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Toronto Raptors

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The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. They are currently the only National Basketball Association (NBA) club based in Canada and outside of the United States. The team is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.

Home arenas

Air Canada Centre (1999–present)
Rogers Centre (Formerly Skydome) (1995–1999)

Franchise history (by seasons)

The Toronto Raptors along with the Vancouver Grizzlies became NBA franchises in 1995. Both teams were the first NBA teams to play in Canada since 1946–47's Toronto Huskies.

1995-96

After Isiah Thomas was named the General Manager in 1995, he quickly staffed the management with his own personnel, including the first head coach Brendan Malone (who was later reunited with Thomas in the Knicks organization in 2003). During the summer of 1995, the league had an expansion draft to fill out the rosters of the new Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies. As a result of a coin flip, the Raptors had the first pick of the expansion draft, and selected Chicago Bulls point guard and 3-point specialist BJ Armstrong. In a move that would seem to be a constant theme throughout Toronto's early days, BJ threatened not to come to camp and Isiah Thomas promptly moved him to the Golden State Warriors for power forwards Carlos Rogers and Victor Alexander and the rights to 1995 second-round draft picks Dwayne Whitfield, Martin Lewis and Michael McDonald. Thomas selected a wide range of players in the expansion draft, including veterans Jerome Kersey, Willie Anderson and John "Spider" Salley.

As Toronto had selected first in the expansion draft, they subsequently selected after the Vancouver Grizzles in the 1995 NBA entry draft. Thomas chose to build the franchise around Damon Stoudamire, a point guard out of Arizona. The Raptors' selection of Stoudamire was met with boos from those present at the 1995 NBA Draft at SkyDome in Toronto, many of whom bought into the hype surrounding the National Player of the Year in the NCAA and NCAA Final Four MVP, UCLA's Ed O'Bannon. However, the selection of Stoudamire proved to be the right choice as he was named the 1995-96 Rookie of the Year by averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists per game. This team will also be known for beating the 72-10 Bulls despite being a first-year franchise.

Record: 21 wins - 61 losses

1996-97

The team's win record improved by nine games from its inaugural season and attendance was rising. Analysts predicted a playoff-contending or even a championship caliber team in a matter of a few seasons. Marcus Camby who was drafted second overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Raptors had a disappointing rookie season.

Record: 30 wins - 52 losses

1997-98

All optimism evaporated when the team was hit by numerous injuries in early 1997-1998 season. Although Thomas was a Hall of Fame point guard and skilled evaluator of talent (as evidenced by his selections of Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby and Tracy McGrady), his failed ownership bid for the Raptors led to his resignation. Glen Grunwald, a lawyer and former All-American basketball player was then hired as the Raptors' General Manager. With the exit of his mentor, Stoudamire immediately sought a trade and on February 13, 1998, Toronto's first "franchise player" was shipped to Portland along with Walt Williams and Carlos Rogers for Kenny Anderson, Alvin Williams, Gary Trent, two first-round draft choices, a second-round draft choice and cash. Kenny Anderson refused to report to Toronto and was subsequently traded to the Boston Celtics on February 18, 1998 with Zan Tabak and Popeye Jones for Chauncey Billups, Dee Brown, Roy Rogers and John Thomas.

Toronto limped to a 16-66 record and Grunwald faced the unhappy fans on the last game of the season at Maple Leaf Gardens promising better days for Raptors fans. The largest step towards credibilty was taken when in a pre-determined move, Grunwald traded his 4th overall pick Antawn Jamison to the Golden State Warriors for Vince Carter, selected 5th overall in the 1998 NBA Draft.

Record: 16 wins - 66 losses

1998-99

In order to bring credibilty to the Raptors, Grunwald traded Camby to the Knicks for a proven veteran in Charles Oakley, whose tough mentality and playoff experience helped the maturity of the young players. Many thought the trade would hurt the team, since he was trading away a promising prospect for an aging veteran. However, Oakley's leadership proved crucial to the success of the 1998-1999 Raptors. The coaching staff temporarily solved the lack of a true point guard by rotating Dee Brown, Alvin Williams and Doug Christie to play the position. This was an excellent move, as Christie greatly refined his defensive game and became one of the elite defenders in NBA. Alvin also showed improvement, on the offensive end. Kevin Willis, another veteran acquired from trade, solidified the center position. With those two holes temporarily filled, the team won more games than ever before. The new coach Butch Carter, besides doing an excellent coaching job, also helped develop the young players on the team, especially future All-Star Tracy McGrady. Although the team did not make the playoffs, many were optimistic with the brilliant performances from the Rookie of the Year Vince Carter and a much improved McGrady.

