{"id":27472,"date":"2026-05-01T09:43:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/27472\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:43:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T09:43:49","slug":"5-players-who-could-be-playing-their-last-game-in-a-toronto-raptors-uniform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/27472\/","title":{"rendered":"5 players who could be playing their last game in a Toronto Raptors uniform"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Toronto Raptors are on the brink of playoff elimination, trailing 3-2 in a best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.<\/p>\n

While many NBA writers and analysts didn\u2019t give Toronto much of a chance<\/a>, they’ve fought hard to keep the series competitive.<\/p>\n

Now, with their backs against the wall heading into Friday’s pivotal Game 6, several players on expiring deals could be playing their final game in a Raptors uniform.<\/p>\n

1. Jamal Shead<\/p>\n

\"raptors<\/p>\n

Gregory Fisher\/Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Raptors’ young core has shown up in these playoffs, and Shead has been leading the charge. With starting point guard Immanuel Quickley sidelined with a hamstring injury, Shead has stepped up in a larger bench role.<\/p>\n

He’s played more than 25 minutes in each of the five playoff games and scored a postseason career-high 18 points in the Game 5 loss. His biggest moment came in Game 4, when he forced an eight-second violation<\/a> with less than 40 seconds remaining, swinging the momentum Toronto’s way.<\/p>\n

The Raptors hold a club option on the final year of Shead’s deal, but based on his play, it would be a surprise if it isn’t exercised.<\/p>\n

2. Sandro Mamukelashvili<\/p>\n

\"sandro<\/p>\n

David Richard\/Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Sandro Mamukelashvili, or “Mamu,” as fans call him, has been a versatile piece off the bench this season and in the playoffs. The 6-foot-9 forward can defend multiple positions and has been effective from beyond the arc, shooting nearly 39 per cent.<\/p>\n

The Raptors signed the 26-year-old to a two-year, $5.2 million deal last offseason. He holds a player option for the 2026-27 season.<\/p>\n

Whether Mamukelashvili opts in or tests free agency will be one of the more interesting decisions this offseason. He’s coming off the best season of his career, finishing 10th in Sixth Man of the Year voting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Jonathan Mogbo<\/p>\n

\"raptors<\/p>\n

Reggie Hildred\/Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Jonathan Mogbo hasn’t seen the floor as much this season as he did as a rookie, but the Raptors hold a $2.3 million club option on the final year of his deal.<\/p>\n

The 24-year-old averaged 1.5 points in six minutes per game this season.<\/p>\n

He’s a versatile big man who can guard multiple positions, but the addition of Collin Murray-Boyles has limited his role in the rotation.<\/p>\n

4. AJ Lawson<\/p>\n

\"raptors<\/p>\n

John E. Sokolowski\/Imagn Images<\/p>\n

AJ Lawson is one of two Canadian players on the Raptors roster<\/a>, alongside RJ Barrett. The Brampton native spent much of the 2025-26 season as a two-way player, moving between the Raptors and Raptors 905.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, the Raptors front office converted Lawson’s two-way contract into a standard NBA deal, meaning he now earns the league minimum for the remainder of the season and playoffs.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old has appeared in every playoff game so far, contributing off the bench. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.<\/p>\n

5. Garrett Temple<\/p>\n

\"nba<\/p>\n

Jim Rassol\/Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Garrett Temple has been a veteran leader for the Raptors since signing with the team in 2023. He’s become a fan favourite and a mentor to the team’s young core, including Scottie Barnes.<\/p>\n

The 39-year-old, who has played more than 16 seasons in the NBA, is set to become an unrestricted free agent once the playoffs end.<\/p>\n

While Temple hasn’t indicated whether he plans to retire, this could mark the end of his playing career. He could also return on a one-year deal or a transition into a coaching or advisory role with the team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Toronto Raptors are on the brink of playoff elimination, trailing 3-2 in a best-of-seven series against the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27473,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[13100,2434,1394,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-27472","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto","8":"tag-agents","9":"tag-free","10":"tag-raptors","11":"tag-toronto"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}