The Toronto Raptors are entering a transformative season, one that will lay the foundation for their future as a franchise.
The Toronto Raptors have struggled to reach the heights they did in 2019 when they won a franchise-first NBA championship.
This summer, the organization decided to make some massive changes. The biggest change came when the Raptors fired long-time president Masai Ujiri.
With the #9 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Raptors picked Colin Murray-Boyles, adding another exciting young prospect to their roster.
Brandon Ingram will lead the Raptors into the 2025-26 NBA season as the franchise’s biggest star. But what will their lineup look like come October?
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images2025-26 Toronto Raptors projected starting lineup
The Toronto Raptors have a very young roster, with a few veteran NBA players present in the locker room to set the culture.
This is what the Raptors’ starting lineup is expected to look like:
Starting LineupSecond UnitImmanuel QuickleyJamal SheedGradey DickRJ BarrettBrandon IngramColin Murray-BoylesScottie BarnesJonathan MogboJakob PoeltlSandra Mamukelashvili
Despite starting 58 games last season, RJ Barrett has become surplus to requirements. The Raptors are expected to trade Barrett before the February trade deadline.
This is why Brandon Ingram has supplanted him in the starting lineup. As for Colin Murray-Boyles, while he is an exciting talent, he isn’t quite ready to start over Ingram or Scottie Barnes just yet.
Toronto Raptors not expected to compete next season
Given the state of their roster and the highly competitive nature of the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors are not likely to be a competitive side next season.
While they have some exciting young players like Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick, they don’t have the kind of roster required to win many games in the East.
The Raptors organization is presumably operating under the notion that the upcoming season will be a part of their current rebuild.
The priority for them, with that said, will be to get their young prospects a lot of game time so that they can develop well and eventually become stars.