Record: 23 wins - 27 losses (a lockout-shortened 50-game schedule)

1999-2000

Grunwald decided that the solution to the Raptors' lack of experience and a strong front court presence would have to come from mature veteran players. He also knew that the aging Willis and Oakley would eventually have to play fewer minutes or risk injury. Thus, during the 1999 draft, he decided to trade first-round draft pick Jonathan Bender for veteran power forward Antonio Davis from the Indiana Pacers, who had been forced to play off the bench behind teammate Dale Davis. In the backcourt, Butch Carter rotated Carter, Christie, Williams and Dell Curry at the shooting guard position and Williams and Muggsy Bogues at point guard. The rotation of Antonio, Oakley and Willis in the front court and the maturation of both Carter and McGrady helped the team make its first ever playoff appearance. However, without significant playoff experience, the Raptors were swept by the New York Knicks in the playoffs.

Progressive team improvements and the ascendancy of Vince Carter attracted many fans around Toronto, many of whom were not previously basketball fans. Increased attendance and change of fan base also helped contribute to the decline of the Toronto Blue Jays. This was also the first full season at the Air Canada Centre, after four years of games at the cavernous SkyDome.

Record: 45 wins - 37 losses; eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2000-01

Playoff failures (and Butch Carter's media altercations surrounding Marcus Camby) led Grunwald to replace Carter with Lenny Wilkens, who was a Hall-of-Fame coach and player with more than 30 years of coaching experience. In addition, the team finally found a true point guard, when Grunwald signed veteran playmaker Mark Jackson to a 4-year contract with the team. The season marked the emergence of Alvin Williams as a clutch performer. He scored three quarters of his points in the 4th quarter during regular season. Jackson was later traded to give more minutes for Williams.

As Vince Carter familarised himself with the shooting guard position and played less time at small forward, Christie became expendable and was traded for forward Corliss Williamson. However, he was a disappointment and was traded during the season for defensive workhorse Jerome Williams. The loss of former star small forward Tracy McGrady was also a factor in the Williamson trade. Although McGrady and Carter showed impressive improvement at the same time, much of the media and fan attention was focused on Carter, who was the flashier player. Furthermore, McGrady and Carter shared the same natural position (small forward), making it impossible to keep both . Therefore, Raptors management decided to trade McGrady to the Magic during the 2000 offseason for a first-round draft pick in a sign-and-trade deal.

As predicted by analysts, the team clinched a playoff berth without much difficulty. Toronto beat New York in the first round. Wilkens was credited for having Williams defend shooting guard Allan Houston and Carter defend small forward Latrell Sprewell, the two major offensive threats of the Knicks. In addition, Charles Oakley's remarks incited Vince to "play it like a man", and steady contribution from Antonio Davis prevailed over the less-talented Knicks.

The next series against the Philadelphia 76ers was a landmark for the Raptors: exciting, entertaining play, and the best playoff performance so far. The Sixers relied on Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo for their respective offensive and defensive abilities, along with steady help from Aaron McKie and other teammates. Toronto was the more balanced team with Carter, Williams and Davis providing much of the offensive game and Chris Childs and Jerome Williams providing the defensive pressure. Philadelphia took full advantage of the mismatch at center whereas Toronto counteracted with a fast-break offense with their shorter but quicker players. The series came down to the last 4 seconds of Game 7, when Vince Carter narrowly missed a fadeaway jumper hitting the back rim, losing the series by 1 point. Carter was widely criticized for attending his graduation ceremony at the University of North Carolina the morning of Game 7. Despite the loss, the season is generally considered the high water mark for the franchise.

