10 Best Toronto Raptors Players In Franchise History

By Duncan Smith

10 Best Toronto Raptors Players In Franchise History

Vince Carter — The Toronto Raptors are a franchise on the rise. Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances, the Raptors are expected to make it three straight this year and challenge for the Atlantic Division title once again. Toronto's future is bright, but this is a look into the past to discuss the 10 best players to suit up for the franchise.

10. Jose Calderon

Jose Calderon

10. Jose Calderon

Jose Calderon — Jose Calderon didn't come to the NBA until he was 24, beginning his professional basketball career in his native Spain. By the end of his Raptors career, he was the second longest tenured player in team history and longest tenured point guard, playing 525 games with Toronto. He averaged 10 points and 7.2 assists per game in his eight years with the Raptors. He now plays for the New York Knicks.

9. Andrea Bargnani

Andrea Bargnani

9. Andrea Bargnani

Andrea Bargnani — Andrea Bargnani was the No. 1 overall draft pick for the Raptors in 2006. Bargnani played 433 games in Toronto, averaging 15.2 points and collecting 4.8 rebounds per game. He also shot 43.7 percent from the floor and 35.6 percent from three-point range while with the team. His career has been marred by injury since the 2010-11 season, causing him to miss a number of games, and he now plays for the New York Knicks.

8. Antonio Davis

Antonio Davis

8. Antonio Davis

Antonio Davis — Antonio Davis was a late second-round pick who made good, and he went on to play 12 years in the NBA. He played for the Indiana Pacers, the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, but his best years were in Toronto. He played with the Raptors from 1999-2000 until 2003-04 and returned to Toronto to end his career in 2005-06. He was an All-Star in 2001, and he averaged 12.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game with the Raptors.

7. Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady

7. Tracy McGrady

Tracy McGrady — Most of the names on this list are notable for what they did in a Raptors uniform, but Tracy McGrady was notable for what he did after he moved on from his three years in Toronto. His best season with the Raptors was 1999-2000 when he put up 15.4 points per game, but after leaving the Raptors he blossomed quickly into a superstar with the Orlando Magic. He averaged 28.1 points per game in his four seasons with the Magic.

6. DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan

6. DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan — DeMar DeRozan has been a Raptor for the entirety of his six-year NBA career, playing 443 games in Toronto. DeRozan has averaged 17.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Raptors. His best season was in 2013-14, when he scored 22.7 points per game and added 4.3 rebounds and four assists per game. He was the Raptors' No. 9 overall draft pick in 2009 and was named an All-Star in 2014.

5. Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry

5. Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry — Kyle Lowry was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2006, and the Toronto Raptors acquired him via trade with the Houston Rockets in 2012. Lowry's best years by far have been his three years with the Raptors. He has averaged 15.9 points, 6.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in Toronto. He was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team in 2015, which was his first All-Star appearance.

4. Damon Stoudamire

Damon Stoudamire

4. Damon Stoudamire

Damon Stoudamire — Damon Stoudamire was the very first Raptor. He was the No. 7 overall draft pick of the Toronto Raptors in 1995, their inaugural season. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1996, averaging 19 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and was named to the All-Rookie First Team. He played his first three NBA seasons with the Raptors, averaging 19.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and a team record 8.8 assists per game.

3. Morris Peterson

Morris Peterson

3. Morris Peterson

Morris Peterson — Morris Peterson was drafted out of Michigan State by the Toronto Raptors in 2000 and played his first seven seasons with the team. Four years in a row, between 2002-03 and 2005-06, he played all 82 games. He was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2001 and played a franchise record 542 games with the Raptors, averaging 12 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

2. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh

2. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh — Chris Bosh was the greatest big man in the history of the Toronto Raptors. He played seven seasons for the team, averaging 20.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor. He has been an All-Star every season from 2006 on, with a total of 10 appearances thus far, and is the Raptors' all-time leading scorer. Bosh left Toronto in 2010 and has since won two NBA championships with the Miami Heat.

1. Vince Carter

Vince Carter

1. Vince Carter

Vince Carter — Vince Carter brought Vinsanity to Toronto. Carter was the most exciting player in the franchise's history, the most prolific scorer and he put Toronto basketball on the map. In Carter's seven seasons in Toronto, he averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year and won the 2000 Slam Dunk competition in legendary fashion. He was an eight-time NBA All-Star, four of which were with the Raptors.

Duncan Smith is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @d_smith77, or “Like” him on Facebook.

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