Best and Worst Case Scenarios for the Raptors This Season

The Toronto Raptors are going into the upcoming season with a lot of uncertainties, specifically surrounding Kawhi Leonard and the proposed trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Leonard and the Clippers remain under investigation for alleged salary cap circumvention, and it remains to be seen whether or not the trade will go through before training camp begins later this month.

Here's a look at the best and worst-case scenarios for the Raptors in the upcoming season.

Worst Case: Kawhi Leonard Trade Falls Through, Raptors Revert to Lottery

LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reacts against the Orlando Magic. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The longer this trade gets drawn out, the more unlikely it is that it will happen. The Raptors remain confident that the trade will go through, but there is still a lot of uncertainty in whether it will happen.

If the trade goes sideways and doesn't happen for whatever reason, the Raptors will have spent their entire offseason building around a move that never truly happened. That will cost them a significant amount of time in a summer when a lot of teams in the Eastern Conference improved, making Toronto's job to move up in the conference a lot harder.

With nearly a dozen teams fighting for a spot in at least the play-in, the Raptors should be able to get into the top ten. If a play-in game or two doesn't go their way, they could find themselves back in the lottery, just like they were in 2025.

Best Case: Kawhi Returns to Toronto Form, Raptors Win the East

Kawhi Leonard salutes the crowd at the Toronto Raptors Championship Parade. | USA TODAY Sports

The reason why the Raptors have been poised to get this trade to work is that it can truly get them back to the mountaintop. Leonard was the catalyst behind their championship run in 2019, and he could be in 2026, given his skill set and the roster that will be around him.

Leonard, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Collin Murray-Boyles can form a core that will push the Raptors back in the championship conversation. The defence could be among the best in the league, which will make it extremely difficult for other teams to beat them on a nightly basis.

There is still a lot of work to do to get past the other Eastern Conference contenders, like the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors could be right in the thick of things if they stay healthy and the plans they are forming become a reality.

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