Raptors Notes: Lawson, Quickley, Barrett, Battle
Raptors guard/forward A.J. Lawson has been upgraded from questionable to available ahead of Sunday’s Game 4 against Cleveland, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.
According to Murphy, head coach Darko Rajakovic said Lawson has been battling a back issue for a couple weeks and has been missing practices. However, the impending free agent will be good to go this afternoon.
Lawson played 14 minutes off the bench in Game 1, but his playing time has dwindled over the course of the first-round series — he logged five minutes in Game 2 and just two minutes in Game 3. The Cavs won both of their home games to open the series, but the Raptors bounced back with their own home victory in Game 3.
Here’s more from Toronto:
- Starting point guard Immanuel Quickley was ruled out for the rest of the series on Friday after aggravating a right hamstring injury. According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Quickley re-injured his hamstring when he was doing on-court drills on Thursday. There’s no official timeline for the 26-year-old’s return.
- RJ Barrett played a huge role in helping the Raptors win Game 3, recording 33 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 39 minutes. Brandon Ingram praised his teammate’s mentality on Saturday, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter video link). “His name has been everywhere (in trade rumors) this year,” Ingram said of Barrett. “His name hasn’t been brought up a lot on the positive side. His mindset is to prove to people that he belongs on this floor.”
- In a video for TSN.ca, Lewenberg and analyst Jack Armstrong consider whether second-year forward Jamison Battle could emerge as a trusted shooter off the bench with Quickley sidelined. The 24-year-old only received three combined minutes in the first two games of the series, but he was a significant contributor in Game 3, converting all five of his field goal attempts — including four three-pointers — en route to 14 points in 16 minutes.
Raptors Convert A.J. Lawson To Standard Contract
4:00 pm: Lawson’s new deal is official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
3:16 pm: The Raptors are promoting two-way player A.J. Lawson to a standard contract that covers the rest of 2025/26, agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Blake Murphy of Sportnet.ca confirms (via Twitter) that Lawson’s contract will expire this summer, making him a free agent. Converting Lawson’s contract will make him eligible for the postseason, as two-way players are unable to compete after the regular season ends.
A 6’5″ guard/forward, Lawson has appeared in 23 NBA games in his second season with the Raptors, averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per contest while shooting 41.5% from three-point range. He has also spent extended time in the G League with the Raptors 905, averaging 21.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.4 SPG on .465/.360/.792 shooting in 36 games (31.9 MPG).
Lawson, a Toronto native who went undrafted in 2021 out of South Carolina, is in his fourth NBA season, having previously spent time with Minnesota and Dallas. The 25-year-old was also promoted from a two-way deal to a standard contract by the Raptors last April. He was waived in mid-October, but re-signed with his hometown team two days later on a new two-way agreement.
Toronto created a roster opening on Friday when the team waived Tyreke Key, a G League standout who was essentially given a nice bonus for his play with the 905. The 27-year-old combo guard didn’t make any appearances during his brief stint with the Raptors, who were believed to be deciding between Lawson and two-way player Alijah Martin to fill the newly opened roster spot.
Assuming Lawson receives a minimum-salary deal and is officially converted on Saturday, he’ll make $27,343 on top of his $636,435 two-way salary. If he’s promoted on Sunday, he’ll earn $13,672.
The Raptors need to win Sunday’s regular season finale against the tanking Nets to clinch their first playoff berth since 2021/22.
Raptors Waive Tyreke Key
The Raptors have waived guard Tyreke Key, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). The move opens up a spot on Toronto’s 15-man standard roster.
A 6’2″ combo guard, Key signed a rest-of-season minimum-salary contract with the Raptors on Monday after having spent the past two years with the team’s G League affiliate. However, he wasn’t active for Toronto’s games on Tuesday or Thursday and will hit waivers without having made his regular season NBA debut.
Key emerged as a reliable scorer this season for the Raptors 905, averaging 16.6 points per game in 33 regular season outings (14 starts) while shooting 52.1% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range. He went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2023 after spending his first four collegiate seasons at Indiana State and then played in Belgium for a year before signing in the G League.
It appears as if the Raptors’ promotion of Key was more about rewarding him for his performance in the NBAGL over the past couple seasons than anything else. His prorated minimum-salary deal for the final week of the regular season paid him $51,207, representing a nice bonus on top of his modest earnings in the G League. The standard NBAGL salary this season was $45K, while Key also earned another $35K via an Exhibit 10 bonus.
