NBA Tuesday is back this week with a look at the only Canadian team in the league: the Toronto Raptors. They joined the league as an expansion franchise, of course, in 1995, and the history of players who have suited up for the franchise is … interesting, for sure. We were surprised to see a former student of ours from the collegiate-instruction days of our past lives showing up on this list, too, but we can’t say who, of course.

No. 10: Morris Peterson, SG/SF—30.5 WS (2001-2007)

The No. 21 overall pick in the draft, he made the All-Rookie team in his first season but was never close to being an All-Star player. He started 364 of the 542 regular-season games he played with Toronto, averaging 12.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, and 1.0 spg. He also started 10 of 19 postseason contests while with the Raptors, adding a mere 6.8 ppg to the equation. It wasn’t a strong era for the franchise, but he still underperformed, really.

No. 9: Fred VanVleet, PG/SG—32.5 WS (2016-2023)

Despite an impressive college career, he went undrafted but blossomed into an All Star with the Raptors (2022). In 417 regular-season games with the team, he contributed 14.6 ppg, 5.3 apg, 3.3 rpg, and 1.3 spg. Come postseason (52 games), he tossed in 10.0 ppg and 3.5 apg, which don’t do his contributions justice, we believe. After all, he was a key element to the team’s 2019 NBA championship. He will remain a local legend.

No. 8: Amir Johnson, PF—32.8 WS (2009-2015)

Never an All Star, he spent the middle part of his career with the Raptors after being drafted No. 56 overall by Detroit in the 2005 Draft. His best season (2012-2013) produced 7.3 WS for Toronto, despite his 8.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 1.1 bpg in 451 regular-season games with the team. He also played in just 11 playoff contests for the organization, throwing in 11.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg there. Respectable, but the teams he was on weren’t good.

No. 7: José Calderón, PG/SG—41.5 WS (2005-2013)

Undrafted and never an All Star, he nonetheless topped the NBA in free-throw percentage once (2009) and 3-point percentage once (2013), as well. Not a bad effort, really, especially on some bad teams. In 7-plus seasons with the franchise, he averaged 10.0 ppg and 7.2 apg, proving himself to be a pretty decent distributor. In just 11 playoff games, too, he added 12.5 ppg and 6.1 apg. There seems to be a theme here.

No. 6: Jonas Valančiūnas, C—43.8 WS (2012-2019)

He was the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, but the team traded him away right before the playoff run to the 2019 title. He never made an All-Star team, although with 11.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 1.0 bpg, he was a serviceable piece in the middle for a long time. In 43 postseason contests, he was pretty good, too: 12.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 1.0 bpg. Makes you wonder why they did trade him away, but you can’t argue with the end results there.

No. 5: Pascal Siakam, PF—44.0 WS (2016-2024)

The breakout performer of those 2019 playoffs, he was traded away midseason this last year after a lot of time with the Raptors, who grabbed him No. 27 overall in the 2016 Draft. He was an All Star in 2020 and 2023, as well, topping the NBA in minutes played twice (2022, 2023), too. His regular-season numbers (17.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 3.6 apg) and playoff stats (15.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.9 apg) show his overall game and its value here.

No. 4: Vince Carter, SG/SF—47.7 WS (1998-2004)

In a career that spanned 22 years, he spent the first 6-plus seasons with the Raptors, making 6 straight All-Star teams (2000-2005) and winning the ROTY nod in 1999, too. His overall numbers with Toronto are pretty good (23.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.0 bpg), as he was a human highlight reel, basically. Sadly, he only played in 15 playoff games, however, and the team could never build enough around him to keep him.

No. 3: DeMar DeRozan, SG—54.0 WS (2009-2018)

Despite being a 4-time All Star (2014, 2016-2018), the Raptors traded him away right before their championship season, after he was the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. In 9 seasons with Toronto, he averaged 19.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, and 1.0 spg. In 51 postseason games, all starts, he added 21.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, and 1.1 spg. It’s a shame he put in all that time with the franchise only to be shipped out in untimely fashion.

No. 2: Chris Bosh, C/PF—61.8 WS (2003-2010)

He was the No. 4 overall pick and made 5 straight All-Star teams with the team (2006-2010) before leaving for another franchise with brighter prospects. In 7 seasons with Toronto, he put up 20.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, and 1.2 bpg. However, he only saw the floor for 11 postseason games in a Raptors uniform (20.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.2 bpg). He certainly gave it all for as long as he could in a futile situation; we can’t blame him.

No. 1: Kyle Lowry, PG—74.5 WS (2012-2021)

One of the leaders for the 2019 title team, he joined the organization after 6 seasons with 2 other teams. The former first rounder then proceeded to make 6 consecutive All-Star teams (2015-2020) with the Raptors. In 9 seasons overall north of the border, he averaged 17.5 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.9 rpg, and 1.5 spg. In the playoffs (84 games, all starts), he contributed 17. 1ppg, 6.3 apg, 4.8 rpg, and 1.4 spg. He was a stellar all-around player.