Toronto Raptors draft: Canadian players Raptors may target in 2021

Toronto Raptors draft target: AJ Lawson, SG, South Carolina

If Mathurin isn’t available for the Raptors, there are other Canadians the Raptors may have an interest in whose stock isn’t as high. Lawson is one such player. He recently hired an agent to declare for the NBA Draft and turn pro. Lawson was the third player off the Gamecocks roster to declare, following his teammates Keyshawn Bryant and Jermaine Couisnard. 

This will be Lawson’s second attempt to get picked up by an NBA organization after going undrafted last year. The South Carolina Gamecocks guard from Brampton, Ontario is confident that he’s ready to take the next step. He released a statement on Twitter outlining his journey and thanking those who have helped him reach this point.

Toronto Raptors draft: AJ Lawson has tons of offensive potential

Lawson was an important player for Frank Martin. As the team’s leading scorer for the past three seasons, Lawson drained 16.6 points per game on a 39.4 field goal percentage this year. From distance, that drops to 35.1%, an unremarkable number for a player projected to be a 3-and-D style pro.

Even though Lawson struggles to create his own shot, there is a place for his style of play in the NBA. If the Raptors are interested in him, they may either wish to use their final second-round pick or see if he slips through the draft allowing them to sign him as an undrafted player. He’s EXTREMELY skinny, but he is a tremendous prospect.