The Raptors are headed to Las Vegas for Summer League on Friday, July 10, when they open against the Boston Celtics at 9 p.m. EST, and one of the clearest names to watch is Alijah Martin.
Toronto’s Summer League group is led by Collin Murray-Boyles, who is coming off an incredible rookie campaign and a strong playoff run. The expectation there is straightforward: his stay in Vegas should be brief, and after one or two games he’ll be back in Toronto.
Martin is in a different spot. The 2025 draft classmate is expected to stick around and use the tournament as a chance to push himself toward a breakout second season.
Martin’s first year in the NBA was quiet on the surface. He played in 22 games and averaged 6.3 minutes per game, spending most of the season with the 905 in the G League.
But the numbers he put up there tell a much more encouraging story. In 40 appearances for the 905, Martin averaged 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 39.6 percent from three, according to Real GM.
That kind of production is why Vegas matters so much for him. If Martin can bring anything close to those numbers into Summer League, his case for a regular-season role becomes a lot stronger.
The Raptors already seem to trust what he brings on the floor. His NBA debut came against the Celtics in the fourth quarter of a six-point game, a sign that the coaching staff sees him as more than just a fill-in. He has the toughness, the defensive edge and the kind of downhill energy that can change a game in a hurry, especially when he gets out in transition and finishes with a thunderous dunk.
What he still has to prove is that the shot can hold up. Last season, Martin shot below 20 percent from three and below 35 percent from the field, and those numbers are hard to survive on, even for a player who brings effort and physicality every night. That becomes even more important on a Raptors team that already has enough trouble creating and scoring from the perimeter.
There is some reason to believe the shooting will come around. Over five college seasons, Martin was a career 36.4 percent three-point shooter on 5.4 attempts per game. Summer League gives him the kind of runway he didn’t always have with Toronto: more touches, a bigger role and a longer leash.
That’s why this week in Vegas feels like a real opportunity. Martin was taken No. 39 in 2025 because he showed he could help a winning team at Florida and Florida Atlantic.
The defense is already there, and so is the mentality. If he can sharpen the offensive side, there’s a path for him to become an everyday player for the Raptors next season.
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