The move will allow Toronto to sign a free agent or promote a two-way player into its 15th roster spot on or before the team’s regular season finale on Sunday. Fourth-year shooting guard A.J. Lawson and 2025 second-round pick Alijah Martin have made 22 NBA appearances apiece in 2025/26 and would each be a viable candidate to be converted from his two-way contract to the standard roster, gaining playoff eligibility.
NBA G League Announces 2025/26 All-NBAGL Teams
Four days after being named the 2025/26 NBA G League Most Valuable Player, Bulls two-way guard Mac McClung has also earned a spot on the All-NBAGL first team, the league announced (all Twitter links).
McClung, who averaged 31.8 points, 7.9 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game on .515/.381/.775 shooting in 29 regular season outings for Windy City, headlines that five-man group of G League standouts along with Rockets two-way player Tristen Newton and NBA veteran DaQuan Jeffries, who finished second and third, respectively, in MVP voting.
Newton, who made five appearances for the Iowa Wolves before joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for 30 more games, registered averages of 25.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.5 APG with a .480/.376/.859 shooting line. Jeffries, who had a brief NBA stint this season on a 10-day contract with Sacramento, made 28 regular season appearances for the Stockton Kings and contributed 23.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2.4 APG with an excellent shooting line of .515/.436/.831.
Pistons two-way player Isaac Jones and veteran NBA guard Lester Quinones round out the All-G League first team.
The complete breakdown of the 2025/26 All-NBA G League teams is below. Players who are currently on standard NBA contracts are noted with an asterisk (*), while those on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).
All-NBAGL First Team
- DaQuan Jeffries (Stockton Kings)
- Isaac Jones (Motor City Cruise) ^
- Mac McClung (Windy City Bulls) ^
- Tristen Newton (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) ^
- Lester Quinones (Osceola Magic)
All-NBAGL Second Team
- Kobe Bufkin (South Bay Lakers) *
- Killian Hayes (Cleveland Charge) *
- Note: Hayes played for the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate but is on a standard contract with the Kings.
- A.J. Lawson (Raptors 905) ^
- Drew Timme (South Bay Lakers) ^
- Jahmir Young (Sioux Falls Skyforce) ^
All-NBAGL Third Team
- RayJ Dennis (College Park Skyhawks) ^
- PJ Hall (Greensboro Swarm) ^
- Ron Harper Jr. (Maine Celtics) *
- Alijah Martin (Raptors 905) ^
- Daishen Nix (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Raptors Sign Tyreke Key
The Raptors have announced the signing of Tyreke Key.
The 27-year-old guard has spent the past two years with the team’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905. He received an Exhibit 10 contract last September, but was waived the same day. Key emerged as a reliable scorer this season, averaging 16.6 points per game in 33 regular season outings (14 starts) while shooting 52.1% from the field and 42.1% from three-point range.
Key went undrafted out of Tennessee in 2023 after spending his first four collegiate seasons at Indiana State. He played in Belgium before getting the G League opportunity.
The Raptors have been carrying a roster opening since Markelle Fultz‘s 10-day contract expired last week, so another move won’t be necessary to add Key. Toronto passed on the option to sign Fultz to a second 10-day deal, with Michal Grange of Sportsnet suggesting at the time that Key was a candidate to become the team’s new 15th man.
Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link) notes that the organization likes to reward players who’ve done well at the G League level. He also suggests that one of the team’s two-way players, either Alijah Martin or A.J. Lawson, could replace Key by the end of the season to make them playoff-eligible. Key – or another player on a standard contract – would have to be waived to open up a spot for a two-way player to be promoted.
Raptors Bring Back A.J. Lawson On Two-Way Contract
7:05 pm: Lawson has officially rejoined the Raptors on a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
9:10 am: The Raptors are re-signing guard A.J. Lawson on a two-way deal, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto tweets.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca first reported that the Raptors were expected to bring back Lawson on a two-way contract.
Lawson was on the team’s camp roster but was cut on Thursday and will clear waivers later today. The team didn’t have the ability to convert him directly to a two-way contract because he hadn’t been on an Exhibit 10 deal.
Lawson, 25, is a Toronto native who holds three years of NBA experience. He signed a two-way deal with his hometown team last December and was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in April, just before the season ended. However, Lawson’s salary for 2025/26 was non-guaranteed and the Raptors opted for financial flexibility due to their current cap/tax situation.
In 26 games with the Raptors last season, Lawson averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per contest on .421/.327/.683 shooting. He has also played for Dallas and Minnesota.
Toronto has a two-way opening, so a corresponding move won’t be necessary. The Raptors currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts on their standard roster and will likely remain one below the maximum entering the season.
