For teams, Summer League is an opportunity to see rookies in action for the first time after the draft and to evaluate young talent. For players, it’s a chance to prove themselves or get a first taste of basketball after college. Results and stats don’t usually mean a ton, although they often at least hint at what a player can bring to the NBA. Nevertheless, Summer League is incredibly important for the Raptors this year.
Assuming the Kawhi Leonard trade still goes through, the Raptors will have to navigate tough financial limitations and fill out their roster with cheap, young players, as Raptors reporter Michael Grange broke down for Sportsnet.
“Well, you might have heard the Raptors are planning (hoping?) to acquire Leonard,” Grange wrote in a July 12 article. “And if they do, they will have almost no financial flexibility this season. And if they sign him to a two-year extension worth about $123 million, they’ll be just as limited next season, maybe even in a tougher spot. In that scenario, finding good players who can play on cheap contracts is a must for the Raptors. Summer League is a good place to find them.”
Grange also mentioned Chucky Hepburn as a candidate to fill a full roster spot instead of continuing on a two-way contract.
The Raptors have found diamonds in the rough before, although not always in Summer League. Sandro Mamukelashvili was waived early on in his career and played limited minutes before coming to Toronto. He had a career year for the Raptors and even received some attention for Sixth Man of the Year. Jamal Shead, who was still logging minutes with the Raptors 905 in 2024, played heavy playoff minutes and made a real difference with his tenacious defense.
The Raptors need reliable depth
Assuming that Kawhi Leonard is a Raptor next season, the top of the rotation is pretty much set. The starting lineup in that case will likely be Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Jakob Poeltl. Shead will be the backup point guard, Ja’Kobe Walter should be the main reserve on the wing, and Collin Murray-Boyles will be the go-to backup option in the frontcourt. Veteran Kyle Anderson and rookie Allen Graves should also factor into the frontcourt rotation.
That rotation can be very good, but it is far from perfect. It lacks center depth, which puts a lot of pressure on Murray-Boyles, and features a few injury-prone players. Leonard played 60 or more games for just the second time since the 2018-19 season this past campaign. Poeltl hasn’t played more than 57 games in any of the last three seasons. Even Quickley’s Raptors tenure has been plagued by injuries. He played just 33 games last season and missed the end of the regular season and the playoffs this year. Plus, Leonard may have to serve a suspension.
So, the Raptors don’t just need to fill out the roster. They need to fill it with players they can trust to step in and contribute when their number is called. That’s not an easy thing to do when you’re as financially limited as the Raptors will be once Leonard is officially in Toronto.
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