Collin Murray-Boyles Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Murray-Boyles, Nets Assets, Grimes

August 10th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

D’Angelo Russell signed with the Mavericks as a free agent but he’s heaping high praise on the Nets organization. He feels his career has been extended by what he learned early in his career with Brooklyn, he told Dwyane Wade in a podcast (hat tip to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post). In the process, he took a swipe at the Lakers organization.

“The organization of Brooklyn is different,” Russell said. “It’s unlike any other. The performance, team, coach — everything about Brooklyn is different than what you would expect. And I’ve been around the league, where I came from the Lakers, where the structure is not the same.”

Russell played 29 games with the Nets last season. He also spent two seasons with them from 2017-19 after beginning his career with the Lakers.

“I always approached the game to where I was nonchalant, and I felt like I could just wing it. They taught me how to be a professional, how to sleep, how to eat, how to recover,” Russell said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Collin Murray-Boyles‘ personal trainer believes that the No. 9 pick of this year’s draft could turn into a Draymond Green-style defender with better offensive skills, he told Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “He is more of the modern-day Draymond [Green],” trainer Khadijah Sessions said of the Raptors‘ rookie forward. “He is a defender, he can defend all positions, he can pass, he can set his teammates up… He’s going to be a better Draymond. He’s going to shoot better than him. He’s going to be able to score better than him. But it’s going to be over time and I think him playing behind Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram is going to bring a different monster out of him.”
After selecting a handful of players during the first round of this year’s draft, the Nets still have plenty of draft assets remaining, including extra picks and pick swaps. Yet their best asset might be their own first-rounder next year, which they reacquired from Houston, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post (subscription required). There’s plenty of pressure on general manager Sean Marks that a majority of the players he picked this June pan out, as well as using that future draft capital wisely.
Should restricted free agent Quentin Grimes sign his $8.7MM qualifying offer from the Sixers and become unrestricted next summer? Or will the two parties eventually find common ground on a multi-year contract before next season? Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports take a deep dive into that subject in their latest podcast (video link).

Summer League Notes: Rookie Standouts, Maluach, Fears

July 27th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2025 Summer League gave fans and teams first impressions of most of this year’s incoming rookies, as well as serving as a showcase for several sophomores and younger veterans. In the wake of the event, Law Murray of the Athletic breaks down each rookie’s performance with an eye for what it could mean for the coming season.

Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) were arguably the biggest names who participated in the Summer Leagues – headlined by the Las Vegas event – and despite some shooting efficiency concerns, all three gave their fans plenty of reason for excitement.

Flagg displayed a well-rounded on-ball skill set, Harper came up clutch in his last game to force overtime, and Edgecombe lived at the free throw line while displaying some advanced ball-screen offensive game, Murray observes.

The next three picks in the draft, Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Ace Bailey (Jazz), and Tre Johnson (Wizards), all showed off their shot-making capabilities, which will likely be what earns them regular playing time as rookies. Knueppel was rewarded for his play with the only All-Summer League Second Team selection among rookies, while Nique Clifford (Kings) was the lone rookie to make the First Team, thanks to his stellar all-around play.

Other rookies, such as Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Carter Bryant (Spurs), Joan Beringer (Timberwolves), and Brooks Barnhizer (Thunder) flashed tantalizing defensive capabilities, though Murray-Boyles and Bryant were inconsistent offensively, Murray notes.

Here are a few more leftover Summer League notes:

John Hollinger of the Athletic takes a look at some of the low points of Summer League, including the worst ejection of the tournament, awarded to the Celtics‘ Jordan Walsh for not only having an excessive foul on the Heat’s Pelle Larsson, but for accidentally throwing him into Walsh’s own front office executives courtside.
In terms of players who struggled, Hollinger mentions Khaman Maluach (Suns), who had difficulty catching lobs and other passes, Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans), who was unable to spearhead an offense and create for others, and the limitations of the four Nets rookies who suited up, among others.
On the non-player side, Hollinger points to an abundance of turnovers caused by stepping out of bounds, as well as the prevalence of split-screen interviews that made following the games an exercise in patience and eagle-eyed vision.

Raptors Finalize Murray-Boyles, Hepburn Signings

July 1st, 2025 at 2:42pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Raptors have officially signed No. 9 overall draft pick Collin Murray-Boyles and finalized their reported agreement with two-way player Chucky Hepburn, per a pair of team press releases.

