The Toronto Raptors have quietly and methodically transformed themselves into one of the most exciting, fast-rising powerhouses in the Eastern Conference. Yet, despite building an elite young core and returning to the competitive postseason trenches, the franchise has suffered a glaring drought in major individual accolades. Not since the electrifying Scottie Barnes took home the league’s coveted Rookie of the Year crown back during the 2021-22 campaign has a Raptor stood on the podium to collect major league-wide hardware.
That narrative is on the verge of a dramatic shift. As the 2026/27 NBA season approaches, the Toronto roster is loaded with elite talent, tactical brilliance, and breakout candidates capable of capturing league-wide honors. According to insights shared by Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Brener, three specific figures stand out as legitimate front-runners to sweep the awards ballot this year.
1. Darko Rajaković: The Mastermind for Coach of the Year
Entering his fourth season at the helm in Toronto, head coach Darko Rajaković has steadily engineered a culture of relentless development, tactical innovation, and competitive fire. His exceptional leadership did not go unnoticed last year; Rajaković earned a well-deserved contract extension and finished as a dark-horse candidate for Coach of the Year, securing crucial third-place votes in a race ultimately claimed by Boston Celtics boss Joe Mazzulla.
The formula for capturing the Coach of the Year award is remarkably straightforward in the modern NBA: win basketball games and exceed all external expectations. As long as Rajaković continues to maximize the output of a versatile, deeply talented roster and pushes Toronto toward the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference standings, the mastermind on the sidelines will deservingly command serious, front-runner consideration for the league’s highest coaching honor.
2. Collin Murray-Boyles: The Explosive Spark for Sixth Man of the Year
Every elite contender requires a high-energy game-changer off the bench, and the Raptors may have unearthed an absolute gem in Collin Murray-Boyles. Entering just his second professional campaign, the explosive forward is primed to build upon an incredibly promising rookie year that culminated in a stellar postseason run.
While Murray-Boyles contributed a solid 8.5 points per game during the regular season, he truly exploded when the bright lights turned on in the playoffs, stepping up to average a phenomenal 14.4 points per contest against elite competition. That fearless postseason emergence proved to the organization that they possess a foundational building block in their arsenal.
At just 21 years old, CMB’s dynamic ability to operate seamlessly as either a bruising power factor or a hyper-mobile small-ball center guarantees him consistent, high-impact minutes. If he can bottle that playoff magic and sustain it across an 82-game schedule, he will immediately vault himself into the conversation for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
3. Scottie Barnes: Locking Down the Defensive Player of the Year Crown
The defensive anchor of the franchise, Scottie Barnes has steadily evolved into one of the most versatile, terrifying perimeter and paint defenders in the entire association. That reputation was cemented this past season when Barnes finished a brilliant fifth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting, trailing only elite defensive titans like Rudy Gobert, Ausar Thompson, Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama.
To capture the ultimate defensive award, Barnes requires one final ingredient: team success. The elite defenders who routinely finish at the very top of the voting—such as Wembanyama and Holmgren—benefit immensely from anchoring teams that occupy the top two seeds in their respective conferences. If Barnes and his defensive-minded Raptors teammates can successfully make the collective leap from a mid-tier playoff squad into an elite powerhouse in the East, Barnes’ lockdown brilliance will be impossible for voters to ignore.
As a new era of basketball tips off north of the border, the Toronto Raptors are no longer just sneaking up on opponents—they are preparing to take over the league, with individual hardware serving as the ultimate cherry on top.
