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- The Toronto Raptors may not have a storied, decades-long history and prestigious legacy as a franchise, but as the only Canadian NBA team, they have a whole country behind them. Not only that, but they've steadily been strong contenders in the Eastern Conference for the past decade. This consistency is partially what allowed them to defeat the Golden State Warriors and capture their first-ever NBA Championship in 2019.
The Toronto Raptors started playing in the NBA in the 1995-96 season, so it is a relatively young franchise. Still, this team has always been competitive, as just in their fourth season in the league they had already made the playoffs. Since then, they have totaled 13 playoff appearances and one championship, in the 2018-19 campaign.
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Throughout history, several phenomenal players have worn a Raptors uniform, including Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Chris Bosh and Vince Carter. Others may not have been generational talents, but they stayed with the team so long that they ended up being among the best in franchise history. Without further ado, let's take a look at the 10 best players in Toronto Raptors history.
UPDATE: 2023/09/21 18:00 EST BY LIZZY FLANAGAN
The Toronto Raptors may not have a storied, decades-long history and prestigious legacy as a franchise, but as the only Canadian NBA team, they have a whole country behind them. Not only that, but they've steadily been strong contenders in the Eastern Conference for the past decade. This consistency is partially what allowed them to defeat the Golden State Warriors and capture their first-ever NBA Championship in 2019.
Since the Toronto Raptors are a younger franchise, there aren't very many old-school legends on this list. However, each man contributed to the Raptors in exceptional ways to win both games and fans' hearts alike.
13 Amir Johnson
One of the Raptors' biggest struggles as a franchise is trying to get players to want to live in Toronto. With all love for Toronto, it's a cold city, far away from the glitz and glam of spots like Miami and Los Angeles. Amir Johnson didn't mind this, though. He poured his heart into Toronto, and the city loved him right back. Of course, Johnson was a valuable asset on the court as well, but he earns a spot on this list for his love of Toronto alone.
12 Marc Gasol
If Marc Gasol spent more time with the Raptors, he'd likely be much higher on this list. However, Gasol certainly made the most of his two seasons in Toronto; in fact, he became part of the best lineup in Toronto Raptors history. Gasol's defensive prowess played a major part in leading the Raptors over the Sixers in the 2019 playoffs, something they likely couldn't have done without Gasol on their roster. He was also an ideal foil to the Raptors' biggest star, point guard Kyle Lowry.
11 Damon Stoudamire
In 1995, the Raptors selected Damon Stoudamire with the seventh overall pick of the NBA draft. It was the first draft pick in the debuting franchise's history. Stoudamire was exactly what Toronto needed to bring the franchise to life; he was a flashy, cocky showman who won fans over with his athleticism and attitude.
RELATED: 10 Biggest NBA Draft Busts Of All Time, RankedHis performance earned him the 1995 Rookie of the Year award and helped set the Raptors up for their future success. Stoudamire now works as the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
10 Andrea Bargnani
The Toronto Raptors selected Andrea Bargnani with the first overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. This Italian power forward didn’t reach his full potential, but still can be considered as one of the best players in franchise history.
In seven campaigns with the Raptors, he recorded 6,581 points (fifth in franchise history), 382 blocks (sixth), 2,095 rebounds (eighth). Andrea Bargnani was a disappointing first overall pick, but was a solid player.
9 Kawhi Leonard
Certainly, Kawhi Leonard played just one season with the Toronto Raptors, but that was more than enough to accomplish what most could not; lead the team to a championship. He came to the team (along with Danny Green) in July 2018 in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a 2019 1st round draft pick.
Leonard averaged 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. In the Playoffs his performance was even better, with 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.7 steals. Leonard was the Finals MVP, of course. One season was enough to be considered one of the best players in franchise history.
8 Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet has spent his entire seven-year career with the Toronto Raptors, putting body and soul into every game despite not being the tallest or strongest.
Steady Freddy already ranks in the franchise's top 10 in points scored (4,834), assists (1,745), steals (453), Win Shares (27) and Value Over Replacement Player (11.2). VanVleet also played his part in earning the championship in the 2018-19 season.
7 Jonas ValanÄiÅ«nas
This Lithuanian center has had a very good NBA career. He currently plays with the New Orleans Pelicans, but in his first seven seasons he played with the Toronto Raptors, leaving his mark on the team regardless.
Jonas ValanÄiÅ«nas hadn't reached his peak when he played for the Canadian squad, but he was still a threat both defensively and offensively. He recorded 5,524 points (eighth in franchise history), 3,961 rebounds (second) and 479 blocks (third). He also has the fifth-highest Player Efficiency Rating in the franchise at 19.7.
6 Pascal Siakam
Pascal Siakam had a hard time adapting to the NBA, which is why his first two seasons were discreet. However, starting in the 2018-19 campaign he became a superstar. He is among the top 10 in franchise history in VORP, total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
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Siakam continues to improve his game year after year and, if he stays with the team, he could become the best player in Raptors history. One of the best moments of Siakam’s career was game one of the 2019 NBA Finals, when he shot 14-17 from the field.
5 Jose Calderon
This Spanish point guard played eight seasons with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 10.0 points, 7.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game, with a Player Efficiency Rating of 17.5.
He was not a phenom, but he was consistent and earned the love and respect of Toronto fans. Jose Calderon has the fourth highest VORP in franchise history (14.4), is second in assists (3,770), seventh in steals (469) and ninth in points (5,235).
4 DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan is the Raptors' all-time leader in points (13,296), averaging 19.7 points per game over nine years. His best season in that regard was 2016-17, when he averaged 27.3 points.
In addition, "Deebo" is third in assists (2,078), third in steals (655) and sixth in rebounds (2,739). DeRozan just missed out on a championship ring with the Raptors, but as mentioned above, he was the price to pay for Kawhi Leonard.
3 Chris Bosh
NBA Hall of Famer Chris Bosh could not be missing from this list. He built the foundation of his illustrious career with the Toronto Raptors. In seven seasons, “Boshasaurus” averaged 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals per game.
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He is first in franchise history in rebounds (4,776), first in blocks (600), second in Win Shares (61.8), third in VORP (19.6) third in points (10,275), ninth in steals (397) and 10th in assists (1,115). He just needed to lead the team to a championship ring to be considered a national hero.
2 Vince Carter
Vince Carter was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the fifth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, but did not play a single minute with that team as he was traded to the Toronto Raptors for Antawn Jamison and cash.
Carter made All-Star game appearances in six of his seven seasons in a Raptors uniform. He played in 403 games, averaging 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, with a 21.8 Player Efficiency Rating and 26.1 Value Over Replacement Player Rating.
1 Kyle Lowry
The best player in Toronto Raptors history has to be Kyle Lowry. Nine seasons filled with memorable moments, including of course the championship of the 2018-19 season.
Lowry leads the franchise in VORP (31.6), Win Shares (74.5), assists (4,277) and steals (873), he is also second in points (10,540) and third in rebounds (2,954). Kyle Lowry is a true idol in Toronto, and will be forever. When he was traded to the Miami Heat it was surely a heartbreaking moment for many fans.
