The Raptors used a first-round pick on Allen Graves with one obvious question hanging over the selection: does the 3-point stroke he showed at Santa Clara survive the jump to the NBA?
At college, Graves hit 41.3% from deep on 2.6 attempts per game. That kind of number gets attention, but Toronto has already seen how tricky that translation can be with Gradey Dick. A clean college shot does not always arrive in the league ready-made.
Early signs in Summer League have been encouraging. Graves is 7-16 from 3-point range through three games, and with Collin Murray-Boyles sidelined, he has become the most prominent prospect to track as Toronto evaluates what it has. He won’t be asked to handle the ball often or take a heavy volume of shots once the games count, but if he can make the looks that come his way, the Raptors suddenly have more room to experiment.
That matters because the defensive possibilities are already pretty intriguing. With Kawhi Leonard (probably) coming back to Toronto, the Raptors could put together a defensive-heavy group of Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Collin Murray-Boyles. And if Graves’ shot is legitimate, there’s an even stranger version of that idea waiting in the wings.
As The Athletic’s Eric Koreen wrote in a July 13 article, “If his shot is real, then the Raptors can start dreaming of some funky lineups,” Koreen wrote in a July 13 article. “Why not put him on the floor with Barnes, Murray-Boyles and Kawhi Leonard-pending, well, you know-and let them switch and hound the opponent?”
That kind of group would be a nightmare to score against, even if it is a little undersized at the five. The catch is obvious: the offense would get cramped unless Graves is knocking down enough threes to keep defenses honest.
And that’s where his value really lives. If you can defend, you can find a path into Darko Rajakovic’s rotation, and Graves looks capable of doing that.
But the shot is what changes the equation. Barnes, Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl are the main frontcourt pieces, unless a trade changes the picture or a Summer League big makes a real leap, and that trio does not give Toronto much spacing.
There’s still no certainty about whether Graves can survive as a small-ball five or settle in as a pure four. But if the shot he’s shown in Summer League carries into the regular season, the Raptors can start mixing and matching in ways that are hard to ignore.
With the injury questions around Poeltl and Leonard, plus a possible suspension for Leonard, Graves should get a chance to see real minutes. The role may not be huge. But if he can defend, create chaos, and hit a few threes, that would be enough for Toronto from the 19th overall pick.
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Jakob Poeltl sits at the center of that larger picture, since Toronto has been exploring ways to move off his contract and create more flexibility. The idea of Trent as a possible target has plenty of appeal for fans who remember what he can bring, especially if the Bucks decide to keep listening on veterans while they sort through their own direction. For now, it remains speculative, but it is the kind of rumor that feels rooted enough in the Raptors roster needs to linger. [Read more 🡒]