Mete Makarnaci

Mete Makarnaci connects league-level decisions, awards and high-profile Raptors storylines into direct, data-led coverage of the team for Raptors Republic. He writes regularly on Toronto Raptors news, game previews and longer analytical features, building arguments from specific votes, contracts and performances rather than broad narratives. His byline appears on more than 150 pieces for the masthead, making him one of its more prolific voices on the Raptors beat.

Awards and voting detail for Raptors

Makarnaci’s work on NBA awards voting stands out for its granular accounting of how ballots break down for Raptors players and staff. In “Which Raptors received votes for the NBA Awards?”, he goes category by category through the 2025–26 regular season awards, listing how many first-, second- and third-place votes Scottie Barnes received for Defensive Player of the Year, All-Defensive teams and All-NBA, and doing the same for Collin Murray-Boyles, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Brandon Ingram and head coach Darko Rajakovic. The piece tracks not just whether Raptors appear in the results but where they land on each ballot, highlighting depth of support and distinguishing between first-team and second-team recognition. His framing shows an interest in how external evaluations from national media shape the perception of Raptors players, using vote totals and team placements as evidence rather than anecdotes.

This kind of structured, numbers-forward breakdown is a recurring element of his coverage when awards or league decisions intersect with the Raptors.

Kawhi Leonard, major moves and organizational stakes

Makarnaci spends significant time on the continuing Kawhi Leonard saga and its implications for the Raptors’ roster and competitive window. In his report on Leonard’s investigations nearing their end, he treats the off-court process as a storyline with direct consequences for the franchise, charting how the conclusion of those investigations clears the way for the next phase of Leonard’s time with the team. His later piece asking whether Kawhi is “worth all this hullabaloo” starts from the details of the trade that brought Leonard back from the Los Angeles Clippers - Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, multiple first-round picks, a pick swap and second-rounders - and uses that package to examine the cost of reacquiring a star whose presence reshapes expectations.

He places that discussion in the context of the short answer being an emphatic yes, leaving little doubt about his stance while grounding it in the assets surrendered and Leonard’s projected impact.

His work also follows contract momentum, including coverage of reports that the Raptors and Leonard are closing in on a two-year, high-value extension to keep the All-Star in Toronto through 2029, which he treats as another lever that will define the team’s competitive timeline. Across these pieces, he links investigative outcomes, trade terms and contract structures into a single arc about what committing to Leonard means for the organization.

Game coverage, previews and season outlooks

Beyond off-court moves, Makarnaci writes standard game and schedule coverage with a strong sense of where each contest sits in the larger season story. His gameday preview for Raptors at Hornets on November 29 frames the matchup around the team heading out after a four-game homestand, suggesting a focus on rhythm, travel and situational context rather than just the opponent.

In the Tri-Table on the Raptors’ 2025–26 season, he takes a more expansive view, projecting that the team will flip a 32–50 record into a 50–32 campaign and push into the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference.

He argues that with Brandon Ingram in the mix and the Raptors rounding into form, they have an edge over an emerging Orlando group in the battle for that fourth spot, tying his prediction to specific roster changes and the evolution of conference competition. The same piece highlights his aversion to cautious framing - he explicitly rejects cautious optimism, backing a confident forecast of a clear step forward and a second-round ceiling as part of a return to relevance.

His season outlook writing therefore combines schedule awareness, roster analysis and assertive predictions, using concrete records and seed ranges rather than vague expectations.

Player development, coaching and day-to-day team narrative

Makarnaci also follows individual player trajectories and coaching narratives that feed into the Raptors’ long-term picture.

His work on Ochai Agbaji focuses on how the wing’s leap in the 2024–25 season revealed his ceiling in Toronto, using on-court improvement to argue for a higher long-term role and value within the team. Headlines referenced on his author page show him tracking Scottie Barnes’ recognition, such as Player of the Week honors, as well as injury updates for Brandon Ingram and other Raptors, indicating regular attention to form, health and short-term availability.

He extends that focus to the bench and the sideline, as in his piece on Darko Rajakovic heading into a season of expectations, which places the coach at the center of the narrative about how the team responds to heightened pressure. Together, these themes paint a picture of a writer who treats performances, injuries, accolades and coaching decisions as interconnected threads, using them to explain where the Raptors are on their development curve at any given moment. His tone in multi-writer formats is described by colleagues as “tell-it-how-it-is,” matching the direct, no-nonsense style seen in his predictions and player assessments.