Record: 47 wins - 35 losses; eliminated in the second round of the playoffs

2001-02

The Raptors' exciting playoff performance attracted even more fans and put unprecedented trust from the owners on Grunwald. In an attempt to satisfy Vince Carter so that he would re-sign with the team, long-term contracts were given to Alvin Williams, Jerome Williams and Davis, and former All-Star center Hakeem Olajuwon was signed, to provide Carter with a good supporting cast. Although the team was guaranteed a powerful starting line-up for one season, it was a dangerous gamble as overall player salary almost reached the cap, making significant free-agent signing impossible. Expiring contracts had also been traded away, so unless the Raptors succeeded with their 2001-2002 lineup, it was unlikely they would remain a very competitive team.

The Raptors were seemingly on their way to another competitive season, with a 29-21 record going into the All-Star break. For the third consecutive year, Carter was the top vote-getter for the All-Star game. Unfortunately, the increasingly injury-prone Carter was hit with another bout of "jumper's knee" (tendinitis) that forced him to sit out the All-Star game and the rest of the season.

Without their franchise player, the Raptors went through a horrific stretch where they lost 17 of their next 18 games. Just as their season seemed lost, they were able to win 12 of their last 14 games, clinching a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. This remarkable comeback was characterized by some of the Raptors' best defensive games of the season, along with inspired performances by Antonio Davis and Keon Clark.

However, Carter's offense was sorely missed in the first-round series against the second-seeded Detroit Pistons. In the first game, Detroit blew out Toronto 83-65 behind Ben Wallace's monster performance of 19 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals. After falling behind 0-2, Toronto won the next 2 games at home to force a deciding Game 5 in Detroit.

Game 5 was tightly contested until the very end, despite a poor 5-point (1-of-10 from the field) performance from Detroit's leading scorer Jerry Stackhouse. With nearly ten seconds left in the game, the Raptors were down 85-82 with possession of the ball. Chris Childs raced down the court and jacked up a wild three-pointer that missed badly, apparently trying to draw a foul on the play, instead of passing to a wide-open Dell Curry (Toronto's best 3-point gunner). In a post-game locker room interview, Childs repeatedly insisted that the Raptors had been down 4 points, not 3.

If the Raptors' late-season resurrection was a "miraculous comeback", then their subsequent playoff exit had to be a colossal disappointment. Unfortunately, the Hakeem Olajuwon experiment had been a bust, with Olajuwon averaging career lows in minutes, points and rebounds. And key components of the team's limited success in this and the previous season left through free agency or retirement: Chris Childs, Keon Clark, and Dell Curry. It was pretty clear, that for better or worse, the Raptors would be a very different team next season.

Record: 42 wins - 40 losses; eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2002-03

The 2002-03 season began with the same optimisim that the Raptors furnished in three straight playoff appearances. However, right from the beginning of the season that optimism was lost: Carter went through a series of injuries, Davis started to express disinterest in Toronto (reportedly because his wife could not land a TV job in Toronto) and Wilkens' laissez-fair attitude created a team that lacked the motivation and spirit of the previous years' teams. Pretty much the entire team was ravaged by the injury bug, as they lost an NBA record number of player games due to injury, and that was another main reason. Almost right from day one, the Toronto media went straight for the jugular when it came to Wilkens, chastizing him for his inability- or, perhaps, unwillingness- to really clamp down on his players when he had to (The Toronto Star's Dave Perkins once wrote that all Wilkens could do during a game where the Raptors self-destructed was sit and stand, instead of yelling at his players like Perkins says he should have been doing). This was the year that Wilkens overtook Bill Fitch for the lead in most losses by a NBA coach, with his loss total getting dangerously close to his win total. At the end of the disastrous season (a year marred by defensive breakdowns that still occur today), Wilkens was unceremoniously dumped, ending a three-year stint with the team that started with so much promise but ended with too much disappointment.

Record: 24 wins - 58 losses

2003-04

The Raptors were inconsistent throughout 03-04, partly due to injuries to key players Jalen Rose, Alvin Williams and Vince Carter, with Davis and Jerome Williams traded early in the season for Rose and Donyell Marshall. After 50 games, though, they were 25-25 and in position to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit again. This time, Jalen Rose missed sixteen games with a broken hand (from Feb. 10 to March 10). Carter also missed six games during that period of time, with a sprained ankle. While Rose was injured, the team lost 13 of 16, including a nine-game losing streak in February, dealing them a serious blow in the standings.

