The Toronto Raptors are one of the youngest franchises in the NBA today, having only been established in 1995. Along with the what was then the Vancouver Grizzlies, the Raptors were part of a two-team expansion by the league, which brought up the total to 30 teams.
While their history may be brief — especially compared to the decades-long tenures of other more established NBA teams — the Raptors have still seen their fair share of great players through the years. Admittedly, the options weren't overwhelming by any means, but we were still able to come up with a pretty formidable list of the best shooting guards in Toronto Raptors history.
3. Tracy McGrady
We start off with 6-foot-8 swingman Tracy McGrady. While he played a lot of small forward with the Raptors, we're going to count McGrady as a shooting guard for this list because he played both spots and played more 2-guard over the course of his career.
After being drafted by the Raptors ninth overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, the former Mount Zion Christian Academy High School standout had a pretty underwhelming first two seasons with the team. McGrady was just 18 when he turned pro, so perhaps he still wasn't ready.
It was in his third and final season in Toronto that McGrady proved why he deserved to be a lottery pick. During the 1999-00 campaign, McGrady averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game. He quickly established himself as one of the fastest rising stars in the league, which is what prompted the Orlando Magic to acquire him in a sign-and-trade the following offseason. Toronto got a future first-round pick in return, which, in hindsight, favored the Magic immensely.
It was after his stint with the Raptors that McGrady became a bona-fide superstar. He became a seven-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA member, and Most Improved Player of the Year winner. He also led the league in scoring twice. McGrady was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
2. DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan arrived in Toronto as the ninth overall pick in 2009. It wasn't long before he would develop a tremendous chemistry with point guard Kyle Lowry, and by the 2013-14 season, this Raptors duo turned this once middling team into a playoff contender. With DeRozan and Lowry at the helm, Toronto made five consecutive postseason appearances, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016.
There was some uproar from the Toronto faithful when the front office decided to trade away the ever-loyal DeRozan in the summer of 2018. Simply put, he was the sacrificial lamb in a pragmatic move initiated by president Masai Ujiri. The Raptors did get Kawhi Leonard in return from the San Antonio Spurs — the man who would famously lead the team to its first championship ever last season — which further adds to DeRozan's countless contributions to the franchise.
In nine seasons with the team, the four-time All-Star averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game.
1. Vince Carter
As far as Raptors greats go, there is probably no one greater than the legend himself, Vince Carter. This makes him an easy pick for Toronto's best shooting guard of all time.
Carter came to be a Raptor thanks to a draft day trade with the Golden State Warriors. The Dubs selected the former UNC standout fifth overall, but quickly shipped him off to Toronto in exchange for Antawn Jamison. Aside from the aforementioned DeReozan-Leonard trade, the Carter deal could very well go down as the best trade the Raptors ever made.
Carter would make an instant impact, winning the coveted Rookie of the Year award. As soon as his second season, Carter was already named to the All-Star squad — his first out of eight total appearances. While mostly known for his insane dunks, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard was also a tremendous all-around scorer. During his third year, Carter averaged a career-high 27.6 points per game as he established himself as one of the best offensive players in the league.
After seven seasons, however, the Raptors decided to let him go (see a trend here?), trading Carter to the New Jersey Nets. His career averages while in Toronto are indeed quite impressive: 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and a block while also knocking down 1.4 triples per game at a 38.3 percent clip.
Carter earlier announced that the 2019-20 season — his 22nd year in the NBA — was going to be his last. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has currently put the season on hold, and we might have seen the last of Carter in the NBA. It was, nonetheless, a memorable moment when the Atlanta Hawks subbed Carter back in upon realizing that it could potentially be the last game for one of the greats. There is no doubt that Toronto will be retiring Carter's No. 15 jersey in the near future.
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