Raptors Coach Reveals Guard Priorities & What It Could Mean for Rotation Next Season

The Toronto Raptors have a glut of guards and rotation tweaks are changing as Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, and Ja'Kobe Walter all fight for minutes

Feb 26, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Gradey Dick (1) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Tough decisions are coming.

The Toronto Raptors know that. It is part of the process of getting better and taking another step toward playoff contention. After years of focusing on development and growth, next season is about truly competing again.

Will everyone be happy about it? No.

Toronto has nine returning players who logged at least 1,000 minutes last season, not including Immanuel Quickley, who narrowly missed that mark. That level of continuity is unlikely to carry over next season. With Brandon Ingram joining the mix and a highly touted first-round pick on the way, the Raptors will have to make changes to the rotation.

“If I wanted to keep people happy, I would be selling ice cream. I would not be a basketball coach,” said Raptors coach Darko Rajaković. “My job is not to keep people happy, my job is to keep people accountable, to help them to grow, to put them in a position to be successful.”

Barring a major move this summer, Toronto’s top five appears set: Scottie Barnes, Ingram, Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl. Behind them is Jamal Shead, likely to take over as the backup point guard, and a backup big the Raptors still need to find. That makes seven regulars, leaving only a few rotation spots up for grabs.

So who is in contention for those next few roles?

Gradey Dick was Toronto’s starting shooting guard when healthy. Ochai Agbaji made meaningful strides as a 3-and-D wing and should stay in the mix. Ja’Kobe Walter heads into his second season after an encouraging finish to his rookie year. And depending on who Toronto selects, their first-round pick could also push for minutes right away.

That gives the Raptors three or four players competing for the same type of role, while Jamison Battle, AJ Lawson, and Jared Rhoden wait on the fringes.

The question is which of them fits best as an all-around contributor.

“We’re really doubling down on our defence and how we want to play, and that demands a lot of intensity, effort, and smarts,” Rajaković said. “I’m a believer that the way the game is evolving is having two-way players, and we made a lot of strides on the defensive end. We need to make more strides on the offensive end there as a group.”

If defense is the priority, Agbaji has the edge. The 6-foot-5 wing is the strongest defender of the bunch and would give the Raptors another physical, on-ball presence to handle opposing scorers. He may not have the offensive upside of Dick or Walter, but he is a smart, low-mistake role player who makes well-timed cuts and hit nearly 40% of his threes last season.

“Anybody who is going to be able to do both things is going to win a roster spot and going to earn more minutes,” Rajaković said. “The game is developing. There is no more just, ‘Oh, he’s a specialist at doing something.’”

That could spell trouble for Dick, whose three-point shooting gives him a clear calling card, but who has yet to take a meaningful step forward defensively. He also struggled to score inside and has mostly thrived as an off-ball weapon, albeit with somewhat disappointing three-point shooting numbers so far. 

Walter sits somewhere between the two. He is a better on-ball defender than Dick and a more dynamic scorer than Agbaji. But he still trails Dick as a floor spacer and Agabji as a wing defender.

Toronto wants someone who can bring a bit of everything: offensive versatility, defensive reliability, and the ability to stay on the court in high-stakes games. That vision lines up with the organization’s broader identity, one built around adaptability and two-way play.

What is certain is that the Raptors have options, and that is a good problem to have.

“They are going to fight with it. They’ve got to stay ready,” Rajaković said. “I want to have that problem. I want to have guys available. I want to have great players on the team. I want to be facing those decisions.”

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