The Toronto Raptors and the rest of the teams in the NBA may be forced to enroll in an expansion draft sometime in the next couple of summers. The team needs to figure out who they would possibly protect if this situation were to arise.
In the past, teams have been allowed to protect eight players from the roster, while the rest of the team would become eligible for possible selection to one of the expansion teams. Here’s a look at the eight players that the Raptors would protect if the expansion draft were to take place immediately.
Scottie Barnes
Barnes is the franchise cornerstone for the Raptors, and he is the first player the team would not hesitate to protect in a potential expansion draft. Barnes is a two-time All-Star, and he is only 24 years old. There’s still a lot of room for growth for Barnes, and the Raptors are going to try to keep him in Toronto for as long as possible.
Team USA Stars forward Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors shoots in the championship game. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Brandon Ingram
The Raptors traded a lot for Ingram a year ago, and he has paid off so far for the Raptors. Ingram has become an All-Star in his first season with the team, and he is elevating the Raptors’ ceiling towards making the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
Collin Murray-Boyles
Murray-Boyles is also a no-brainer for the team because he is the most recent number nine overall pick in the NBA draft. Murray-Boyles has played very well in his rookie season and is viewed as one of the best young defenders in the league. He is only going to develop more over time, and the Raptors would be silly to potentially lose him in an expansion draft. If he were unprotected, there’s a good chance he would be picked up by one of the two expansion teams.
Jamal Shead
Shead is also another player that is a no-brainer for the Raptors to protect. The team has been fortunate to see him grow over the course of his first two seasons in the league, and he still has room for growth. Shead sets the tone for the team defensively in the second unit, and there is potential for him to become a starter someday. While Immanuel Quickley is in the picture, that isn’t very likely, but the Raptors want some optionality moving forward.
Ja’Kobe Walter
Walter was a lottery pick for the Raptors back in 2024, and that should be reason enough to keep him on the roster. While Walter may not have the highest ceiling out of all the players on this list, he is still a consistent player for the team, and he has a lot of potential that can be fulfilled in the next couple of years.
RJ Barrett
This is where the list gets a little bit tricky, because the five above Barrett are unquestionable decisions. Barrett is 50-50 only because he makes a lot of money and the team has some reinforcements if he were to be chosen elsewhere. The Raptors have talked about possibly moving him in trade discussions but have ultimately said no. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Raptors to protect Barrett in a potential expansion draft.
Gradey Dick
Dick is another player that could be better than who he is currently if he continues to grow with the Raptors. His contract is up at the end of the 2026-27 campaign, so there’s a good chance he may not be on the list if Toronto had to go into an expansion draft when he is a free agent. However, this exercise is about who the Raptors would protect if the draft were today, and his upside makes him a candidate to be protected.
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili is a free agent at the end of the season, but he has been tremendous for the Raptors so far this year. In his first season with the team, Mamukelashvili is averaging a career high 11.4 points and 5.0 run rebounds per game for Toronto. He has appeared in 53 of the team’s 55 games so far and is a reliable force in the second unit.
Honourable Mention: Immanuel Quickley
The only player that should be considered for the top 8 that wasn’t is Quickley. The primary reason behind not including him is because he has an extremely heavy contract. An expansion team likely would not pay as much for Quickley as the Raptors are, so Toronto could play it strategically and keep another player while expecting Quickley to return in a potential expansion draft.
That being said, Quickley is a talented player, and there is potential for him to be taken in an extension draft, but the Raptors won’t have to find out about that until a few summers from now.
Read More Toronto Raptors On SI