The Toronto Raptors have only been around since 1995, but in that time the franchise has produced some genuinely franchise-defining talent — including the team’s first championship in 2019. This guide breaks down the best Raptors players in franchise history, plus who’s carrying that torch right now.
A quick note before the list: like any “greatest ever” ranking, this one is a matter of debate among fans and analysts, and different outlets order these names differently depending on how much weight they put on longevity, stats, or championship impact. What follows reflects the players most commonly cited across these rankings.
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Who Is the Best Raptors Player of All Time?
There’s no single, universally agreed-upon answer, but three names dominate the conversation:
- Kyle Lowry is often called the greatest Raptor ever, largely on the strength of his franchise records (most assists, steals, and three-pointers in team history), his leadership during the 2019 championship run, and his enduring popularity with Toronto fans. Interestingly, Lowry didn’t hold the assists record for most of his career — that belonged to Jose Calderon until Lowry finally passed him late in his Raptors tenure.
- DeMar DeRozan is the franchise’s all-time leader in points scored and games played, and is remembered for his loyalty to the team across nearly a decade in Toronto.
- Kawhi Leonard only played one season in Toronto, but it’s arguably the best individual season in franchise history — he averaged over 30 points per game in the playoffs and won Finals MVP en route to the team’s only title.
Most rankings lean toward Lowry or DeRozan for the “greatest ever” title specifically because of their longevity with the franchise, while acknowledging Leonard’s single season was the most dominant on a per-game basis.
Top 15 Best Raptors Players of All Time
- Kyle Lowry — the franchise’s all-time leader in assists, steals, and three-pointers, and a key contributor to the 2019 title. Widely considered the best point guard — and by many rankings, the best player overall — in Raptors history.
- DeMar DeRozan — the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and games-played leader, known for his footwork, mid-range scoring, and near decade-long loyalty to Toronto.
- Vince Carter — the Raptors’ first true superstar, whose highlight-reel dunks (including his legendary 2000 Slam Dunk Contest performance) put the franchise on the map. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
- Kawhi Leonard — spent only one season in Toronto but delivered the best individual playoff run in franchise history, capped by a Finals MVP and the 2019 championship.
- Chris Bosh — the franchise’s all-time leader in rebounds and blocks, and the Raptors’ best player during the mid-2000s, including an MVP-consideration season in 2006-07.
- Pascal Siakam — went from a rotation player to the team’s second-leading scorer during the 2019 title run, won Most Improved Player in 2018-19, and became the franchise’s go-to scorer in the years after Leonard’s departure.
- Fred VanVleet — an undrafted player who became a key sharpshooter and defensive pest during the 2019 championship run, shooting roughly 40% from three-point range in that year’s Finals against Golden State.
- Jonas Valanciunas — the franchise’s all-time leader in rebound percentage and second all-time in total rebounds, known for efficient, physical play at centre across parts of eight seasons in Toronto.
- Damon Stoudamire — the Raptors’ first genuine star, taken seventh overall in the franchise’s inaugural 1995 draft and its first Rookie of the Year, even though his Raptors tenure ended with a trade demand after just two and a half seasons.
- Antonio Davis — an underrated defensive anchor at centre in the early 2000s, still third all-time in franchise rebounds, who helped the Raptors reach the playoffs and their first-ever series win.
- Jose Calderon — an undrafted free agent who became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists (a record Lowry only broke years later) and still holds the franchise record for career free-throw percentage.
- Serge Ibaka — a key frontcourt piece on the 2019 championship team, remembered for his clutch mid-range shooting and defensive presence throughout that title run.
- Charles Oakley — brought veteran toughness and leadership to a young Raptors core in the late 1990s, helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time and still holding the franchise’s single-season defensive rebounding record.
- Amir Johnson — an unheralded but beloved glue guy who bridged the franchise’s rebuilding years and its return to the playoffs, and remains one of its most efficient shooters ever by field-goal percentage.
- Doug Christie — one of the franchise’s original building blocks, still its all-time leader in steals per game, who helped establish the Raptors’ early defensive identity before a breakout career in Sacramento.
Honorable mentions: Morris Peterson (a franchise iron man who once held the team’s career three-point record), Tracy McGrady (a future Hall of Famer who spent his first three NBA seasons developing in Toronto), and Danny Green (a key 2019 championship piece and one of the best single-season three-point shooters in franchise history).
Best Raptors Player Right Now
Heading into the current era, Scottie Barnes is the clear answer to who the best Raptors player is right now. Since being drafted, Barnes has become Toronto’s clearest long-term identity — a versatile forward capable of contributing as a scorer, playmaker, and defender in a way few players on the current roster can match.
There’s a major storyline developing around this question, though: the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers agreed on June 30, 2026 to a trade that would send Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, and multiple future draft picks. As of this writing, the trade remains on hold — the NBA is investigating whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap through a since-bankrupt endorsement company’s deal with Leonard, and the Raptors have paused the move rather than assume the risk of penalties tied to his contract before that investigation concludes. If the trade is finalized, Leonard would immediately re-enter the conversation for best current Raptor, pairing with Barnes to give Toronto arguably its most talented duo since the 2019 championship run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best Raptors player of all time?
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are the two names most frequently cited, based on their franchise records and their roles in the team’s most successful era, with Kawhi Leonard often mentioned for having the single best individual season.
Who are the best Raptors players of all time overall?
Beyond the top few, names like Vince Carter, Chris Bosh, Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Jonas Valanciunas, Jose Calderon, and Serge Ibaka are consistently included on all-time Raptors lists.
Who is the best Raptors player right now?
Scottie Barnes is widely regarded as the Raptors’ best current player. That could change soon, though, depending on the outcome of a pending trade that would bring Kawhi Leonard back to Toronto.
Is Kawhi Leonard being traded back to the Raptors?
A trade sending Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers back to Toronto was agreed to on June 30, 2026, but it’s currently on hold pending the outcome of an NBA investigation into the Clippers’ salary-cap practices involving Leonard’s contract.
Did the Raptors ever win a championship?
Yes — the Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019, led by Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Wrapping Up
Despite being one of the NBA’s younger franchises, the Raptors have built a genuinely deep list of franchise greats — from early pioneers like Damon Stoudamire and Vince Carter, through the DeRozan-Lowry era that turned Toronto into a perennial playoff team, to Kawhi Leonard’s historic championship run in 2019. Scottie Barnes leads the franchise’s current chapter, but with a Leonard reunion trade currently in limbo, this list — and the “best right now” conversation especially — could look very different by the time the 2026-27 season tips off.
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