With eight games to go in the regular season, the Raptors fired Glen Grunwald, the general manager on April 1. Grunwald had been the GM since 1997. The Raptors finished up the season 3 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The star individual performers were Carter, with 22.5 points per game, Donyell Marshall, who led the team with 10.7 rebounds per game, and rookie Chris Bosh, a 6-10 forward-center who averaged 11.5 ppg and 7.4 rpg and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

Immediately following the season, on April 17, head coach Kevin O'Neill was fired after making some remarks which were taken to question the team's commitment to winning. He was replaced with Sam Mitchell, a former NBA forward who had been an assistant coach of the Milwaukee Bucks the previous two seasons. Rob Babcock was named general manager on June 7, 2004.

Record: 33 wins - 49 losses; 10th in the Eastern Conference

2004-05

With new GM, Rob Babcock, new assistant general manager, hall of fame ex-general manager and player Wayne Embry, new director of player personnel, Alex English, and head coach Sam Mitchell, it was evident that restructuring of the organization was in operation. Soon after, franchise player Vince Carter, demanded a trade during the off season. Thus, much of the 2004-2005 season's action played itself out off the court.

The eventual trade of Carter finally came to fruition mid-season, ending his seven-year tenure with the team. Later in the year Carter admitted to half-hearted on court performances, forcing GM to trade him. From that deal, the Raptors received former All-Star Alonzo Mourning, forwards Eric Williams and Aaron Williams, and two mid-to-late future first round picks from the New Jersey Nets (Joey Graham, picked 16th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft). Mourning chose to not report to Toronto, forcing Babcock to buy out the remainder of his contract at a reported $10 million, leaving Mourning free to sign with the Miami Heat, where he had spent seven years of his career prior. The two Williamses were believed to be able to add defensive toughness and rebounding; however, they saw few minutes, and were generally under-utilized for the entire season. Many believe that first year GM Babcock got the bad end of the deal to Nets President of Basketball Operations, Rod Thorn's, and there were calls from Raptors fans for Babcock to step down.

After the Carter trade, Chris Bosh stepped up to take the helm of franchise player, and performed admirably in his sophomore campaign; he ranked tenth in defensive rebounds for the season. Apart from Bosh's emergence, the restructuring looked to take a bit of a hit with rookie 8th first round draft pick, Rafael Araújo, struggling to keep a spot in the line-up during the Raptors' half-hearted run for a playoff spot during the last month of the season.

Veterans Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall also shined on an otherwise lackluster team. There was much speculation that Marshall would be traded before the trade deadline since he was up for free agency in the up coming season. However, Babcock held on to Marshall, a move which many believe helped create an identity crisis for the Raptors, after clearly being unwilling to commit to rebuilding or winning. Marshall would eventually have a good finish to his 2004-2005 campaign, hitting 12 three-pointers versus the 76ers on March 13, 2005, tying an NBA record, with Kobe Bryant.

The Raptors' inability to win on the road (11-30) and generally poor defense made Sam Mitchell's first year as head coach unimpressive. However, the home fans were generally entertained as the team managed to thrive off the often well attended Air Canada Centre putting up a record of 22-19 at home. Coach Mitchell was also mired in controversies off the court. Of note, point guard Rafer Alston in a post-game interview contemplated retiring after a tough loss, as he continued to butt heads with Mitchell. Later in the season, Alston was suspended two games for "conduct detrimental to the team" for reportedly walking out of a scrimmage practice. In addition, Eric Williams requested a trade, unhappy with the lack of minutes he was receiving. Vince Carter's mother also made comments to the media about an alleged "wrestling match" that took place in the locker room between the coach and her son prior to his departure. Currently, the team's only potential All-Star is Chris Bosh, as he is shaping up to be one of the Eastern Conference's better Center/Power Forward players.

Record: 33 wins - 49 losses; 4th in Atlantic Division, 11th in Eastern Conference

2005-06

The Raptors' 2005-2006 season was viewed as a disappointment. After losing the first nine games of the 2005-2006 season, and fifteen out of the first sixteen overall, Toronto's difficulties continued when the team gave up an 18 point lead to the Los Angeles Lakers in a January 22, 2006 game, and allowed Laker star Kobe Bryant to score 81 points, the second highest one game total in NBA history.

