As our series featuring all 30 NBA franchises and how their all-time GOAT pyramids break down begins to come to its conclusion, we have come to a fairly new NBA franchise next up on the list. The Toronto Raptors entered the NBA as an official franchise for the 1995-96 season and since that time, have boasted a 47.8% overall winning percentage with 14 playoff appearances and one incredible NBA championship in 2019.
Now, using the 25 greatest players in franchise history, we will create the GOAt pyramid for this 29-year-old franchise. Much like we have done with every other franchise we have covered so far, this is based only on each player’s time with the Raptors franchise. For example, Tracy McGrady’s scoring titles, All-Star selections, and All-NBA Team selections in Orlando and Houston mean nothing to his standing with the Raptors. If there is any further confusion, you can refer to the franchises we have covered previously:
– The Los Angeles Lakers All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Chicago Bulls All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Golden State Warriors All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Boston Celtics All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Detroit Pistons All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Miami Heat All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Houston Rockets All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Brooklyn Nets All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The New York Knicks All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Milwaukee Bucks All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Denver Nuggets All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Orlando Magic All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Indiana Pacers All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Minnesota Timberwolves All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Washington Wizards All-Time GOAT Pyramid
– The Utah Jazz All-Time Goat Pyramid
– The Portland Trail Blazers All-Time GOAT Pyramid
Now that all rules and requirements have been highlighted, let’s get into the Toronto Raptors’ all-time GOAT pyramid.
Tier 1
Kyle Lowry, Kawhi Leonard
Two players in Raptors history have a legitimate claim to the title of franchise GOAT. Kyle Lowry may mean more to Canadian basketball fans than any other player in NBA history. Lowry spent nine seasons with Toronto from 2013 through 2021 where he went on to earn six All-Star appearances and averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Lowry would also help lead the Raptors to their only championship in franchise history in 2019 averaging 15.0 points and 6.6 assists per game in the playoffs.
Kawhi Leonard played just one season North of the Border in 2018-19 and what he accomplished during that season was nothing short of remarkable. After being traded to Toronto following a tumultuous end to his career with the Spurs, Leonard would average 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game for the Raptors in 2019. In the NBA playoffs, he would lead the team to their first NBA Finals appearance in team history. Taking down the Warriors in six games, Leonard would be named Finals MVP with 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Tier 2
Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, DeMar DeRozan, Pascal Siakam
There are a few members of Tier 2 who also have legitimate claims to be on Tier 1 with the other franchise GOATs but ultimately fell just short. Vince Carter helped put basketball on the map in Toronto with his highlight reel dunks and other feats of athleticism. Carter played six-plus seasons with the Raptors from 1999 through 2005, averaging 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Carter would earn six All-Star selections and two All-NBA Team selections as well.
Chris Bosh was well on his way to a Tier 1 career in Toronto before spurning the Raptors for Miami in free agency in 2011. Bosh was Toronto’s fourth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and would spend the next seven seasons with the team through 2010. During those seven seasons, Bosh averaged 20.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. He would earn five All-Star selections and one All-NBA Second Team selection in 2007.
DeMar DeRozan is one of the most beloved figures in Toronto Raptors’ history. DeRozan was Toronto’s ninth overall pick in 2009 and would spend the next nine seasons with the team. He averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game during his time in Toronto, earning four All-Star and two All-NBA Team selections. DeRozan was dealt in the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto which resulted in a championship but fans are forever grateful for what he meant to their franchise.
The final member of Tier 2 is the most recent departure in Raptors history, Pascal Siakam. As their 27th overall pick in 2016 out of New Mexico State, Siakam arrived as a relatively unknown prospect. Just three seasons into his career, Siakam would be a key part of the Raptors 2019 championship run averaging 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. In his eight seasons in Toronto, Siakam was a two-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team selection as well as the 2019 Most Improved Player.
Tier 3
Damon Stoudamire, Fred VanVleet, Antonio Davis, Morris Peterson, Jose Calderon, Jonas Valanciunas
Tier 3 starts with a pair of point guards who helped shape the state of the Toronto Raptors. Damon Stoudamire is the first of these two who played for the Raptors from 1996 through 1998. Stoudamire was the 1996 Rookie of the Year with Toronto, averaging 19.0 points and 9.3 assists per game. In his three seasons, he averaged 19.6 points, 8.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 41.5% shooting.
Fred VanVleet became one of the greatest undrafted players in NBA history thanks to the chance he received with the Raptors from 2017 through 2023. During this time, he became an NBA All-Star once and helped the team capture their first NBA title in 2019. He may have averaged just 8.0 points per game in the playoffs but timely threes and clutch defensive play played a big part in their postseason success. In total, VanVleet averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in seven seasons with the Raptors.
Antonio Davis played a total of six seasons with the Raptors from 2000 through 2006. During this time, Davis averaged 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. In 2001, he earned the only All-Star selection of his career, averaging 13.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Morris Peterson joined the Raptors during the 2000 NBA Draft as their 21st overall pick. He remained with the team for seven seasons through 2007 as he averaged 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. Peterson helped the Raptors earn three trips to the NBA playoffs during this time before leaving Toronto for the New Orleans Hornets in 2007.
