Chucky Hepburn is Turning Heads for Raptors at Summer League

Toronto Raptors guard Chucky Hepburn embodies what the Las Vegas Summer League is all about.

Hepburn is on a two-way contract with the Raptors after going undrafted last year and he is getting an opportunity to prove that he belongs at the next level. Hepburn scored just 13 points in his two appearances in Las Vegas, but he was a +25 with eight assists in the team's victory over the Houston Rockets. Hepburn explained how he is trying to use his voice to have an impact that might not show up in a stat sheet.

“Just having been around the organization already, kind of been knowing what we're going through, I’m trying to have that voice out there,” Hepburn said in an interview with Sportsnet insider Michael Grange. “And I have to find my voice as well because I know that obviously that's going to be needed up top (with the Raptors' NBA team), too.”

Hepburn Showing Signs of Promise

Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard tries to dribble the ball past Toronto Raptors guard Chucky Hepburn. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hepburn was limited to just two games last season with the NBA squad, partially due to a knee injury. Hepburn spent a lot of time on the sidelines, but that gave him an opportunity to learn the NBA game from a different, unique perspective.

“That's a great thing being hurt, I got to learn from guys like Jamal Shead, how he guards, and how he he's able to create offensive fouls just doing little things like that from a shorter point guard perspective are winning plays that that organizations love,” Hepburn added via Grange.

Hepburn did not play in the Raptors' 94-93 win over the Indiana Pacers due to knee soreness, which Toronto cannot ignore at the Las Vegas Summer League. They have to be extremely careful, especially with players they have plans with beyond Sin City.

Hepburn has a two-way contract for the upcoming season, but there's a chance that ends up getting converted to a standard deal at some point down the line.

With the cap space expected to decrease if the Kawhi Leonard trade becomes official, the Raptors have to play things smart when it comes to crunching numbers. Giving out a smaller contract to a player like Hepburn that is actively learning and developing from the team is going to be a smarter investment than signing a veteran for more money on the street.

If Hepburn continues to develop and emerge for the Raptors, a promotion could be in the cards.

Sign up for our free newsletter, which will bring all Toronto Raptors On SI stories every weekday to your email.

Add us as a preferred source on Google