The Toronto Raptors have snatched up not one but two players from the LA Clippers in the past few days. In addition to Kawhi Leonard (trade pending, of course), the Raptors have signed former Clippers wing Seth Lundy to their summer league roster -- and now seem poised to keep him around for even longer.
A team collects a wide range of players to take to Las Vegas Summer League. Recent draft picks are given space to shine. Disappointing draft picks are given a chance to change the narrative. Intriguing G League stars and undrafted rookies scrap for a chance to be invited to training camp. A few veterans are sprinkled around to glue everything together.
Seth Lundy hopes to prove himself
Lundy falls into that category of players hoping to prove themselves enough to hang around into the fall. The 6'4" New Jersey native played four seasons at Penn State, the best player on a mediocre Big Ten team.
The Atlanta Hawks took a chance on him with the 46th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, signing Lundy to a two-way contract. He barely made it into any NBA games, but in the G League, he was a dominant scorer and a confident 3-point shooter. Given his length and toughness, there was the clear outline of a 3-and-D wing.
The Hawks, however, waived him, opening up the possibility for another team to swoop in and take him. That team was the LA Clippers, who waived former first-round center Kai Jones in order to sign him to a two-way contract.
Now teammates with Kawhi Leonard, Lundy lasted all of four months with the team. Recovering from an ankle injury, he was unable to get into a game for the Clippers, who were certainly no stranger to players missing time due to injury.
Unfortunately for Lundy, he was unable to get to full health in time to find a new team last summer, and he appears to have been out of professional basketball entirely over the last calendar year, waiting for his chance.
The Clippers declined to give him that chance this summer, while the Raptors swooped in and snatched him up. Now he'll have a chance to show if he is fully healthy and ready to earn a spot in the NBA.
Lundy has a shot with the Raptors
Luckily for both Toronto and Lundy, he retains two-way eligibility for another two seasons (getting an extra year added on because he didn't play last season). Toronto has one two-way slot remaining, and summer league will likely go a long way toward deciding who will claim that spot.
Seth Lundy is doing his best to convince Toronto that the spot belongs to him. In the Raptors' first game, an overtime loss, Lundy showed his shooting confidence by getting up 11 3-pointers -- he made just two of them, but his form looked good. He was +10 despite the 3-point loss.
His second performance was the real gem, however. Lundy scored 23 points in a dominant win, leading the Raptors in scoring. He shot 6-of-9 from deep and added five rebounds, finishing +11 for the game. His shot looks like a real NBA weapon.
The foundation is there for Lundy to break through as a full-time NBA player. He is 6'4" but has a wide 6'10" wingspan, allowing him to defend multiple positions. That type of player is extremely valuable, but Lundy has to show his defensive inconsistencies in college can be shored up.
If so, his offensive game is extremely intriguing as a replacement for the departed Gradey Dick. He has a smooth jumpshot and excellent touch and can operate as a play finisher in a variety of roles.
Now he has another week in the desert to prove himself healthy and improved. The potential is there, and the Raptors are giving him a chance after the Clippers cut bait so quickly.
Lundy just has to go out and seize it.
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