The Toronto Raptors found Summer League to be a less-than-fulfilling experience in 2023. Despite the solid play of first-round pick Gradey Dick, the Raptors lost convincingly in their first two games and could not hold on to a sizeable lead in their third.
Besides Dick showing off why he will be a good scorer at the NBA level and two-way signing Markquis Nowell exhibiting the passing skills that made him a college star despite his 5-7 frame, there hasn’t been much to shout about. The team looked disjointed and too willing to jack up shots.
As a result, the list of players that have a legitimate shot of making the Raptors’ roster or Raptors 905 pool has shrunk considerably. Some players weren’t even good enough to get a ton of minutes against other Summer League players in this exhibition.
While names like Darryl Morsell and DJ Hogg managed to show enough to get the Raptors’ interest in them as developmental names piqued once more, these three players have flexed their muscles enough to warrant some consideration for either a G League deal or one of the two vacant two-way contracts.
3 Toronto Raptors who locked down roster spots in Summer League
3. Ron Harper Jr
Harper has been shooting poorly in Summer League, but very few members of this team are struggling from deep. After signing him immediately following the 2022 NBA Draft, the same team who is still employing Malachi Flynn and David Johnson likely will keep working on the son of former NBA champion Ron Harper Sr.
Harper has been one of the better rebounders on the team, all while showing that his on-ball defense has taken strides since his rookie season. His ferocious slam was one of the best highlights from Toronto’s recent loss against Ausar Thompson and the Detroit Pistons.
Will Ron Harper Jr. make the Toronto Raptors?
Harper is a very unique player from a physical point of view, as he was the primary perimeter initiator at Rutgers despite a frame that is just shy of 250 pounds. The Raptors have taken all sorts of unusual body types and made them stars, and Harper could be their next project.
Harper’s shot will start falling, as he performed well in the G League last season and hit a few open jumpers in his limited NBA experience. Harper’s tools were on display, as he was one of the few Summer League players who looked like a professional athlete.
2. Mouhamadou Gueye
Gueye was built in a lab that was tasked with creating the ideal Raptors player, as he is a 6-8 forward who made his name as a defense-first chess piece. Chris Boucher is not an unrealistic high-end comparison of what Gueye could be if he starts to thrive with the Raptors.
Gueye was finishing well inside and defending well, and that might be enough for the Raptors to get a longer look at him. While he is raw on offense, the Raptors are going to be one of the first teams in line for his services, as they have no qualms about working with raw forwards.
Will the Toronto Raptors work with Mouhamadou Gueye?
Gueye has never been a tremendous scorer, as he was never a double-digit scorer in college despite the fact he had spent time with a mid-major team in Stony Brook. He’s hit 34% of his 3-pointers, but that is from collegiate range. More work is needed, and that will come with reps.
Gueye is the reason that two-way and Exhibit 10 contracts were invented. While he’s not an NBA player right now, he has skills that can be developed and eventually worked on to a point where he can make the jump to the pros without missing a beat. This might take longer than some fans would like to see, however.
1. Moses Brown
Brown is one of the few players on this roster with any sort of professional NBA experience, as the 7-2 big man has bounced around between six different teams. Perhaps the Raptors will try to make him the team’s third center behind Jakob Poeltl and Christian Koloko.
Brown started all four games, leading the team in rebounds and blocked shots by a wide margin. While his finishing around the rim outside of dunking left something to be desired, he and Nowell looked like an excellent pick-and-roll duo that generated consistent good looks.
Will the Toronto Raptors keep Moses Brown?
Whereas Koloko is a masterful shot-blocker that needs work on offense, Brown’s size and mobility better serve him as a finisher on offense. His defense and rim protection, despite what his raw blocked shot numbers might say, is the main reason he’s bounced from team to team.
The Raptors need to find some way to keep Brown around, as he has shown in limited NBA minutes that he can be a masterful rebounder. If he adds one more unique twist to his game, he could be a player that finally finds a long-term home north of the border.