An All-SEC second teamer during his 2024/25 sophomore season at South Carolina, Murray-Boyles notched averages of 16.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 2.4 APG across 32 contests. His 58.6% field goal percentage paced the conference.

Murray-Boyles, a 6’7″ forward, will earn $6.33MM during the first season of his rookie scale deal and a total of $28.82MM across his first four pro years.

Despite being the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-ACC First Teamer at Louisville as a senior last year, Hepburn went undrafted last week. The 6’2″ guard was quickly snagged by Toronto. Across 34 games in 2024/25, Hepburn averaged 16.4 PPG, 5.8 APG and 3.5 RPG.

As a two-way player, Hepburn will likely split his time between Toronto and the team’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905. He’ll be eligible to suit up for 50 regular season contests with Toronto before the team would need to elevate him to its standard roster.

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Webster, Murray-Boyles, Martin

June 27th, 2025 at 10:34pm CST by Eli Cohen

The timing of the Raptors‘ announcement that they’re parting ways with president Masai Ujiri was met with some confusion on Friday morning, but according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, that decision was mutually made between the two parties.

As Grange relays (via Twitter), Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment president Keith Pelley told reporters on Friday that he met with Ujiri a month ago and the two came to an agreement that any change in leadership would happen after the draft, so as not to disrupt the draft evaluation process.

Ujiri spearheaded the Raptors for 12 years, including making the trades for Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol that helped turn the team into the 2019 NBA champions. He leaves the Raptors with a win-loss record of 545-419.

Pelley also confirmed that general manager Bobby Webster will interview for the newly vacant president position, per Grange (via Twitter). However, Pelley emphasized the importance of an exhaustive, wide-ranging search, telling reporters, “The president of an NBA franchise is always a big deal.”

Webster and assistant general manager Dan Tolzman are among the Raptors executives who recently received contract extensions that weren’t announced until today, notes Marc Stein of the Stein Line (Substack link). Stein adds that the high salaries that Ujiri and former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan were earning are believed to have factored “strongly” into MLSE’s decision to let go of both execs in recent weeks.

We have more news from the Raptors:

Ujiri served not only as a team-builder in Toronto but also as an energetic figurehead for the fan base and players alike, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who says Friday’s move opens the team to questions about how much of the change was motivated by changes in power structures at the ownership group MLSE. Koreen points to Edward Rogers, who became the most powerful person at MLSE last year, and his fractious relationship with Ujiri as a key factor. During his Friday media session, Pelley refuted the idea that the team will necessarily suffer from Ujiri’s departure. “When you create a brand, when you create a culture, if it is mitigated when that individual is no longer involved, then the culture and the brand has not been created in the right way,” he said. “And I believe that the way that (Ujiri) has built the brand and the way that he has created the culture is something that we as an organization at MLSE cherish and need now to build upon, and that will be something critical for the next president coming in.”
After taking Collin Murray-Boyles at No. 9 on Wednesday, the Raptors are setting themselves up for further roster changes, Koreen opines. While Murray-Boyles is a very talented player, Koreen writes that it’s hard to overlook his size and/or skill-set overlap with Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, and Jonathan Mogbo. Webster confirmed that he doesn’t necessarily see this roster as a final product, saying, “I think we’re not so worried about position as we try to find these players. Obviously teams change a lot, and you can trade, there’s a lot of different movement there.” It’s important, per Webster, that players like Murray-Boyles and Barnes have high basketball IQs, which can mitigate some of the warts that could arise when they play together.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN suggests that the Raptors played it safe with the Murray-Boyles selection, opting for a player with a stable floor of defense and passing, rather than taking a bigger swing on higher-variance prospects, such as Khaman Maluach or Noa Essengue. However, Lewenberg adds that Murray-Boyles fits the tough-as-nails identity that helped propel a team like the Thunder to the championship. “The intensity ratchets up and defence is so much more important, which is why I think [coach Darko Rajakovic] and our coaching staff preach that so much, knowing that someday we’re hoping to be in that situation,” Tolzman said. “Those are the types of guys we’re looking for.”
That exact mindset is what led the Raptors to second-round pick Alijah Martin, writes Grange, who says that by choosing Martin at 39, Toronto doubled down on gritty, physical defense. “He’s got a lot of room for growth still. One of those guys, get him in our program and see what he can do. He’s going to fight for everything he can get,” Tolzman said of Martin.
Grange notes that Martin averaged 1.3 steals per game over four years as a starter and helped lead Florida to the NCAA championship this season. Martin, for his part, described himself as the ultimate role player. “As a defender, you gotta lay your body on the line. My best attribute defensively is my ability to match your body up, being able to stay mentally poised,” he said.

