#toronto-raptors

#toronto-raptors

Coby White is headed back home to North Carolina. A native of the Tar Heel State and of course, a University of North Carolina (UNC) alum, the 25-year-old spark plug guard has reportedly been dealt to his hometown Charlotte Hornets in a trade also sending veteran guard Mike Conley to Buzz City, while Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng, and three second-round picks go to the Chicago Bulls.

In 2019, the Toronto Raptors made an improbable run to the NBA Finals, winning it all in six games over the two-time defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. Today, the Raptors look nothing like that squad, with Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell having since moved on to different teams. VanVleet and Powell both shared that championship together as teammates and have maintained a connection ever since.

It's a bittersweet time to be a Raptors fan. The regular season success is starting to come back into the picture for the franchise, but there is a looming sense of unease. Some of the pieces of this puzzle don't fit together cleanly. The team very clearly has some bad salary, and it's a little uncertain how the roster can improve without taking unappealing and risky money in return or by offloading assets that are still needed in order to realize long-term success.

The Raptors did their homework. They were redirecting the Magic away from their pet actions. Rebuffing each attempt at piercing the lane. Intention, intelligence, intensity. Controllable things. Things they often control. It's fuelled their run to a top 8 defense, despite many people observing that they probably don't grade out that high in terms of defensive talent. If a guy loses the thread at the point of attack? A teammate will plug the hole. If the ball moves on after that? Another hole to plug.

However, one notable absence that Raptors fans might not take kindly to is Jamal Shead's exclusion from the NBA sophomores. Raptors Nation can attest to Shead's brilliance this season, even if his on-paper numbers don't fully reflect his high-impact, winning contributions. Be that as it may, the 23-year-old did not make the cut, which is definitely a minor gut punch for Raptors fans given this otherwise positive news.

Collin Murray-Boyles went through an extended play group at practice today and is questionable Wednesday, will see how he feels coming out of it.Jakob Poeltl got on the floor, non-contact. Everything is an extended day-to-day managing the pain at this point.- Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) January 27, 2026 CMB went out with an injury during the second half of the lone loss of the road trip in Los Angeles after putting up 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks across 25 minutes of action.