Yesterday, the Toronto Raptors made some necessary contractual moves in light of their roster flexibility following trade deadline deals and the subsequent waiving of veteran PJ Tucker.
The team would reward internal players Orlando Robinson and Jared Rhoden by converting their deals with the next promotion. Robinson would be elevated from a two-way contract to a standard rest-of-season deal, while Rhoden transitioned from a 10-day experiment to securing one of the Raptors' two-way spots.
Now, a day later, the Raptors appear to be addressing their last open roster spot by rewarding a talented big out of the G League with a 10-day deal: center Colin Castleton.
Raptors sign center Colin Castleton from the G League to 10-day deal
Castleton would enter the league as an undrafted rookie in 2023, after two collegiate stints with Michigan and Florida. He would later sign a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2023, being part of the roster as they won the NBA In-Season Tournament (now NBA Cup) in December 2023.
Castleton would be waived by the Lakers before the start of the 2024-25 regular season, after which he joined the Memphis Grizzlies. However, he was waived again in January 2025. Before the Raptors picked him up, Castleton was part of Orlando's G League affiliate team, the Osceola Magic.
Castleton's NBA career stats up to this point have largely been a non-factor; however, his averages in the G League speak to what he could bring to the table in a larger capacity.
Between two stints in the G League this season with Memphis and Osceola, Castleton is averagingimpressive numbers in 26 combined appearances: 17.3 points on 52.6% shooting from the field, 9.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks.
Castleton's three-point shot could use some work, currently hovering at a meager 26.9%. He also has a tendency to turn the ball over, averaging 2.8 turnovers per game. Nevertheless, he's still a solid addition to the small sample size left in this year's Raptors campaign.
The big question is whether he will be given a fair shot at integration. Considering the team's struggles with center depth all year, I believe Castleton might get the nod to run a few minutes here and there during this 10-day duration.
Even if Castleton can't make the main roster, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet reports that there's a strong chance he could spend some time with the Raptors 905.
And there’s the 10-day! Wouldn’t be surprised if he sees Raptors 905 time this week/weekend too.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 5, 2025
Interesting mix of finishing, developing passing, and some rim protection. Still a project and will need to curb TOs, but arguably best available G League big. https://t.co/4dsSYshDvN
Raptors fans will just have to tune in and witness if Castleton is a worthwhile pickup.