<P> Like most expansion teams, the Raptors struggled in their early years, but after the acquisition of Vince Carter through a draft day trade in 1998, the team set league - attendance records and made the NBA playoffs in 2000, 2001, and 2002 . Carter was instrumental in leading the team to a then - franchise high 47 wins and their first playoff series win in 2001, where they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals . During the 2002--03 and 2003--04 seasons, they failed to make significant progress, and Carter was traded in 2004 to the New Jersey Nets . </P> <P> After Carter left, Chris Bosh emerged as the team leader . In 2006--07, Bryan Colangelo's first full season as President and General Manager, a combination of Bosh, 2006 first overall NBA draft pick Andrea Bargnani and a revamp of the roster helped the Raptors qualify for their first playoff berth in five years, capturing the Atlantic Division title with 47 wins . In the 2007--08 season, they advanced to the playoffs again, but failed to make the playoffs in each of the next five seasons . In a bid to persuade Bosh to stay, Colangelo overhauled the team roster for the 2009--10 season, but Bosh signed with the Miami Heat in July 2010, ushering in yet another era of rebuilding for the Raptors . </P> <P> After Masai Ujiri was brought in as the new General Manager in 2013, he traded Bargnani to the New York Knicks . With a backcourt led by Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors returned to the playoffs, won their second Atlantic Division title, and won a then - franchise record 48 games in the 2013--14 season . However, they failed for a fourth consecutive time to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs . In the 2014--15 season, they won a then - franchise record 49 games, but failed for a second consecutive year to advance past the first round of the playoffs, getting swept by the Washington Wizards, 4--0 . In the 2015--16 season, they won a franchise record 56 games, finishing in second place in the conference for the first time in franchise history . In the playoffs, they won their first playoff series since 2001 by defeating both the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time against the Cleveland Cavaliers, only for the Raptors to lose to the eventual NBA champions in six games . In the 2016--17 Toronto Raptors season, the Raptors make the playoffs again, this time defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, but losing to the defending champions in the second round . </P> <P> The Toronto Raptors were established on November 4, 1993, when the NBA, as part of its expansion into Canada, awarded its 28th franchise to a group headed by Toronto businessman John Bitove for a then - record expansion fee of $125 million USD . Bitove and Allan Slaight of Slaight Communications each owned 44%, with the Bank of Nova Scotia (10%), David Peterson (1%), and Phil Granovsky (1%) being minority partners . Wagering on NBA games in Ontario nearly cost Toronto the expansion franchise, due to strict league rules at the time that prohibited gambling . However, an agreement was reached whereby the provincial lottery corporation agreed to stop offering wagering on all NBA games in exchange for a donation by the Raptors of $5 million in its first three years and $1 million annually afterwards to its charitable foundation to compensate the provincial lottery corporation for its loss of revenue . The Raptors, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, played their first game in 1995, and were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the 1946--47 Toronto Huskies of the Basketball Association of America (BAA, a forerunner league to the present - day NBA), though the Buffalo Braves had played a total of 16 regular season games at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto from 1971 to 1975 . The Raptors marked a return of professional basketball to the city after a 48 - year absence . </P>

When was the last time raptors made playoffs