5 things to know for Toronto Raptors' 2024-25 season

The Toronto Raptors open a new NBA season Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena.

Here are five things to know ahead of the Raptors' home opener:

It's the Raptors' 30th anniversary and the team has plans to celebrate all season, including bringing back their purple jerseys from the mid-1990s. Toronto will also be honouring former players, including Hall of Famer Vince Carter.

He'll be the first-ever player to have his Raptors jersey retired in a ceremony at Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 2.

The Raptors lacked depth to start last season with essentially one player coming off the bench — shooting guard Gary Trent Jr.— with then-rookie swingman Gradey Dick sometimes rotating in as well. That short bench was evident with a -4.4 net rating over the season, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for third worst in the NBA.

Net rating is an advanced stat that indicates how much better or worse a team performs on a per-possession basis.

However, a series of trades and four draft picks remade the roster and greatly improved Toronto's depth.

Point guard Davion Mitchell, power forward Ochai Agbaji and centre Chris Boucher of Montreal will lead the reserves to start the season. All three have serious NBA experience, averaging more than 17 minutes per game in their careers. They'll be joined on the second unit by centre Kelly Olynyk (back) of Kamloops, B.C., and small forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery) once they're healthy for a robust veteran bench that can handle big minutes.

Ja'Kobe Walter, Toronto's 19th overall pick in this past summer's draft, will presumably be Dick's backup at the two-guard once he's recovered from a sprained shoulder.

Walter was the highest of Toronto's four