The Raptors entered the 2005 NBA Draft with two first round picks (7th and 16th) and two second round picks (41st and 58th). They selected Charlie Villanueva (7th overall) out of Connecticut and Joey Graham (16th overall) out of Oklahoma State. In the second round, they selected Roko Ukic (41st overall) out of KK Split (Croatia) and Uros Slokar (58th overall) out of Snaidero Udine (Italy). Once again, the Raptors' high selection of a player ranked much lower in the draft (Villanueva) caused a stir amongst basketball pundits and Raptors fans alike. Many fans feared a repeat of the Rafael Araujo situation. However, those fears were soon put to rest as Villanueva's early season play impressed both fans and former critics alike, more than justifying his selection number. On March 26th, 2006, Villanueva scored 48 points, the second highest point total by a Raptor. After the season, he came in 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting with 248 points, after winning rookie Chris Paul of the Hornets (623 points), clearly ahead of 3rd place rookie Andrew Bogut who had 98 points.

After a quiet offseason, the Raptors started their training camp by trading Rafer Alston to the Houston Rockets for Mike James. For free agents, the Raptors signed point guard José Calderón, who played the past six seasons in Spain, to back up starting guard James. They also re-signed Pape Sow and Matt Bonner. The Raptors lost Donyell Marshall to free agency and released Lamond Murray.

The Toronto Raptors started the 2005-2006 season on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 with a loss against the Washington Wizards at the Air Canada Centre. Over the next two and a half weeks, the Raptors set a franchise record by losing their first nine games of the season. The losing streak ended with a surprisingly decisive victory over the Miami Heat (albeit minus Shaquille O'Neal) on November 20, 2005.

With losses mounting, and media scrutiny intensifying, Raptors management hired legendary ex-Purdue coach Gene Keady as an assistant off the bench, helping develop the young nucleus of Raptors as well as establishing a defensive persona for the team.

Sitting with the NBA's worst record, media rumours surrounding the likely imminent future departure of young Raptors star Chris Bosh heated up, adding to an already dismal start to the 2005-2006 season.

On January 15, 2006, the Raptors set a franchise record for points in a game with a 129-103 win over the Knicks when Charlie Villanueva hit a 3 pointer late in the game. In contrasting conditions however, on January 22, 2006, the Raptors found themselves on the wrong side of history, gaining the dubious distinction of being the team Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant scored his record-breaking 81 points against.

With media scrutiny intensifying once more, it was announced on January 26, 2006, that the Raptors had fired GM Rob Babcock, replacing him with senior advisor Wayne Embry on an interim basis. Management followed up Babcock's departure with the release of Pete Babcock and Scott Howard, clearing the way for a new set of staff in the off-season. On February 2, 2006 Embry made his first major move by completing the trade his predecessor was well known to be hesitant on, sending the maligned Jalen Rose, a first round draft pick and cash to the New York Knicks in exchange for one-time Raptor Antonio Davis. Embry made the deal primarily free up payroll with which to sign free agents in the off-season; unlike Rose, Davis was in the final year of his contract. Though there were some initial fears Davis would follow Mourning and not report to the team, all was settled 3 days later, with Davis admitting he had needed the time to 'clear his head'. Davis was later released on March 24, 2006 after suffering a serious back injury from being fouled by the Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem.

Days after the Davis-Rose trade, budding superstar Chris Bosh was named a reserve forward for the Eastern All-Star Team in the '06 game in Houston, Texas. Bosh was the third Raptor to suit up in an All-Star Game, following Vince Carter and Antonio Davis.

On February 22, Raptors management reportedly finalized a contract that would see Suns President/GM Bryan Colangelo as the successor to Babcock. The official announcement of Colangelo's hiring was made in a press conference on February 28, 2006.

On March 10th, Mike James tied the record for most consecutive games with a 3 point field goal against the Denver Nuggets. On March 12th, the Raptors set a new NBA record with most consecutive games with at least one 3-point field goal. Morris Peterson shot the record breaking 3 pointer against the Indiana Pacers. They have had 595 games with 3 pointers as of Sunday March 12, 2006. The previous record holding team was the Miami Heat with 594.

On March 26 Charlie Villanueva proved his critics wrong again by scoring 48 points in a 9 point overtime loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the most points scored by any rookie in franchise history and equaling Vince Carter (2000) for the second highest point total in a regular-season game by a Raptor. Earlier in the same game, Chris Bosh suffered a season-ending thumb injury. The Raptors would go on to lose 10 in a row after Bosh's injury.

