The Toronto Raptors have plenty to sort out heading into the 2026-2027 season, but one of the biggest swing factors might already be in the building: Collin Murray-Boyles.
As a rookie, he showed he could help right away even without a huge offensive role. That matters.
The next step is bigger, though. If Toronto can unlock more of what he does well, Murray-Boyles has the kind of game that can move from promising piece to legitimate difference-maker.
The first thing that jumps off the page is the defense. Murray-Boyles can guard bigger, more physical frontcourt players, but he’s also comfortable taking on the first line of attack on the perimeter. That kind of one-through-five versatility is gold in a league built on switching, and it fits right into what Darko Rajakovic has been asking his team to do.
Last season, Rajakovic frequently leaned into a 94-foot pressure defense, with high pick-up points and a clear emphasis on disruption. Murray-Boyles fits that style almost perfectly. He’s the sort of switchable defender who can live in a scheme like that without the system needing to bend around him.
What makes him even more valuable is how much ground he covers and how well he reads the floor. He’s not just moving his feet; he’s making plays as a help defender and processing rotations at a level that stood out alongside Scottie Barnes. That combination has helped make him one of the league’s elite defenders.
Offensively, Toronto saw enough last season to believe there’s more in there. There were real flashes in the short roll, the kind that suggested a young player with feel and instincts operating in the middle of the floor.
Rajakovic put it plainly when asked about that part of Murray-Boyles’ game: "I think it’s very important for him to add a little bit of a face-up game, so he can attack the rim off the dribble, 1-2 dribbles; he can come off DHOs, turn the corner. It has to be a slow and steady progress."
Murray-Boyles still isn’t a high-level floor spacer, but he does enough to force attention from the nail. Offensively, there’s a little Julius Randle in the way he gets downhill and puts pressure on the defense. In the short roll, he can draw multiple defenders, and that’s where his passing and poise start to matter.
If help comes, he can find the right outlet. If the low man stays put, he’ll go to the rim.
If a smaller defender ends up on him, he can use his strength and a mid-range game that’s still coming along. That gives Toronto another decision-maker when the defense collapses, which is exactly the kind of pressure Rajakovic’s offense wants to create.
The big question is whether the shot can keep catching up. Murray-Boyles has touch and feel, but his ability to become a reliable threat off the ball will go a long way toward defining his ceiling.
His mechanics have already taken a step forward, especially with the changes in his base. The hitch between his lower and upper body is less noticeable now, which is a meaningful sign even if he’s not headed toward heavy three-point volume.
Then there’s the physical side, and that’s been impossible to ignore this summer. Murray-Boyles already played with real force as a rookie, but he’s come back even more prepared for year two.
Rajakovic praised that work after being asked about his offseason transformation, saying "All of us saw the kind of effect he had in the playoffs... He worked so hard this summer.
We talked to him to get in even better shape. He put tremendous amounts of work this summer.
I think he's ready to make the next step in his career."
He now looks leaner and quicker, with added muscle and six more pounds than he had as a rookie. Over the course of an 82-game season, that kind of physical development can matter.
For a young Raptors group still trying to define itself, Murray-Boyles brings more than numbers. He brings force, versatility, and the kind of work ethic that can help shape a team’s identity.
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