Raptors Draft Collin Murray-Boyles At No. 9

June 25th, 2025 at 8:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Collin Murray-Boyles is officially the ninth overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft, as the Raptors used their lottery pick to select the South Carolina standout.

After establishing himself as a potential first-round pick with a strong freshman season, Murray-Boyles took another step forward as a sophomore in 2024/25, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 30.6 minutes per game across 32 outings. The 6’7″ forward/center made 58.6% of his shots from the floor and 70.7% from the free throw line.

Though he isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, Murray-Boyles has a sturdy frame and physical style that has allowed him to play bigger than his height — he has earned comparisons to Draymond Green due to his play-making, toughness, and defensive versatility.

The Raptors received considerable interest from teams hoping to trade up to the No. 9 pick, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), but they’re going to keep Murray-Boyles as part of their young foundation.

He will bring a much-needed physical presence to their front court and should help upgrade the defense. He’s also an accomplished passer and may get a chance to handle the ball frequently in Toronto’s offense.

Adding another big man in the draft could affect the Raptors’ decision on whether to re-sign Chris Boucher. The versatile 32-year-old forward is ready to hit the open market after spending the past seven years in Toronto.

Draft Notes: Spurs, Newell, Hawks, Essengue, More

June 24th, 2025 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs haven’t entirely shut down trade inquiries on the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, but they still seem likely to end up with Dylan Harper themselves, since no team is expected to meet their high asking price, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports writes in his latest mock draft.

“They want a ridiculous haul,” one front office executive told O’Connor. “Far more than I’d expect anyone to give up.”

Elsewhere in O’Connor’s mock draft, he cites league sources who say that Georgia forward Asa Newell, the No. 19 prospect on ESPN’s big board, could end up being a lottery pick — O’Connor has him going to Toronto at No. 9.

O’Connor also hears that the Hawks have been exploring a potential move up from No. 13, having even placed calls to teams picking in the top five. They’re targeting a center, O’Connor adds. Based on earlier reporting from Jake Fischer, it sounds like several teams in the back end of the lottery are in the same boat, as Fischer mentioned Phoenix (No. 10), Chicago (No. 12), and San Antonio (No. 14) as clubs eyeing big men.

Here are a few more draft-related notes from around the league:

French forward Noa Essengue, a potential lottery pick who ranks ninth overall on ESPN’s board, will miss the conclusion of the German League finals in order to travel to New York for this week’s NBA draft, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. His team, Ratiopharm Ulm, holds a 2-1 lead over Bayern Munich in the best-of-five Basketball Bundesliga championship, though the 18-year-old has been playing a pretty limited role in the series. Essengue’s draft-eligible teammate Ben Saraf has had a bigger hand in Ulm’s two victories and is remaining with the team for Tuesday’s Game 4.
John Hollinger of The Athletic has published his list of this year’s top 75 draft prospects. While there are no surprises at the very top, Hollinger is higher than the consensus on guys like Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 6), Essengue (No. 7), Thomas Sorber (No. 10), and Saraf (No. 15), with Tre Johnson (No. 11) and Ace Bailey (No. 12) ranked outside of his top 10.
Law Murray of The Athletic identifies some players that might make sense as targets for the Clippers with their 30th and 51st overall picks this week, including point guards like Saraf and Kameron Jones and centers such as Ryan Kalkbrenner and Maxime Raynaud. Rod Walker of NOLA.com, meanwhile, performs a similar exercise with the Pelicans‘ seventh and 23rd overall picks, suggesting that coming away with a duo like center Khaman Maluach and guard Walter Clayton Jr. would make it a successful draft for the team.
The Thunder recently worked out potential second-round pick Micah Peavy, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The Georgetown wing ranks 54th on ESPN’s board.

Draft Notes: Latest Mocks, Murray-Boyles, Jakucionis, NIL Impact, Seniors, Team Needs

June 23rd, 2025 at 5:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The latest ESPN mock draft has plenty of guards going in the lottery. Their experts, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, believe that eight guards and/or wings will come off the board within the first 13 picks.

