Roster
| No. | Player | Pos | Ht | Wt | Birth Date | Exp | College |
| 11 | Rafer Alston | PG | 6-2 | 171 | July 24, 1976 | 5 | California State University, Fresno |
| 55 | Rafael Araujo | C | 6-11 | 280 | August 12, 1980 | R | Brigham Young University |
| 16 | Matt Bonner | C | 6-10 | 240 | April 5, 1980 | R | University of Florida |
| 4 | Chris Bosh | PF | 6-10 | 228 | March 24, 1984 | 1 | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 15 | Vince Carter | SG | 6-6 | 215 | January 26, 1977 | 6 | University of North Carolina |
| 1 | Omar Cook | PG | 6-1 | 190 | January 28, 1982 | 1 | St. John’s University |
| 42 | Donyell Marshall | PF | 6-9 | 218 | May 18, 1973 | 10 | University of Connecticut |
| 6 | Jerome Moiso | C | 6-10 | 235 | June 15, 1978 | 4 | University of California, Los Angeles |
| 21 | Lamond Murray | SF | 6-7 | 236 | April 20, 1973 | 9 | University of California |
| 10 | Milt Palacio | PG | 6-3 | 195 | February 7, 1978 | 5 | Colorado State University |
| 24 | Morris Peterson | SG | 6-7 | 218 | August 26, 1977 | 4 | Michigan State University |
| 5 | Jalen Rose | SF | 6-8 | 210 | January 30, 1973 | 10 | University of Michigan |
| 9 | Pape Sow | C | 6-10 | 250 | November 22, 1981 | R | California State University, Fullerton |
| 34 | Aaron Williams | C | 6-9 | 220 | October 2, 1971 | 10 | Xavier University |
| 17 | Eric Williams | SG | 6-8 | 220 | July 17, 1972 | 9 | Providence College |
| 3 | Loren Woods | C | 7-1 | 245 | June 21, 1978 | 3 | University of Arizona |
Transactions
-June 24/04: The Raptors, selecting 8th, surprise everyone by choosing Brigham Young centre Rafael Araujo with their first round draft choice. General manager Rob Babcock describes himself as a bit of a risk taker and he proved the point by selecting the relatively unheralded 6-11, 290-pound Brazilian native. “He’s got good stats. He’s got good experience. He’s got a great feel for the game for his age and he is a centre. And we need a big strong centre and this is a very strong centre who will not back down from anybody.” In the second round, with the 39th choice, the Raptors select Albert Miralles, a 6-9 small forward from Joventut Badalona, Spain and Roseto Basket in Italy. The Raptors trade his draft rights to the Miami Heat in exchange for Pape Sow and a second round pick in 2005.
-June 30/04: Milt Palacio exercises player option to extend contract. Raptors make a qualifying offer to make Morris Peterson a restricted free agent.
-July 1/04: Robert Archibald, Bobby Araujo, Corie Blount, Michael Currey, Dion Glover, Morris Peterson and Rod Strickland become free agents.
-July 3/04: Sign Rafael Araujo to a multi-year contract.
-July 14/04: Re-sign Rafer Alston as a free agent.
-July 30/04: Match New Orleans Hornets offer to Morris Peterson. He signs a multi-year contract.
-August 17/04: Sign Loren Woods to a multi-year contract.
-September/04: Vince Carter, the $12-million/year wonder, tells reporters that he wants to be traded, ostensibly because he is fed up with the lack of direction and instability of the franchise. Later vows that he will not be a drag on the team, or pout, or dog it, like many suspected at the end of the 2003 campaign, because he’s a trooper. “I play basketball first. That’s my job. That’s my love. I come here to play basketball. That’s stupid to come up here just because I want to be traded to mope and pout. That’s dumb. That’s dumb. I want to play. I want to win. And that’s my mentality wherever I am.”
-September 20/04: Sign Matt Bonner to a contract.
-October 4/04: Raptors sign free agents 6-9 f Ousmane Cisse (St. Jude High School) and 6-5 g Norman Richardson (Hofstra) heading into training camp. Sign Pape Sow to a contract.
-October 22/04: Waive Ousmane Cisse and Norman Richardson.
-December 17/04: The Raptors ship the disgruntled and brooding Vince Carter, whose stock was falling rapidly, to the New Jersey Nets for three aging frontcourt players and draft picks: centre Alonzo Mourning, 34, forward Aaron Williams 33, small forward Eric Williams, 32, and two first-round choices, a 2005 1st round pick and a 2006 first round pick. “I think this was a very good deal for our basketball team, and based on all of our research, the best one that we were able to get,” says general manager Rob Babcock. The only real up-side: the Raptors dump Carter’s contract, which had $59-million (U.S.) remaining on it and save up to $30-million. Carter’s stock had been falling rapidly because of the perception that he was a chronic complainer and constantly injured, having suffering three years of knee injuries. Mourning may never play for the Raptors, having been diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, requiring a kidney transplant. His contract is uninsured, so if he couldn’t play, the Raptors would be responsible for $22-million in salary. Mourning had not played all of the 2002-03 campaign or any of the 2004 campaign prior to the trade. Carter and coach Sam Mitchell had been squabbling all season, with Mitchell so unhappy with Carter’s effort that he often sat the star down the stretch when the Raptors were still possible winners. One of the draft picks is the 2005 first-round pick of the Denver Nuggets. The other pick originally belonged to the Philadelphia 76ers and is protected if it is a top-eight pick in 2005 or a top five pick in 2006. To make room for the additions, the Raptors waived third-string point guard Roger Mason Jr and little-used French forward Jerome Moiso. Babcock says the two draft picks “are really, I think, the crucial centre point of this trade. It gives us the opportunity to get two young assets to our team down the road or to use those draft picks to help facilitate a trade that would be beneficial to our team.”
