Hello and Welcome

Will and Alex recap the Raptors’ quiet offseason and debate whether the team is actually better than it was a year ago. Will debuts a new segment called “Will or Bill,” dissecting Bill Simmons’ latest Raptors takes—and his thoughts on gift cards. They also discuss the Norman Powell trade, Masai Ujiri’s emotional farewell video, Alex’s Uncut Gems rewatch, the Blue Jays’ impact on the city’s summer...

Will Lou speaks with James Murray-Boyles, the older brother of Collin Murray-Boyles to get to know the Toronto Raptors' newest 9th overall pick. James shares some insight on the family affair that helped Collin reach the NBA, gives an account of how Collin has improved dramatically, a scouting report of his time at South Carolina, and also a behind-the-scenes account of what it was like to be at t...

Will Lou and Alex Wong are joined by Joe Wolfond to propose one trade the Toronto Raptors should make this summer. Then, they try to make sense of the Milwaukee Bucks' shocking move to waive Damian Lillard, and also ask which team in the East is actually poised to make a jump. Timecodes: 3:40 - Reacting to Mamu/Jak 15:59 - Chris Boucher is done 21:38 - Fake trades 57:35 - What did the Bucks do? 1:...

Will Lou goes solo to discuss the Toronto Raptors signing Georgian forward/center Sandro Mamukelashvili to a 2-year, $5.5M contract to likely complete their roster for next season, and also the news of Jakob Poeltl signing a 4-year, $104M extension. #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show Check out our merc...

Will and Alex pick up the pieces from Masai Ujiri’s departure and break down a quiet start to free agency for the Raptors. They explore how front office changes could shape the weeks ahead, potential replacements for Masai, and early intel on Toronto’s incoming rookies. Later, they react to the biggest free agency moves so far—including Michael Porter Jr. landing in Brooklyn and Houston’s bold pus...

Will Lou recaps the wild day that was the Toronto Raptors firing President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri. He discusses the opaque and uninspiring press conference by MLSE President Keith Pelley, the lack of clarity on what's next for the team, and the general lack of assurances provided by Pelley. He then tries to answer the question of why Masai was let go, who will be his replacement, and...

Will Lou and Alex Wong go live on an emergency podcast basis to react to the news of MLSE parting ways with Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri. They discuss the succession plan, what went wrong with Masai and MLSE, and then give Masai his flowers for a legendary run in Toronto. #raptors #torontoraptors #nbadraft Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys...

Will's note: Apologies for the lagging issues. Not sure why it happened but will try to fix it for next time. Hope this is still watchable/listenable. Will Lou watches tape of the Toronto Raptors' No. 9 pick Collin Murray-Boyles to see what his strengths and weaknesses are, and why the Raptors chose to draft CMB over several other options in the 2025 NBA Draft. Credit to YouTube/  @cashiggy32...

LIVE REACTION TO COLLIN MURRAY-BOYLES SELECTION AT NO. 9 (57:36) Will Lou and Alex Wong go live from the Hello and Welcome watch party at NBA Courtside Restaurant at 15 Queens Quay E. They react to the 2025 Draft results and discuss who the Toronto Raptors will select with the No. 9 pick. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show Che...

Will, Alex, and Jerome take you behind the scenes of their Holt Renfrew live event with Raptors GM Bobby Webster and running into Kyle Lowry (2:00). Alex pitches a fresh batch of five-dollar ideas (1:01:00) —featuring hologram dogs, reverse chess, and diet water. Later, they answer listener questions (1:39:20), share the origin story of the podcast, and put Jerome’s Sopranos knowledge to the test....

Will Lou and Alex Wong react to the Oklahoma City Thunder winning Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers for their first ever championship. They give praise to OKC and to Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, debate whether Tyrese Haliburton's should have been allowed to play before tearing his Achilles, the sobering comments from Pascal Siakam in reflecting on Toronto (1:36:00), and discuss Kevin Durant be...

Will Lou and Alex Wong go live after the conclusion of Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers (0:00). Then, they discuss the latest reports of the Raptors working out prospects ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft (43:29) and a detailed review of Alex's health check. #raptors #nbafinals #pacers #okcthunder Reserve your seat to our 2025 NBA Draft event at NBA Courtside...

Toronto Raptors general manager Bobby Webster sits down with Alex Wong and Will Lou at Holt Renfrew Bloor in downtown Toronto. They discuss a wide range of topics from how Bobby got his start in Toronto, how the Raptors were one lottery ball away from Cooper Flagg, never before heard details on the Kawhi Leonard trade and his subsequent free agency chase, and also what it’s like to be the GM of th...

