the court, he averaged just 10.7 points per contest, which is his lowest scoring output since the 2020-21 season, when he was playing with the San Antonio Spurs.

Poeltl could be declining as he approaches his age-31 season, but his contract is pretty hard to move. He will make $104 million over the next four seasons, all with guaranteed money. The Raptors could have tried to trade Poeltl, but his contract is hard to move. Toronto also could have looked into bringing someone else on board to challenge him for minutes, but the team hasn't really done that either.

The Raptors need Poeltl to work out, and that's putting a lot of pressure on him. That could be the one thing that makes or breaks the Raptors in the upcoming season.

Loser: Brandon Ingram Caught in Trade Limbo

Toronto Raptors forward Brandon Ingram celebrates after a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ingram enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career after a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Raptors, making his first All-Star team in six years and establishing himself as one of the Eastern Conference's top forwards. The Raptors rewarded him by including him in a trade to the Clippers for Kawhi Leonard.

The deal is not done due to the league's ongoing investigation into the Clippers, which has only toyed with Ingram even more. He is currently on a roster of a team that has expressed that they do not want him, despite him achieving a lot of success.

It will be very awkward if Ingram has to report to Raptors training camp next month should the trade not go through. Toronto is expecting the deal to happen, but there is no end in sight for the investigation. Ingram has gotten the short end of the stick despite doing his best, but that's how the NBA works sometimes.

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