Raptors Waive Lawson, Chomche, Roddy, Rhoden, Sarr
The Raptors have waived A.J. Lawson, Ulrich Chomche, David Roddy, Jared Rhoden and Olivier Sarr, the team announced on Thursday (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).
Lawson, 25, is a Toronto native who holds three years of NBA experience. He signed a two-way deal with his hometown team in December and was promoted to a multiyear standard deal in April, just before last season ended. However, Lawson’s salary for 2025/26 was non-guaranteed, so the Raptors won’t have any dead money on their books by releasing him.
Both Murphy and Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links) say Lawson was viewed as the frontrunner to fill the team’s 15th standard roster spot to open the season, if Toronto had chosen to go that route. Instead the Raptors opted for financial flexibility due to their current cap/tax situation.
In 26 games (18.7 minutes per contest) with the Raptors last season, Lawson averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 rebounds on .421/.327/.683 shooting. He has also played for Dallas and Minnesota.
Chomche, who is still only 19 years old, was the 57th pick of the 2024 draft. The Cameroonian big man was on a two-way contract with the Raptors, who now have a two-way opening.
As Lewenberg notes (via Twitter), Chomche earned praise for the progress he made last season in the G League with the Raptors 905, but he unfortunately suffered a torn MCL in his right knee in February, cutting his rookie campaign short. He also flashed some interesting tools at Summer League in July, but he has been sidelined for all of training camp and preseason with an undisclosed injury.
Roddy, a former first-round pick (23rd overall in 2022) who has played for five different teams in three NBA seasons, was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal for training camp, as were Rhoden and Sarr. All three players are now eligible for a bonus worth $85,300 if they spend at least 60 days with the Raptors 905.
The Raptors now have 14 players on standard contracts, all of which are guaranteed, plus rookie guards Alijah Martin and Chucky Hepburn on two-way deals.
Raptors Notes: Murray-Boyles, Boucher, Barrett, Hepburn, More
Alongside Brandon Ingram, who has looked “healthy and free of rust” while averaging nearly a point per minute, No. 9 overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles has been one of the early standouts for the Raptors during preseason, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
As Koreen details, Murray-Boyles has displayed an intriguing blend of defensive versatility and court vision, and has also been ready — and willing — to shoot open three-pointers, which will be important part of his development going forward.
“We did make a couple of tweaks on his shooting mechanics,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Murray-Boyles’ outside shot. “He’s put a lot of work in. I’m encouraging him to take those shots. And he feels that he’s very comfortable actually in games. He looks like a player that’s looking for those shots and not shying away.”
Unfortunately, the 6’7″ forward sustained a right elbow contusion in the first quarter of Friday’s loss to Boston, limiting him to just eight minutes of action. Rajakovic told reporters that X-rays on the elbow were negative (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca), but Murray-Boyles was in “visible pain” in the locker room, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who reports that the 20-year-old will likely undergo an MRI.
“I don’t know what happened, but when the adrenaline wore off, it really hurt,” Murray-Boyles told Grange.
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- After spending the past seven seasons with the Raptors, veteran big man Chris Boucher signed with Boston in free agency. He had a big game on Friday against his former club, recording 19 points (on 7-of-10 shooting) and nine rebounds in 23 minutes. In an interesting story for The Players’ Tribune, the 32-year-old forward/center discussed his journey from being an unhoused teenager in Montreal to having a long NBA career. Boucher had nothing but good things to say about the Raptors and Canadians in general.
- According to Grange, while Toronto explored trades involving RJ Barrett this summer, the team didn’t find much of a market for the former No. 3 overall pick. Barrett, a Toronto native, will earn $27.7MM this season and $29.6MM in 2026/27 before hitting unrestricted free agency.
- With all five starters resting on Friday, undrafted rookie Chucky Hepburn had a solid outing, recording 13 points, eight assists and four steals in 27 minutes, Grange notes. The 22-year-old guard is on a two-way contract with the Raptors.
- Both Koreen and Grange suggest the Raptors may opt to carry 14 players on standard contracts to open the season. According to Grange, A.J. Lawson has supporters in the organization, but he’s signed to a non-guaranteed contract, and the Raptors already have a surplus of “skinnier swingmen,” as Koreen writes.
- For his part, Lawson said he’s focused on the present. “You just got to be yourself,” Lawson said, per Grange. “Don’t worry about all the other factors that could possibly happen. Just do what you can do, control what you can control, and for me, play hard every time I’m out there, show I can defend at a high level, show I can create and knock down the shot. If I keep doing that, I feel like I’ll be okay. I just can’t focus on the things that are out of my control.”
