The Toronto Raptors may no longer be competing in the playoffs, but their influence around the NBA remains everywhere.
As the NBA Finals approach, several former Raptors are once again playing major roles on contending teams. From OG Anunoby helping lead the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, to Pascal Siakam elevating the Indiana Pacers into one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams in two of the last three seasons, Toronto’s developmental impact is impossible to ignore.
Seven years after the 2019 championship run, the Raptors continue producing players capable of impacting winning basketball at the highest level. That says a lot about the culture Toronto built during its most successful era.
Former Raptors’ Success Shows Toronto’s Development System Still Works
OG Anunoby Became Exactly What New York Needed
No former Raptor has made a bigger playoff impact this year than Anunoby.
Since arriving in New York, Anunoby has completely transformed the Knicks defensively. His perimeter defense, physicality and versatility have become central to New York’s identity during this Finals run.
But offensively, he has continued evolving too.
Throughout the playoffs, Anunoby consistently knocked down timely threes, attacked closeouts aggressively, and provided secondary scoring next to Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. He also continued shooting efficiently from 3-point range throughout the postseason, with some stretches placing him among the league’s hottest playoff shooters.
That two-way impact is exactly why Toronto valued him so highly for years.
The Raptors developed Anunoby into one of the NBA’s elite role players, and now the Knicks are benefiting from that growth on the league’s biggest stage.
For Raptors fans, seeing Anunoby succeed in deep playoff runs feels familiar. During Toronto’s championship era, he was viewed as one of the franchise’s most important long-term pieces because of his unique defensive versatility and steady offensive growth. Years later, those same qualities are helping another contender compete for a title.
Pascal Siakam Continued Proving Toronto Developed a Star
Even though Indiana did not make the playoffs this year, Siakam’s impact with the Pacers continues reinforcing how important Toronto’s development system was during the last decade.
Since arriving in Indiana, Siakam has helped stabilize the Pacers offensively with his transition scoring, playoff experience, and versatility. His strong playoff run last season, where he helped lead Indiana to the Finals while winning Eastern Conference Finals MVP, showed once again how valuable he becomes in winning environments.
That playoff success feels familiar for Raptors fans.
Toronto already saw Siakam thrive under postseason pressure during its 2019 title run, especially because of his ability to impact games in multiple ways offensively while defending across several positions.
Now he continues doing that as a veteran leader for another contender-level team.
Kyle Lowry Added to His Legacy
Even late in his career, Kyle Lowry continued finding ways to impact winning basketball.
Lowry helped lead the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals in 2023, adding another deep postseason run to one of the best careers in Raptors history. While his role evolved significantly compared to his Toronto prime, his leadership, toughness and playoff experience still mattered for Miami.
That should not surprise anyone familiar with the Raptors’ history.
Lowry’s leadership helped establish the winning culture Toronto eventually became known for throughout the league. Even after leaving the Raptors, that same mentality continued translating to playoff success elsewhere.
It is partially why many Raptors fans still hope Lowry eventually retires in Toronto.
Danny Green’s Winning Resume Still Stands Out
Danny Green may have retired in 2024, but his post-Raptors career still deserves recognition in conversations about Toronto’s championship core.
After helping the Raptors win the 2019 NBA Finals, Green immediately won another title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
That success reinforced how valuable experienced two-way role players from Toronto’s championship team truly were. Green’s shooting, perimeter defense and playoff composure consistently translated to winning environments.
Toronto’s Development System Still Deserves Credit
One of the biggest takeaways from seeing former Raptors thrive across the league is how consistently Toronto developed winning players during the last decade.
The Raptors repeatedly identified undervalued talent, developed role players into major contributors, and built a culture centered around defense, versatility and professionalism. That reputation still matters today.
Toronto’s current young core reflects many of those same developmental strengths. Scottie Barnes has continued to evolve into one of the NBA’s best two-way players, while younger pieces like RJ Barrett, Ja’Kobe Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles all made significant progress this season.
Toronto’s player development pipeline remains one of the organization’s biggest strengths.
The Last Word
Years after the Raptors’ championship run, Toronto’s fingerprints remain all over recent playoff history.
Anunoby is now helping lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals. Siakam continues thriving as a veteran star in Indiana. Lowry added another Finals appearance to his résumé with Miami. And Green won another championship immediately after leaving Toronto.
The Raptors may not currently be competing for a title themselves, but the success of former Raptors proves that Toronto built players who exhibit a winning pedigree.
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