3 Things to Watch For in the Raptors' Summer League

The Toronto Raptors are heading to Sin City this week for the annual Las Vegas Summer League.

Their schedule begins on Friday, July 10 when they take on the Boston Celtics at 9 p.m. ET. Here's a look at three things to watch ahead of the team's Summer League matchups:

How Much Will Collin Murray-Boyles Play?

Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles grabs a rebound against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We have seen a renaissance in second-year players returning to Summer League over the past couple of years regardless of how their rookie season went. This is still prevalent in Murray-Boyles' placement on the Vegas roster, but it's hard to tell how much he will play, if at all.

Murray-Boyles doesn't need Summer League. The No. 9 overall pick held his own in his first year in the league and had an incredible playoff showing against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There's a very good chance Murray-Boyles doesn't play more than a game or two in the Summer League. Once he takes the floor, he will show why he is better than the vast majority of players participating in Vegas. The leap players take from their rookie year to second season is enormous, and Murray-Boyles is no exception.

Can Allen Graves Be Toronto's Next Sandro Mamukelashvili?

Toronto Raptors 2026 first round draft pick Allen Graves poses courtside with head coach Darko Rajakovic. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors lost Sandro Mamukelashvili to the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, which is arguably the team's biggest loss of the offseason. Mamu was an important piece to the puzzle in the second unit, but Toronto may have a solution to the problem in No. 19 overall pick Allen Graves.

The rookie out of Santa Clara is the same height as Mamukelashvili, but often played in a forward role in college. However, with Mamukelashvili gone, it could make sense for Graves to be a small-ball centre for the Raptors.

"Graves is a defense-first forward who is top-tier at his position in generating both steals and blocks, especially for a freshman. With his long and sturdy frame and high activity level, he profiles as a multi-positional defender," RotoWire wrote.

"On offense, the 41% stroke from beyond the arc will likely position him as a floor-spacing four at the NBA level. Also, Graves was efficient inside the arc on putbacks and cuts, which gives him some optionality as a small-ball five for certain NBA teams. Crashing the offensive boards is a critical part of his upside as a role player. He also rarely turned the ball over at Santa Clara."

The Raptors need to give him some reps at the five, because he will likely be thrown into that role at times for Toronto in his rookie season.

Alijah Martin Could Be Raptors' Most Interesting Player

Toronto Raptors guard Alijah Martin controls the ball against Detroit Pistons guard Kevin Huerter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raptors awarded Martin with a standard deal after his rookie year, where he held one of the team's two-way contracts. Martin, the No. 39 overall pick out of Florida in the 2025 NBA Draft, only played in 23 games for the Raptors in his first NBA season, but that makes him one of the more experienced Summer League players.

Martin will get an opportunity to prove himself after receiving his new contract, and the way he plays in Summer League will set the tone for the rest of his offseason. Martin isn't expected to have a large role for the Raptors next season, but the way he plays in Vegas could dictate whether Toronto gives him more leeway during the year.

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