After their final preseason game against the Detroit Pistons—a close four-point loss even though Toronto’s starters sat out and the Pistons’ top players all saw around 20 minutes of action—the Raptors made several roster moves on the margin. They cut Nima Burnett, Jalen Celestine, Tyreke Key, Tyson Degenhart, and Jamarion Sharp. They also converted Nate Bittle’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract despite not getting a single preseason look at the 7-foot big man due to a foot injury.
That’s a big sign of confidence in the undrafted rookie. As a two-way player, Bittle won’t make or break the Raptors’ success. He might not even see a ton of NBA action and will spend most of his time in the G League.
But the Raptors lack size behind Jakob Poeltl. Trayce Jackson-Davis played rather well in preseason, but has yet to prove himself as a reliable contributor in the regular season. Moreover, Poeltl struggled with a back injury last season and could miss significant time this season, too. So, whichever big they gave a two-way contract to was always going to be important depth insurance.
Picking Bittle after not seeing him in preseason action shows confidence—or at least hope—that he can provide some center depth in a pinch and maybe even develop into more eventually. Hopefully, he will reward that trust.
For Bittle, who “targeted the Raptors as an organization he felt provided a meaningful path to earning an NBA job,” per SportsNet’s Michael Grange, this is a big win. Trying his luck with the Raptors got him an NBA job, even if it’s not a standard contract.
Bittle could be an interesting development project for the Raptors
Bittle’s size is his most enticing asset on a Raptors roster that features only one other seven-footer. But there’s more to it.
Bittle was an efficient inside scorer in college, converting 54.8% of his two-point attempts in the 2025-26 season. He was also a very willing 3-point shooter. He took 4.5 3-pointers per game and made 1.4 of them. 31.9% 3-point shooting may not jump off the page, but it’s not bad for a seven-foot big man. Bittle shot around 33% from the three in his three previous seasons at Oregon but on a lower volume.
He also looked solid in Summer League, putting up big rebounding and block numbers.
If Bittle can sink some 3-pointers in the NBA, he would become an even more interesting development project for the Raptors, especially if he can also offer some rim protection and rebounds. While Collin Murray-Boyles seems to have gained a ton of confidence in his 3-point shot over the summer, the Raptors sorely lack outside shooting in the frontcourt. Poeltl and Jackson-Davis are both non-shooters, and Scottie Barnes is a 30% 3-point shooter for his six-year career.
With only Bittle and Malachi Smith signed to two-way contracts, the Raptors could still technically fill another two-way spot.
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