The 2024/25 NBA season is officially in the books for the Toronto Raptors. The final press conference occurred today, and we got major news on injuries for several key Raptors.
Scottie Barnes had shown discomfort in his hand over the last couple of games, and he struggled to the finish line before making a good final impression in the last regular-season game against the San Antonio Spurs. Now that the season’s over, he’s expecting his hand to heal over time, and he should be ready for a healthy offseason.
One of the newest Raptors, whose debut is building with anticipation, is Brandon Ingram. The former New Orleans Pelican was acquired at the trade deadline and failed to make an appearance for Toronto as he came into town with an ankle injury sustained in New Orleans. He’s reacting well to his latest PRP injection and will be reevaluated in May.
Gradey Dick also had his up and down sophmore season cut short in early March when he picked up a knee injury in a game against the Orlando Magic. He made his last appearance on March 2 and was later shut down for the rest of the season. He is also to be reevaluated in May.
Jakob Poeltl was in and out of the starting lineup during the last stretch of the season and is just dealing with a hand contusion, which just needs time.
Ja’Kobe Walter also had a very up-and-down rookie season, but he was able to end on a strong note with an impressive 48 percent shooting beyond the arc during his last ten games. He was last on the court just over a week ago during the showdown with the Brooklyn Nets on April 6. He picked up a hip flexor strain that cut his season a few games short. His injury isn’t major and just needs time, as is the case for a lot of the players. A.J. Lawson also had a hip strain but was able to play through it, as we saw him on the court during the finale.
Garrett Temple unfortunately picked up an MCL sprain against the Spurs yesterday over one minute of action, and we don’t have a timetable for him yet due to how recent the injury was. A situation worth monitoring is whether Toronto will look to re-sign the 38-year-old veteran as he heads into the 2025/26 season as a free agent.
The last big injury on the list is Ulrich Chomche, as the rookie big man tore his MCL mid-February in a contest against the Philadelphia 76ers. His progression is going well as he’s started to ramp up and is expected to be ready for the Summer League.