Will, Alex, and Jerome break down Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Jalen Williams’ breakout performance, and what defines a truly memorable champion. They also dive into the Desmond Bane trade, the Raptors reportedly shopping multiple starters, speculation around Kevin Durant’s next destination, their most “old head” habits, and more. #raptors #nbafinals #pacers #okcthunder Reserve your seat to our 2025...

Will Lou is joined by Libaan Osman of The Canadian Basketball Show to review what various mock drafts have picked for the Toronto Raptors at #9. They discuss Derik Queen, Khaman Maluach, Carter Bryant, Kon Knueppel, Ace Bailey and Noa Essengue. #raptors #torontoraptors #nbadraft #nbamockdraft Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show...

Will, Alex, and Jerome recap Indiana’s Game 3 win over the Thunder, rate Reggie Miller’s courtside fit, put an end to Giannis Watch (?), debate who will end up being the next Knicks head coach, celebrate the one-year anniversary of Hello & Welcome, and preview their outfits for this weekend’s Holt Renfrew event. Timestamps: Game 3 reaction: 0:37 Is Giannis Watch over? 31:37 Who will coach the...

Will is joined by theScore’s Joe Wolfond to break down OKC’s Game 2 win and what it means for the series. Later, Will, Alex, and Jerome dive into the Kevin Durant-to-Toronto rumors, rank where the Pacers’ playoff run stands in NBA history, chat about the NBA’s half-hearted attempt at adding a Finals decal to the court, try to figure out when we started caring about NBA ratings, and look into Victo...

Will and Alex recap Indiana’s Game 1 comeback win against OKC in the Finals, discuss Tom Thibodeau’s firing, get to know the Pacers better, and answer listener questions.  Thank you to Saul Brown for your mega city gift box. Check them out here: https://www.itsaulgood.com/collections/gift-baskets-toronto Live show with Bobby Webster: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/in-conversation-with-bobby-webs...

Will, Alex, and Jerome break down Toronto’s Game 6 win over the Bucks, relive the unforgettable 26–3 run, and share personal memories from one of the most iconic nights in Raptors history. Three stars: Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam DJ Augustin award: Ersan Ilyasova #raptors #torontoraptors #nbaplayoffs #nbafinals Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email...

Will and Alex break down reports of mutual interest between Giannis and the Raptors, and examine Masai Ujiri’s ambition to reel in a “big fish” this summer. They serve up a generous slice of blame pie for the Knicks’ playoff exit, dissecting Tom Thibodeau’s rigid coaching, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns’ shortcomings, Timothée Chalamet’s dream life, and Michael Imperioli (??). Then, they pre...

Will Lou speaks with Anthony Milton, author of this month's Toronto Life feature story on former Toronto Raptors center Jontay Porter and how he ended up placing illicit bets on his own performance. Milton shares details from court filings that show a pattern of how Porter worked with co-conspirators that ultimately resulted in his expulsion from the NBA and potential criminal sentencing down the...

Will and Alex break down Indiana’s Game 4 win and what’s missing from the Knicks’ starting lineup, before diving into Pascal Siakam’s Hall of Fame case, the debate over banning the foul-up-three strategy, and a fix for excessive coach’s challenge requests. They also speculate: are we heading toward the wildest offseason ever? Later, Will, Alex, and Jerome close out Asian Heritage Month with a deep...

Will and Alex break down OKC’s nail-biting Game 4 win over Minnesota and debate whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most over-hated star in the league. They revisit the Knicks’ gutsy Game 3 comeback against Indiana and ask: is Rick Carlisle trolling New York’s bench? Later, they explore RJ Barrett’s trade value this summer and how MLSE’s ownership shakeup could have ripple effects on the Raptor...

Will and Alex are joined by Vivek Jacob for a Friday Six-Pack, diving into: Indiana’s stunning Game 1 comeback, whether John Haliburton should be allowed back in the arena, their favorite playoff games of the 2020s, how the 2019 Raptors should be honored across Toronto, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP thank-you baskets, the odds of an American winning MVP in the next three years, whether NBA parity...

It’s the All-Giannis Episode! Will and Alex dive deep into the idea of a Giannis-to-Toronto trade, exploring it from every angle: Masai Ujiri’s long-standing pursuit, what a realistic starting offer looks like, the Raptors’ best possible package, and how the roster would shake out post-trade. They also survey the landscape of other potential destinations—including Houston, OKC, San Antonio, and… B...