Jose Calderon began his NBA career as an undrafted guard out of Spain with the Raptors in 2006. Over the next seven-plus seasons, Calderon averaged 10.0 points and 7.2 assists per game with the team. Calderon helped the Raptors reach the NBA playoffs twice in 2007 and 2008 and ranks second in team history with 3,770 assists.
The final member of Tier 3 in Raptors history is former center Jonas Valanciunas. For the first seven seasons of his career from 2013 through 2019, Valanciunas was Toronto’s starting center who averaged 11.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game. He ranks second in team history with 3,960 rebounds and third in team history with 479 blocks.
Tier 4
Alvin Williams, Lou Williams, Doug Christie, Amir Johnson, Charles Oakley, Serge Ibaka, Danny Green
Kicking off Tier 4 for the Toronto Raptors’ all-time GOAT pyramid is former point guard Alvin Williams. After being traded from Portland during his rookie season, Williams would spend eight seasons with Toronto, averaging 9.3 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He ranks sixth in franchise history in assists as well as seventh in team history in steals and helped the team reach the NBA playoffs three times.
Lou Williams spent just one season North of the Border with the Raptors in 2015. That season, Williams would win his first of three career Sixth Man of the Year awards averaging 15.5 points and 1.1 steals per game on 40.4% shooting in 80 games off the bench. Williams’ one season in Toronto is enough to place him amongst the 25 greatest players in franchise history.
Before he was a member of the Sacramento Kings and their GOAT Pyramid, Doug Christie earned his spot with the Raptors from 1996 through 2000. During this time, Christie became one of the most disruptive defenders in the NBA, averaging 14.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. Although he wasn’t honored with All-Defensive Team selections until later in his career, Christie ranks second in team history with 664 steals and ninth in team history in assists with 1,191.
Amir Johnson did not accomplish anything incredibly special during his six seasons with the Raptors from 2010 through 2015 but he did enough to make a spot for himself on their GOAT pyramid. In those six seasons, Johnson averaged 8.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game for the team and ranks sixth in rebounds and second in blocks in team history.
The Enforcer Charles Oakley spent a period of time with the Raptors from 1999-2001. During those three seasons, he averaged 7.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while providing stellar defensive play. Oakley was the physical presence Toronto needed at the time to make them a legitimate playoff contender, a role he held every stop he made in his 19-year career.
Serge Ibaka’s three seasons with the Raptors from 2018 through 2019 were as impactful as any other stop he made in his career. In three seasons, he averaged 14.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.2 clocks per game. More importantly, Ibaka anchored the Raptors’ defense during their run to the championship in 2019 averaging 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 24 games off the bench.
Danny Green is another one-season wonder with the Raptors who helped them earn their 2019 NBA championship. In that one season, Green averaged 10.3 points per game on 45.5% shooting from three-point range in 80 starts for the Raptors. In the playoffs, Green’s production dipped a bit but once again, proved he could knock down shots in the biggest moments, resulting in his second championship ring.
Tier 5
Marc Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, Tracy McGrady, Donyell Marshall, Patrick Patterson, Jerome Williams
Marc Gasol played exactly 70 games for the Raptors during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. His acquisition during the 2019 season was a catalyst for their championship run as a perfect offensive and defensive complement to their roster. In those two years, Gasol averaged 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani was an overall disappointment in his time with the Raptors but still did enough to sneak on their all-time GOAT Pyramid. In seven seasons with the team, Bargnani averaged 15.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and while those numbers look great, they resulted in very few positive results. Reports of selfishness and attitude issues plagued Bargnani during his time in Toronto and ultimately led to a trade in 2013.
There is no doubt that Tracy McGrady is one of the most talented players in NBA history. That does not apply to the first three seasons of his career with the Raptors. In those three seasons from 1998-2000, McGrady averaged just 11.1 points per game on 44.8% shooting while mostly having to earn his playing time off the bench. McGrady would go on to have an incredible career with Orlando and Houston after his stop in Toronto but as far as Raptors go, he is low on the totem pole.
Donyell Marshall is another player who had a short stint with the Raptors that lasted just 131 games. During this time in 2004 and 2005, Marshall averaged 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. Marshall’s play with Toronto may have been limited but his production lands him as a top 25 player in team history.
Patrick Patterson is a relatively unknown name in Raptors history but barely earns a spot on their all-time GOAT pyramid. Patterson played with the Raptors from 2011 through 2014, averaging 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. In a role mostly off the bench, Patterson provided some physical and tough interior play the Raptors lacked during the mid-2010s.
The final member of Tier 5 in Raptors history is none other than Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams. In three-plus seasons with the Raptors, Williams averaged 7.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Known for his relentless defensive play, Williams’ three-plus seasons in the early 2000s with the team will be remembered for quite some time thanks to the edge he gave them as their starting power forward.