Atlantic Notes: Edgecombe, Minott, Bridges, Raptors
VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ game on Friday against the Magic due to hip soreness, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey notes that despite receiving a day-to-day injury designation, Edgecombe was a part of shootaround this morning and will be a participant in practice next week, barring a setback.
Staying healthy is crucial for Edgecombe, especially since he has an opportunity to play a big role for the Sixers this season. Tony Jones of The Athletic writes that the rookie guard has a real shot at being a starter, though his role could hinge in large part on the health of Paul George and Joel Embiid.
Regardless of whether he starts or not, Edgecombe should be in line for plenty of minutes this year, according to Jones, who highlights Edgecombe’s ability to play as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and passer off the dribble as a more underrated part of his skill set. As is the case for many athletic guards, Edgecombe’s development will hinge on how good he can become as a shooter and ball-handler.
We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- As part of the Celtics‘ plan to reset their books with Jayson Tatum injured, the team brought in younger, unproven players to try to rebuild its depth following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. One such player who has stood out so far, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, is Josh Minott. The 23-year-old forward, who came to Boston after three years with the Wolves, showed a bit of everything except for shooting in the Celtics’ preseason game on Wednesday. While all of the Celtics’ young players played well on Wednesday, Robb writes, Minott’s hustle and defensive ability stood out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (subscription required) echoed that sentiment, while adding that Minott’s versatility could allow him to carve out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s game plan.
- The Knicks are still adjusting to Mike Brown‘s offense, but there’s excitement about the changes the new head coach is bringing to the team, with second-year Knick Mikal Bridges expressing appreciation for Brown’s approach, writes Ian Begley for SNY. “He and his coaches, they all run a tight ship. You can tell that whatever we’re doing out there, they’re all on the same page, no matter what the situation is,” Bridges said. “And that’s a lot of credit to him… for everybody to be on the same page makes it easier for us players when they talk to us because any coach you talk to, you’re going to hear the same thing.” Brown knows it’s going to be a process to incorporate his changes. “Right now, I don’t care if we win or lose, as long as we keep trying to play the right way and trust it,” he said. “I want them to learn how to play basketball the right way offensively within our staples. That’s pace, whether it’s in the full court or the half court… If you hit that paint and you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand there. Get out right now and re-space to create more opportunities for driving and kicking…. Space the right way all the time… Hey, it hits your hands, shoot it, pass it, snap drive it to try to collapse the defense. Those are things that we believe in.”
- With 14 Raptors on guaranteed standard contracts, head coach Darko Rajakovic is unsure if the team will fill its 15th spot for the regular season, indicating on Friday that Toronto is weighing its options, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (via Twitter). A.J. Lawson would likely be the favorite if the team does carry a 15th man, Lewenberg notes. Lawson was a standout for the Raptors’ Summer League team and has averaged 4.0 points in 5.4 minutes through two preseason games.
Atlantic Notes: Timme, Diawara, George, Lawson
The Nets need to trim their roster before opening night. Drew Timme, who has a non-guaranteed contract, would seem to be a likely candidate to get waived. However, the former Gonzaga big man has strengthened his case during Summer League competition, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
In his first two Summer League games, Timme averaged 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. He’s taking nothing for granted regarding his roster status.
“No, not really. I’m honestly [still fighting],” Timme said. “I mean, it’s great and I love it, but I’m fighting. I’m competing. I want to stay here. I think I belong here, and I’ve got to prove it every single day that I do belong here. So it’s all about just fighting that battle every single day. And I like it. I like being the underdog. I like having to force my way into a situation. So, it’s fun.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Another player who has looked good in Las Vegas is Knicks rookie Mohamed Diawara. The French forward was drafted No. 51 overall last month and it’s uncertain whether he’ll join the Knicks next season or remain overseas for the 2025/26 season. “I’ve been really impressed with Mohamed,” Knicks Summer League coach Jordan Brink told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “His ability to rebound and run, to push off misses and makes. I thought he was really solid [in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics]. Pretty active defensively, still learning the defensive system and low-man principles.”
- How will Paul George‘s latest ailment impact the Sixers? George underwent surgery on Monday after injuring his left knee during a workout, though he’s expected to return in time for training camp. It might further motivate the Sixers to come to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who can play either wing position, Tony Jones of The Athletic opines. It may also solidify Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s spot in the starting lineup and heighten the importance of free agent signee Trendon Watford, who is the team’s only natural power forward on a standard contract.
- Raptors guard A.J. Lawson has a non-guaranteed, $2.27MM contract for next season but he’s making a strong case for himself in Summer League action, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Lawson is averaging 21.5 points per game while shooting 60 percent overall through two contests. He was promoted to a standard contract late in the regular season.