Why Rookie Allen Graves Will Contribute Right Away for Raptors

Toronto Raptors rookie forward Allen Graves is already making his presence known for the team after just three appearances in the Las Vegas Summer League.

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

Toronto Raptors rookie Allen Graves is getting acclimated to the NBA in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Graves has shown flashes of why the Raptors selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the draft during each of the team's first three games. He believes his understanding of the game is what will give him a chance to contribute early and often in his NBA career.

"I feel like I can adapt at an elite level, and I feel like that's what I'm going to do and continue to do as I'm going forward: use my brain. That's my biggest asset. Finding ways to impact the game no matter what I'm doing, whether I'm offensive rebounding or shooting the three. That's going to be my focus," Graves said h/t Hello and Welcome.

Allen Graves is Model Raptors Rookie

Graves is only 19 years old coming into the league after just one year of college ball at Santa Clara. He is soaking up everything like a sponge and relying on the veterans out in Vegas to hold him accountable.

"For sure, they've done a great job instilling that confidence in me. They're telling me, 'Go out there. They drafted me for a reason.' That's what they've been saying, and it's put that confidence in me to go out there and play my game," Graves said.

"They're like, 'We don't expect you to do anything that you haven't done and that you're not comfortable with. Just go out there, play your game, do what you do, and we have full confidence in you.' That's been really big for me."

The Raptors need a player that is going to fall into line and contribute wherever the team needs him to. It's very similar to how Collin Murray-Boyles came into the league last season. The two are similar in size and mentality, giving the Raptors another wing they can rely on for the second unit.

The Raptors were immediately impressed with Murray-Boyles' ability to pick up concepts and to give an all-out effort when he was on the court. If Graves can embody that spirit as well in his first season with the team, he should fit right in with the Raptors and emerge as a contributor in the rotation right out of the gate.

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