After Cooper Flagg (Mavericks) and Dylan Harper (Spurs), ESPN’s latest mock has guards V.J. Edgecombe (Sixers), Kon Knueppel (Hornets) and Jeremiah Fears (Jazz) rounding out the top five. Ace Bailey, formerly considered a top three pick, slips to the Wizards at No. 6. The Suns, who are acquiring the No. 10 pick from the Rockets, are projected to take South Carolina big man Collin Murray-Boyles.

Here’s more draft-related info:

In his latest mock draft, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie says he thinks the Sixers trading down from the No. 3 slot remains a real possibility. The Hornets have also had discussions moving both up and down the board from the No. 4 spot, while Texas wing Tre Johnson could be a surprise selection in the top five, Vecenie writes, adding that Johnson could go as high as No. 3.
Speaking of Murray-Boyles, he worked out for the Trail Blazers over the weekend, as did Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian tweets. ESPN ranks Murray-Boyles at No. 13 overall with Jakucionis at No. 10. Portland owns the No. 11 pick.
Just 32 non-international early entrants from colleges and other basketball teams or leagues and 14 international players remain in the draft, a dramatic drop-off from recent years. What’s the difference? NIL money has motivated most prospects to stay in college, unless they believe they’ll go in the first round, as Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports details. “If you are not a guaranteed first-round pick, top-20, top-30 guy—unless you really do not want to play college basketball anymore, we are recommending and most of them are staying in school as long as they possibly can,” Michael Raymond, president and founder of Raymond Representation, told Christovich.
The draft is usually headed by one-and-dones and other underclassmen. However, there are more seasoned college players who will come off the board this year. HoopsHype’s Cyro Asseo de Choch takes a look at the cream of the senior crop.
The Athletic’s Law Murray breaks down the biggest draft needs for each team, identifying the picks each of those clubs hold.

Heat Draft Notes: Workouts, Positional Fits

June 20th, 2025 at 5:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

With the Heat still very much in the mix as a Kevin Durant trade partner with the Suns, there’s no guarantee they’ll be selecting at their allotted spot of the 20th pick in the 2025 draft. However, that hasn’t deterred them from approaching their first-round draft preparation as usual, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Winderman adds that there’s a lot of potential volatility in the Heat’s draft range. The 16th pick has already moved from Orlando to Memphis, while Minnesota, at 17, is also firmly in the Durant mix, and the 18th and 19th picks, belonging to Washington and Brooklyn, respectively, will likely be involved in trade discussions too, since both teams have multiple first-rounders and are rumored to be exploring trade-up scenarios.

The Heat have declined to make their pre-draft workouts public, unlike many teams, which has led to speculation that they’re focusing more on Durant. But Winderman writes that just because the sessions aren’t being announced doesn’t mean there isn’t due diligence happening behind the scenes.

We have more on the Heat’s draft outlook:

As for who the Heat could select should they stay at No. 20, Miami Herald writer Anthony Chiang has published a trio of articles detailing potential targets. When it comes to guard options, Chiang writes that some, if not all, of Walter Clayton Jr. (Flordia), Egor Demin (BYU), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), Jase Richardson (Michigan State), and Nolan Traore (Saint-Quentin) could be available, though he views Demin and Jakucionis as most likely to be off the board by the time Miami picks.
If Miami decides to prioritize a wing, Chiang says that the most likely field of candidates include Nique Clifford (CSU), Cedric Coward (Washington State), Liam McNeeley (UConn), Drake Powell (UNC), Will Riley (Illinois), Adou Thiero (Arkansas), Hugo Gonzalez (Real Madrid), and Noah Penda (Le Mans). Coward is considered one of the draft’s major risers and is a real threat to go in the lottery. Clifford’s combination of size, age, and a well-rounded skill set could make him a prospect of interest to teams looking to find a more ready-made contributor.
Finally, Chiang looks at the draft’s big men prospects. Names that could be on the board at No. 20 include Rasheer Fleming (Saint Joseph), Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton), Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina), Asa Newell (Georgia), Maxime Raynaud (Stanford), Thomas Sorber (Georgetown), Danny Wolf (Michigan), Joan Beringer (Cedevita Olimpija), and Noa Essengue (Ulm). Of that group, Murray-Boyles and Essengue are the ones viewed as the best bets to be lottery picks, while Beringer has become an increasingly popular name for teams in the middle of the first round after measuring in at an impressive 6’11” barefoot with a 7’5″ wingspan.