-February 11/05: Reach two-year buy-out agreement with Alonzo Mourning and waive him.
-April 9/05: Sign Omar Cook to the first a pair of 10-day contracts.
-June 27/05: The Raptors announce that they are exercising their option on forward Chris Bosh, which keeps him on the roster through the 2006-07 season. The third year pro averaged 16.8 ppg and 8.9 rpg in his second season and was easily the Raptors most consistent and reliable performer.
Standings
| Eastern Conference | W | L | W/L% | GB | PS/G | PA/G |
| Atlantic Division | ||||||
| Boston Celtics | 45 | 37 | .549 | — | 101.3 | 100.4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 43 | 39 | .524 | 2.0 | 99.1 | 99.9 |
| New Jersey Nets | 42 | 40 | .512 | 3.0 | 91.4 | 92.9 |
| Toronto Raptors | 33 | 49 | .402 | 12.0 | 99.7 | 101.4 |
| New York Knicks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 12.0 | 97.3 | 99.7 |
| Central Division | ||||||
| Detroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | .659 | — | 93.3 | 89.5 |
| Chicago Bulls | 47 | 35 | .573 | 7.0 | 94.5 | 93.4 |
| Indiana Pacers | 44 | 38 | .537 | 10.0 | 93.0 | 92.2 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 12.0 | 96.5 | 95.7 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 30 | 52 | .366 | 24.0 | 97.2 | 100.2 |
| Southeast Division | ||||||
| Miami Heat | 59 | 23 | .720 | — | 101.5 | 95.0 |
| Washington Wizards | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14.0 | 100.5 | 100.8 |
| Orlando Magic | 36 | 46 | .439 | 23.0 | 99.5 | 101.8 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | 18 | 64 | .220 | 41.0 | 94.3 | 100.2 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 13 | 69 | .159 | 46.0 | 92.7 | 102.5 |
| Western Conference | W | L | W/L% | GB | PS/G | PA/G |
| Northwest Division | ||||||
| Seattle SuperSonics | 52 | 30 | .634 | — | 98.9 | 96.6 |
| Denver Nuggets | 49 | 33 | .598 | 3.0 | 99.5 | 97.5 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 44 | 38 | .537 | 8.0 | 96.8 | 95.3 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 27 | 55 | .329 | 25.0 | 92.9 | 96.9 |
| Utah Jazz | 26 | 56 | .317 | 26.0 | 93.0 | 97.3 |
| Pacific Division | ||||||
| Phoenix Suns | 62 | 20 | .756 | — | 110.4 | 103.3 |
| Sacramento Kings | 50 | 32 | .610 | 12.0 | 103.7 | 101.6 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | 37 | 45 | .451 | 25.0 | 95.7 | 96.5 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | 34 | 48 | .415 | 28.0 | 98.7 | 101.7 |
| Golden State Warriors | 34 | 48 | .415 | 28.0 | 98.7 | 100.9 |
| Southwest Division | ||||||
| San Antonio Spurs | 59 | 23 | .720 | — | 96.2 | 88.4 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 58 | 24 | .707 | 1.0 | 102.5 | 96.8 |
| Houston Rockets | 51 | 31 | .622 | 8.0 | 95.1 | 91.0 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 45 | 37 | .549 | 14.0 | 93.4 | 91.1 |
| New Orleans Hornets | 18 | 64 | .220 | 41.0 | 88.4 | 95.5 |
Raptors 2004-05 Player Stats at basketballreference.com
Salaries
| 1 | Jalen Rose | $14,487,000 |
| 2 | Alvin Williams | $5,850,000 |
| 3 | Alonzo Mourning | $5,408,700 |
| 4 | Donyell Marshall | $5,023,850 |
| 5 | Lamond Murray | $4,875,000 |
| 6 | Morris Peterson | $4,400,000 |
| 7 | Aaron Williams | $3,790,257 |
| 8 | Eric Williams | $3,580,000 |
| 9 | Rafer Alston | $3,500,000 |
| 10 | Chris Bosh | $3,129,720 |
| 11 | Rafael Araujo | $2,082,720 |
| 12 | Jerome Moiso | $1,760,000 |
| 13 | Nate Huffman | $1,280,000 |
| 14 | Milt Palacio | $807,546 |
| 15 | Loren Woods | $755,000 |
| 16 | Pape Sow | $385,277 |
| 17 | Matt Bonner | $385,277 |
| 18 | Roger Mason | $203,428 |
Season wrap
The disarray and rebuilding continues. Babcock is immediately vilified for drafting Rafael Araujo ahead of players who became stars, including Andre Iguodala. Babcock reveals that Carter asked for a trade, ostensibly because of the belief that Raptors management had no real ambition. He is dispatch to the New Jersey Nets for players including Alonzo Mourning, who refuses to report to Toronto and forces the Raptors to buy out his contract for $10 million, allowing him to sign with Miami as a free agent. Needless to say, the move eventually cost Babcock his job. With the departure of Carter, forward Chris Bosh becomes the new face of the Raptors. Sam Mitchell repeatedly squabbles with point guard Rafer Alston and the Raptors finish with a dismal 33-49 record in their first season in the Atlantic Division, appearing almost pathologically incapable of defending.