Collin Murray-Boyles quickly established himself as one of the Raptors’ most intriguing and important players. He averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in the playoffs as the Raptors’ third-leading scorer, and made Raptors fans dream of what a Murray-Boyles-Scottie Barnes defensive pairing could accomplish in the coming years. The Raptors took their lottery pick and handily turned it into a valuable asset for a successful regular season and a competitive playoff run.
Now that the season is over, Murray-Boyles is just as valuable in what could be a pivotal offseason—not as a trade asset. Trading Murray-Boyles is not something the Raptors should even consider, unless a superstar who would make them immediate title contenders becomes available and the only way a deal gets done is if Murray-Boyles is included. What makes Murray-Boyles such an offseason asset is his contract.
With Murray-Boyles, the Raptors have a high-level contributor—a building block, even—on a rookie contract. He will make less than $7 million next season, while Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Immanuel, Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Jakob Poeltl will all make between $19 million and $42 million. The importance of having a key contributor on such a cheap contract cannot be understated for a team as expensive as the Raptors.
The Raptors have to use the time they have before Barnes and Murray-Boyles make more money
Barnes is currently the highest-paid player on the Raptors’ roster, making just a smidge more than Brandon Ingram. He will make around $51 million in the 2029-30 season. That’s a large chunk of money, but Barnes could make even more on his next contract if he has a few All-NBA selections on his resume by then.
Building a title contender is difficult in the NBA. You need superstars, but superstars make a ton of money, and that limits your ability to build out the roster around them with capable role players, who could make more money elsewhere. Building a contender around Barnes will be easier while he’s still on his current contract. Murray-Boyles will also be in for a massive pay raise if he continues to build on this season’s success.
That doesn’t mean the Raptors have to tear apart their current roster and take big swings this offseason. There’s no rush and no need to make rash decisions quite yet. It is, however, important to be aware of the opportunity and to know when the situation will get more complicated.
