How life after Toronto has fared for former Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2021–22 season, a clear sign that the franchise has moved out of its recent transition and into a more defined direction. With that step forward comes an opportunity to look back as well, specifically at the players who have moved on over the past few years and how they’ve fared in new environments across the league.
Davion Mitchell – Miami Heat
Davion Mitchell played just 44 games as a member of the Toronto Raptors during the 2024-25 season before Toronto decided to deal him to the Miami Heat for a second-round pick. At the time, the deal made sense. Mitchell was set to become a restricted free agent last offseason, and the Raps did not want him to walk away and leave them empty-handed. The Raptors also had Jamal Shead on the roster and felt like he would be better suited for the backup role.
The deal for Miami made sense, as they lacked depth at point guard and felt Mitchell was the right man for the job, especially given his friendly contract. After closing out the rest of the year strong with the Heat, they rewarded him by re-signing Mitchell to a two-year, $24 million contract on June 28 2This move followed the team extending a $8.7 million qualifying offer to him on June 24, 2025
This season, Mitchell has been an extremely reliable option for a team that has dealt with their fair share of injuries. He has played and started in all 70 games for the Heat. In the four years prior to this season, Mitchell had started just 69 games in his career. He just threw 28 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals at the Charlotte Hornets in the play-in.
Through 70 regular-season games with the Heat, Mitchell has averaged respectable numbers of 9.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and a career-high 6.5 assists per game. He also had a great season shooting beyond the arc, knocking down 39.5 percent of his shots from three on over three attempts per game. Those numbers even earned him a two-year, $24 million contract. While the Heat are likely happier than the Raptors with the deal, Toronto’s logic certainly made sense at the time.
Kelly Olynyk – San Antonio Spurs
A big part of Toronto’s success this season has been due to acquiring Brandon Ingram. Well, in order to bring him over to the North, the Raps at last year’s deadline had to deal away Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, a first-round pick and a second-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans.
At the time Toronto traded for him, Olynyk had his dream come true. The Lunch Lady grew up in Canada and, as a child, always rooted for the Raptors. However, since being dealt away, things have not gone so smoothly for the big man.
After just lacing up for 20 games as a member of the Pels, Olynyk was traded twice in the span of one offseason, where he eventually wound up on the San Antonio Spurs. Unfortunately for Olynyk, the Spurs also signed Luke Kornet to back up their franchise face, Victor Wembanyama. That move put Olynyk’s job in jeopardy, as now he is seen as a fringe rotational depth piece.
He has only played 42 games this season, averaging just 8.6 minutes of action. Even when he has been given rare playing opportunities, he has struggled immensely on the field. He is averaging just 3.2 points on 1.8 boards. What’s worse is that he has struggled in the department where he’s most valuable. Since joining the league in the 2013-14 season, Olynyk has been a steady shooter from beyond the arc, knocking down just under 37 percent of his shots from deep. This season, that number has plummeted, as he is shooting a career-low 25.5 percent from outside.
For Olynyk, he still has the opportunity to show that he has some good left in the tank. He has been around the league for over a decade and has a lot of experience under his belt, especially in playoff atmospheres. For a very young Spurs team heading back to the playoffs for just the first time since the 2018-19 season, they could maybe use some of that experience to their advantage.
Bruce Brown – Denver Nuggets
Bruce Brown was another former Raptor involved in the trade that brought Brandon Ingram to Toronto from the New Orleans Pelicans. Like Olynyk, Brown’s tenure with the Pelicans was also short-lived. After playing just 23 games with the New Orleans Pelicans, Brown decided to bring his talents back to the Denver Nuggets the following offseason.
He agreed to a one-year deal to return to the team where he was a vital member on the Nuggets’ 2023 championship team. Since departing from Denver, neither side had been able to rekindle some of the magic and success that they had together. The Nuggets have failed to make it to the championship the last two seasons, and Brown has dealt with his fair share of injuries.
Now with Brown back and the Nuggets slotted as the fourth seed in the postseason, Denver will finally see what their team would look like if it had run it back with Brown in the first place. He has been a key piece for a Denver team that has struggled with health this season.
At times, availability is the best ability, and this season, Brown has played all 82 games for the Nuggets while averaging 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. On top of that, he is having his second-best shooting performance of his career from beyond the arc, knocking down 38.8 percent of his threes.
Chris Boucher – Free agent
Fan favourite Canadian Chris Boucher signed with the Boston Celtics last offseason after spending seven seasons as a member of the Raptors. He did not get much of an opportunity with the Celtics, as he suited up for only 9 games before being dealt to the Utah Jazz, where he was eventually waived. Unfortunately for Boucher, he ended the season as a free agent after no team took a flyer on him. Through those nine games, he averaged just 2.3 points and 2 rebounds.
As the Toronto Raptors turn their focus toward the postseason, these stories serve as a reminder that a team’s journey isn’t just defined by who stays, but also by who leaves. Some former Raptors have found larger roles, others have faded into the background, but each path reflects a different outcome of the franchise’s recent decisions. Now, with playoff basketball back in Toronto, the organization has a chance to prove that the direction it chose was the right one.
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