The Raptors were eliminated from the 2006 playoffs as of April 4, 2006 with a loss to the Boston Celtics.

On April 14, the Raptors unexpectedly halted their losing streak with a win against the Detroit Pistons, preventing them from clinching the NBA's best record. Mike James scored a career-high 39 points in the game, with 20 in the 4th quarter alone. He hit 8 straight free throws to finish the game, leading him to a franchise record for consecutive free throws in a single game without a miss, at 18-18 from the line. While stopping their 10 game slide, the win, combined with a loss the same night by the Atlanta Hawks, all but guaranteed that the Raptors would finish the season with the 5th worst record heading into the 2006 NBA draft.

Final Record: 27 wins, 55 losses, 4th Atlantic Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Present

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At present, the Toronto Raptors have an excellent, but success-starved fan base. Despite having only won one playoff series in franchise history, the Raptors continue to draw attendances in the top half of the NBA. The team is known to have one of the largest and most passionate fan bases in the NBA. The Raptors have struggled especially after the trading away of Vince Carter, in which the team received relatively little in return.

Chris Bosh, a budding star center/power forward is currently the face of the Raptors being named to the all star team in 2006. Bosh is currently in his third season with the Raptors. He signed a three year extension worth approximately $60 million (USD) which will lock him up until 2010.

The Raptors now trail only the Golden State Warriors (12 in a row) and Atlanta Hawks (seven in a row) in terms of teams with the most consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance with four in a row (see Active NBA non-playoff appearance streaks).

On January 26, 2006, the Raptors fired General Manager Rob Babcock and replaced him with interim GM Wayne Embry.

On February 27, 2006 the Toronto Raptors named former Phoenix Suns President and GM Bryan Colangelo, the 2005 NBA Executive of the Year, the President and General Manager of the Raptors. It only took one month to find a suitable replacement for Rob Babcock as General Manager.

On Sunday, March 12th, 2006 the Toronto Raptors made history by breaking the existing NBA record of most consecutive games with a three pointer. Morris Peterson hit the three to make the Raptors the NBA history holder of most consecutive games with a three pointer, with 614 games and counting.

On Tuesday, May 23, 2006 the Toronto Raptors received the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft, after the NBA Draft Lottery was conducted in Secaucus, New Jersey.

On Thursday, June 8, 2006 the Toronto Raptors traded their 2004, 8th pick Rafael Araujo to the Utah Jazz for their 2004 14th pick Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley.

On Wednesday, June 21, 2006 the Toronto Raptors traded Matt Bonner, Eric Williams and a second round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft to the San Antonio Spurs for Rasho Nesterovic and cash considerations.

On Thursday, June 22, 2006 the Toronto Raptors hired Benetton Treviso general manager Maurizio Gherardini as the club’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager.

The beginning of the new era began with Toronto jumping 5 places in the NBA Draft Lottery to win the 1st overall pick, which they utilised on June 28, 2006 to select Italian prodigy Andrea Bargnani, making him the first European drafted number one overall. This followed the hiring of Benetton Treviso general manager and European executive guru Maurizio Gherardini as the club’s vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager on June 22, 2006, making him the first European elevated to an NBA executive job.

With the arrival of Bargnani, Colangelo swiftly moved to round up the roster, surprisingly trading 2006 NBA Rookie of the Year runner-up Charlie Villanueva to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for TJ Ford and cash considerations on June 30, 2006, giving the Raptors the true point guard the franchise required to help steer the new-look Toronto team forward.

On July 13th, the Toronto Raptors signed Guard/Forward Anthony Parker from Maccabi Tel Aviv. They later picked up John Salmons via sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers and only had to give the Sixers a second-round pick in 2007 and a $2 million US trade exception. They also gave Chris Bosh a three-year extension the next day.

However, on July 21st of the same year, a report from RealGM.com; states that there is a delay for Salmons official arrival with respect to his contract. General speculation is that Salmons had a change of heart, or Bryan Colangelo has backed out in is interested in pursuing a more significant deal, possibly involving a trade. July 22nd 2006; TSN.ca reports that Salmons has decided to forego the contract, and therefore will not sign with the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors officially signed free-agent forward Jorge Garbajosa to a multi-year contract on July 24th. Garbajosa has much experience playing with Raptors guard Jose Calderon, as they have played on the Spanish national team together.

