"In the 2024-25 campaign, Agbaji, who looked far from stellar in his intro Raptors season, dedicated himself to improving his shooting and became one of Toronto's key role players. NBA teams often dream of having players who can defend the perimeter, cut to the rim for explosive finishes, and, of course, his incredible three-point improvement served as a main highlight in Raptors discussion circles."
"For all those reasons, Agbaji built a strong case for getting paid before the October 2025 deadline for his rookie scale contract. I envisioned his market value falling around the $10 million range, maybe even pushing close to $15 million, if the Raptors could afford to be extra generous. That seemed more than fair for a guy who worked incredibly hard to become a key contributor for Toronto."
"However, the Raptors and the former 2022 lottery pick couldn't reach an agreement. As a result, Agbaji entered the 2025-26 season with his $6.3 million expiring contract. I had quite a few questions about Agbaji going into this year. I believed his skill set could still be valuable for Toronto, even with their latest rotation additions that would likely cut into his minutes."
Ochai Agbaji improved his shooting dramatically during the 2024–25 season, developed perimeter defense, and became a key role player able to cut to the rim and finish explosively. The improvement created a case for a rookie-scale extension potentially in the $10–15 million range, but contract talks failed and Agbaji entered 2025–26 on a $6.3 million expiring deal. Rotational additions reduced his minutes at times and he moved toward DNP status as other players emerged. Ongoing team injuries and coach Darko Rajakovic’s favorable view have periodically kept Agbaji in the rotation, leaving his future uncertain.
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