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The Six Report · By the numbers

Six Numbers That Define Toronto Before the Bulls Arrive

A top-five defense, a bottom-half offense and a payroll over the tax line frame the Raptors' opener.

Kawhi LeonardLast season: 65 gp, 27.9 pts, 6.4 reb, 3.6 ast, 38.7 3P%
By the Raptors Nightly Desk · Monday, October 19

Toronto opens the 2026-27 season Wednesday against the Bulls at 0-0, with Kawhi Leonard back and a roster trimmed to its final shape. Six figures explain what this team is and what it still has to prove.

Kawhi Leonard of the Raptors
Kawhi Leonard. Photo: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela J. Watts, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Two Ends, One Gap

Last season the Raptors went 46-36 with a 115.0 offensive rating and a 112.1 defensive rating, a net of 2.9. The defense ranked fifth in the league; the offense ranked 14th. That gap is the shape of this team. It does not say the offense will stay average, because the roster has changed since then. Raptors HQ asked Monday whether Toronto has enough shooting to contend, and the individual figures show why. Scottie Barnes shot 30.4 percent from three last season and RJ Barrett 33.9. Leonard hit 38.7 and Immanuel Quickley 37.4.

The Workload Question

Leonard scored 27.9 points in 32.1 minutes across 65 games last season, the best scoring line on the roster by more than eight points. Barnes played 80 games at 33.5 minutes, the heaviest load among regulars. Those numbers describe a core that can carry minutes. They do not show how Toronto will manage a 35-year-old star over a full schedule. Leonard was listed day-to-day for rest on October 16 and cleared the next day, which fits a team that has no reason to hurry in October.

The Price of the Core

Payroll stands at $202.5 million against a tax line of $200.4 million, a margin of about $2.1 million. Leonard at $50.3 million, Barnes at $41.8 million, Quickley at $32.5 million and Barrett at $29.6 million make up the top of the sheet. Poeltl follows at $19.5 million on a player option. Being over the line is a fact about this roster today. It does not mean the front office has chosen to stay there. The 2027 first-round swap and the picks Toronto holds from 2028 through 2030 are the other assets on the books. The Bulls come first, on Wednesday, then the Wizards on Friday.

How much is the Raptors' payroll for 2026-27?

Toronto's payroll is $202.5 million, about $2.1 million above the $200.4 million luxury tax line. Kawhi Leonard is the highest-paid player at $50.3 million.

When do the Raptors open the 2026-27 season?

Toronto opens Wednesday, October 21, at home against the Bulls. The Raptors then visit the Wizards on October 23.

By the Raptors Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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