In addition to the Garbajosa signing, a report from nba.com says that the Raptors are close to signing free-agent guard Fred Jones to a three-year deal near $11 million U.S. Jones had spent the first four years of his career with the Indiana Pacers and is best known for his victory at the 2004 slam dunk contest where he de-throwned two time defending champion Jason Richardson of the Golden State Warriors.

Raptors accomplishments

See Toronto Raptors' Accomplishments and Records for more information

Raptors NBA team records

  • Most blocked shots in a game: 23 blocks vs. Atlanta Hawks, March 23, 2001
  • Most three-point field goals made in one game by a team: 22 three-point field goals vs. Philadelphia 76ers, March 13, 2005
  • Most consecutive games with a made 3-point field goal: 614 games (active streak)

Notable individual player records

  • Playoff record for most three-point field goals in one half with 8 - Vince Carter, Toronto vs. Philadelphia, May 11, 2001
  • Playoff record for most three-point field goals in one game with 9 - Vince Carter, Toronto vs. Philadelphia, May 11, 2001 (tied with Rex Chapman, Phoenix at Seattle, April 25, 1997 and Ray Allen, Milwaukee vs. Philadelphia, June 1, 2001)
  • NBA record for most three point field goals in one game with 12 - Donyell Marshall, Toronto vs. Philadelphia, March 13, 2005 (tied with Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers vs. Seattle, January 7, 2003)
  • Franchise record for most points scored by a rookie with 48 - Charlie Villanueva, Toronto vs. Milwaukee, March 26, 2006
  • Franchise record for most consecutive free throws without a miss in one game by shooting 18 of 18 from the free throw line - Mike James, Detroit vs. Toronto, April 14, 2006

Season-by-season records

Note: W = wins, L = losses, % = win–loss %

Season W L % Playoffs Results
1995-96 21 61 .256
1996-97 30 52 .366
1997-98 16 66 .195
1998-99 23 27 .460
1999-2000 45 37 .549 Lost First Round New York 3, Toronto 0
2000-01 47 35 .573 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals		 Toronto 3, New York 2
Philadelphia 4, Toronto 3
2001-02 42 40 .512 Lost First Round Detroit 3, Toronto 2
2002-03 24 58 .293
2003-04 33 49 .402
2004-05 33 49 .402
2005-06 27 55 .313
Totals 339 529 .391
Playoffs 8 12 .400

Stats updated June 10, 2006

Not to be forgotten

  • Matt Bonner – named the "Red Rocket" for his recognizable red hair and because he used the TTC streetcar line nicknamed the "Red Rocket" as his primary mode of transportation in Toronto.
  • Marcus Camby – All-time team blocks leader; Selected #2 overall in 1996 (team won first pick in lottery but league rules prevented expansion team picking first for several seasons).
  • Vince Carter – Raptors' all-time leading scorer, a Raptors record 4 all-star appearances and a notable Slam Dunk champion.
  • Doug Christie – transformed himself into an elite defender and helped push the Raptors playoff campaign; all-time team steals leader.
  • Antonio Davis – All-time team rebounds leader; led team to most recent playoff series after Vince Carter suffered season-ending injury.
  • Donyell Marshall – shot 12 three-point field goals in a single game as a Raptor, tying an NBA record.
  • Charles Oakley – arguably the greatest locker-room leader for the Raptors.
  • Alvin Robertson – scored first NBA points in Raptors history.
  • Damon Stoudamire – Raptors' first draft selection and first legitimate franchise player, and recorded the first triple-double in Raptors history, with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, against the Seattle SuperSonics on November 21, 1996.
  • Charlie Villanueva – was NBA Rookie of the Year runner up in 2006 and was known for his help with kids with alopecia areata and being a fan favourite in Toronto.
  • Alvin Williams – All-time assist leader; long considered "the heart and soul of the Raptors"; hit arguably the biggest shot in franchise history over New York in the 2001 1st round, sealing the Raptors' first and only playoff series win.
  • Jerome Williams – a fan favourite as "The Junkyard Dog" (JYD), currently the Raptors' community representative.

Current roster

List of Head Coaches

List of General Managers

List of TV commentators

See also

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