Draft Rumors: Edgecombe, Bailey, Spurs, Knueppel, Fears, Hawks, More

June 17th, 2025 at 10:45am CST by Luke Adams

For the first time since the Sixers claimed the No. 3 overall pick in last month’s draft lottery, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo are projecting Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, rather than Rutgers forward Ace Bailey, to be the pick in that spot.

As Givony explains within ESPN’s latest mock draft, Edgecombe made a strong positive impression during his visit to Philadelphia, whereas Bailey initially didn’t make plans to meet with the Sixers at all. Bailey has since changed course and will work out for the 76ers later this week, but it sounds like he may not been enthusiastic about his “pathway to development” in Philadelphia.

According to Givony, Bailey hasn’t yet conducted a known workout and has declined invitations from multiple teams in his draft range. Sources tell ESPN that his camp believes he’s a top-three player in the draft class but that they want him to end up in a situation where there’s a path to stardom. With that in mind, some teams have wondered if Bailey has received a promise from a team outside the top five that he views as more favorable in terms of both playing time and geography.

Givony and Woo have Bailey slipping to Washington at No. 6 in their latest mock, with Givony writing that the Wizards and the Pelicans (at No. 7) are both believed to be “highly intrigued” by the 18-year-old’s upside and could probably offer him more minutes right away than a team like Philadelphia could.

Here’s more from ESPN on the 2025 NBA draft:

Rival teams who have been in touch with the Spurs have come away believing that San Antonio will hang onto the No. 2 overall pick and select Dylan Harper, according to Givony, who says the Spurs are excited about adding a talent like Harper and appear willing to address potential fit issues down the road.
Although the No. 8 pick is viewed as Kon Knueppel‘s likely floor, he could end up coming off the board a few picks ahead of that. The Hornets (No. 4) and Jazz (No. 5) both appear to have interest in the Duke sharpshooter, Givony reports.
Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears looks like a relatively safe bet to be drafted between No. 5 and No. 8, writes Woo. The Jazz are viewed as the top end of Fears’ range, while the Pelicans (No. 7) and Nets (No. 8) are thought to be interested. Grant Afseth of RG.org said something similar on Monday while also identifying the Wizards at No. 6 as a possibility for Fears.
Rival teams believe the Hawks will likely be targeting a big man and a guard with their first-round picks if they hang onto both of them, says Woo. Even if the Hawks do take that route, the order in which they address those two spots will hinge in large part on who’s available after the first 12 picks. ESPN’s mock has Atlanta taking Egor Demin at No. 13 and Danny Wolf at No. 22.
Collin Murray-Boyles is considered a polarizing prospect, with some evaluators viewing the South Carolina standout as a potential “outstanding” role player while others are concerned about his shooting and his positional size, according to Woo. Murray-Boyles’ range may start around the No. 10 pick.
Arizona’s Carter Bryant has had a very good pre-draft process and looks like a strong candidate to come off the board in the 9-15 range, per Givony.

Six More Players Receive Green Room Invitations

June 16th, 2025 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Noa Essengue (France), Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina), Thomas Sorber (Georgetown), Liam McNeeley (UConn), Nolan Traore (France) and Will Riley (Illinois) have been extended green room invitations to next week’s draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets.

That brings the number of invites to 19. The 13 players previously named included Cooper Flagg (Duke), Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Ace Bailey (Rutgers), V.J. Edgecombe (Baylor), Tre Johnson (Texas), Khaman Maluach (Duke), Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma), Kon Knueppel (Duke), Kasparas Jakucionis (Illinois), Egor Demin (BYU), Carter Bryant (Arizona), Derik Queen (Maryland) and Asa Newell (Georgia).

Among the newcomers on the list, Essengue is the highest ranked on ESPN’s current Best Available list. The 6’10” Essengue has moved up to the No. 9 spot. Murray-Boyles (14), McNeeley (16), Riley (17) and Sorber (18) are all ranked among the top 20 prospects with Traore at No. 25.

According to Givony, five more invites are expected to be extended by the league. The players invited to the green room can usually feel pretty confident about their chances to be first-round picks, since the league only decides who to invite after asking teams to vote on the 25 prospects they expect to come off the board first.