Chucky Hepburn is making the kind of Summer League impression Toronto Raptors teams tend to notice.
The undrafted guard, now on a two-way contract with the Raptors, is using his time in Las Vegas to show he can help in ways that go beyond scoring. He has put up only 13 points across his two games, but his line in Toronto’s win over the Houston Rockets stood out: a plus-25 with eight assists.
That’s the part Hepburn wants to sell. In an interview with Sportsnet insider Michael Grange, he said he’s trying to bring more than numbers to the floor.
“Just having been around the organization already, kind of been knowing what we're going through, I’m trying to have that voice out there,” Hepburn said in an interview with Sportsnet insider Michael Grange. “And I have to find my voice as well because I know that obviously that's going to be needed up top (with the Raptors' NBA team), too.”
Hepburn’s path has already included time with the NBA club last season, though he was limited to two games in part because of a knee injury. That stretch away from the floor gave him a different kind of education.
“That's a great thing being hurt, I got to learn from guys like Jamal Shead, how he guards, and how he he's able to create offensive fouls just doing little things like that from a shorter point guard perspective are winning plays that that organizations love,” Hepburn added via Grange.
Toronto has already shown some caution with him in Las Vegas. Hepburn sat out the Raptors’ 94-93 win over the Indiana Pacers because of knee soreness, and that’s the sort of issue the team can’t afford to brush aside in Summer League, especially with players it expects to keep around.
For now, Hepburn remains on that two-way deal for the upcoming season, though there is a path for that to turn into a standard contract later on. With cap space expected to shrink if the Kawhi Leonard trade becomes official, Toronto has to be sharp about where it spends. A smaller deal for a young player who is already inside the system and still developing can make a lot more sense than paying more for a veteran on the open market.
If Hepburn keeps trending up, a promotion could follow.
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Raptors Prospect Delivered In The Biggest Moment Of A One-Point Finish
Seth Lundy gave the Raptors a little bit of everything in their 94-93 Summer League win over the Pacers, carrying the offense with 22 points while Toronto hung around in a game that stayed tight deep into the final minute. Jaden Bradley also made his mark for Toronto, scoring 15 points and helping steady the finish with key free throws as the Raptors tried to close out a back-and-forth night.
The ending came down to one last Pacers possession, with Rienk Mast putting together a strong outing of 23 points and 10 rebounds before Toronto finally turned him away. For a summer roster still sorting out roles and pecking order, the result offered a useful look at a prospect who could score, compete, and stay composed when the game was on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Allen Graves Might Be Testing A Raptors Theory Fans Stopped Believing
Allen Graves has given the Raptors a little reason to revisit an old idea they have not always been able to cash in on: the big man who can stretch the floor enough to make everything else fit. Drafted by Toronto, Graves has looked encouraging in Summer League, where his 3-point stroke has been one of the cleaner parts of his early case for a real role. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to build around defensive versatility, that kind of shooting from a frontcourt player can change the conversation fast.
Toronto may not have the luxury of treating it like a long-term project, either. Injuries and a possible suspension are already creating an opening in the regular-season rotation, which means Graves could get a chance sooner than expected to show whether the summer shooting is real enough to matter. The bigger question is not just whether he can hit enough shots, but whether he can do it in a way that lets the Raptors use him in the kind of lineups they have talked themselves into before and not always trusted on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Gary Trent Jr. Reunion Buzz Just Got Real For Raptors Fans
Gary Trent Jr. is already back in the conversation north of the border, and not just because of the familiar fit his shooting once provided in Toronto. After landing a four-year, $64 million deal with Milwaukee, Trent has become part of a fresh round of Raptors chatter as the front office continues to look for ways to reshape the roster and manage its books. For a team still sorting out its next step, any player with his track record and connection to the market is going to draw attention.
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 🡒]