Raptors 905 Will Join G League Bubble in Orlando
The Toronto Raptors' G League affiliate, Raptors 905, will play games this season, joining the G League Bubble at Walt Disney World in Orlando, the NBA announced Friday. They'll be one of 18 teams heading to Orlando, including the newly formed G League Ignite team made up of some of this year's top draft prospects including Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.
"We are eager to continue our strong tradition of player development and have the utmost confidence in the safety of the NBA G League Campus," wrote Courtney Charles, the Raptors 905 vice president of basketball and franchise operations.
While the 905's roster is yet to be finalized, it will likely include Yuta Watanabe, second-round pick Jalen Harris, and Canadian Nik Stauskas who has reportedly signed with the organization, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
"I think that's great," Raptors forward Yuta Watanabe said of the decision to create a G League Bubble for the year. "Especially last year, the NBA did a great job on the bubble, no one had tested positive. So I think it's gonna be a great environment. I mean, there are a lot of guys out there who wanna play but there's no games. So I think having the G League and the bubble is really helping us, and I'm really excited about it."
The addition of the Ignite team will certainly make things a little bit more interesting this season. It'll be an opportunity for some of the league's most exciting prospects to go up against some G League veterans.
"No matter who I'm playing, I still gotta do what I have to do and I've gotta prove that I can play in the NBA," Watanabe said. "I think it doesn't really matter, going up against those young prospects or old vets."
The G League schedule is yet to be released, but whenever the 905 play the Ignite, it's sure to be a fascinating game.
