Alijah Martin earned himself a standard contract with the Toronto Raptors after spending the 2025–26 season on a two-way contract and appearing in just 23 regular-season games.
Martin shot 38.4% on 3-pointers in the G League. If he can carry that kind of accuracy over to the NBA as an off-ball threat, he could bring a valuable skill set to a Raptors team in desperate need of more 3-point shooting. But 3-point shooting alone may not be enough to play his way into Darko Rajakovic’s rotation. Rajakovic expects everyone to be able to hold their own defensively at the very least.
Martin seems ready to meet that challenge head-on and prove that he can be an impactful defender in the NBA.
“I want to be really a high-level defender,” Martin said in an interview with Locked on Raptors. “That’s what I’ve been focusing on. That’s where I feel like that I can help the team the most. We have a bunch of guys that are high-level defenders. I need to get on their level.”
Martin will have to earn every single minute on the court
Martin has the right mindset for his first season on a standard NBA contract. Still, minutes will be hard to come by for the guard.
The top eight of the rotation is pretty much set with Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead ready to take on the bulk of the minutes. Jamison Battle, who has been a knockdown 3-point shooter for two NBA seasons now and seemingly improved as a defender over the summer, also figures to factor into the rotation, but veteran Kyle Anderson and rookie Allen Graves could also make a strong case for minutes.
With a bunch of minutes already accounted for and several players who can play either guard spot, finding regular minutes for Martin could be tough unless an injury opens up more opportunity. Jaden Bradley, the Raptors’ second-round pick in this year’s draft, will be vying for the same minutes as Martin. He originally signed a two-way contract, but the Raptors converted it to a standard contract. Because of their financial crunch after the Kawhi Leonard trade, he was the only player they could really afford to sign to a standard contract.
Moreover, the Raptors have high expectations for Kawhi Leonard’s first season back in Toronto. Proving that he can help the team live up to those expectations is a tall task for a player fresh off a season that was spent primarily in the G League. Even if his minutes are limited, getting to play and practice with the Raptors for a full season will be good for Martin’s development.
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