The Raptors have used their open two-way slot on Kevin McCullar Jr., signing the former Knicks guard to a two-way contract, the team announced today.
Toronto had already cleared room for the move by waiving Trey Jemison and Chucky Hepburn near the end of the preseason. The club later converted Nate Bittle from an Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract before opening night, which left one two-way spot available until McCullar came aboard. Because that slot was open, the Raptors didn’t need to make any additional roster move to finalize the signing.
McCullar, the No. 56 pick in the 2024 draft out of Kansas, spent his first two pro seasons on two-way deals with New York and saw limited NBA run. In 25 career appearances for the Knicks, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game.
He logged more time in the G League, including 14 games for Westchester in 2025/26. Over that stretch, McCullar put up 16.8 points, 6.2 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 31.4 minutes per contest, though his shooting numbers were modest at .422/.299/.667.
McCullar had appeared headed for another two-way stint with New York this fall after opening the season with the club, but he was waived in the first week to create space for newcomer Dalton Knecht. He has been an unrestricted free agent since then.
With Toronto, McCullar can be active for up to 45 regular-season games. To become playoff-eligible, he would need to be moved onto the Raptors’ standard 15-man roster.
In Other News...
Raptors May Have Found An Unexpected Answer During This Ugly Stretch
During an ugly stretch that has tested Torontos rotation, Collin Murray-Boyles has started to look like more than a promising young piece. His defensive activity has stood out, and so has the kind of versatility that lets the Raptors use him in different spots without losing energy or edge. He has also chipped in offensively enough to make the case that his impact is not limited to one end of the floor.
With Jakob Poeltl struggling and Leonard unavailable, the idea is simple enough: Murray-Boyles might be Torontos best temporary answer at center. It is still an opinion more than a confirmed change, but the logic is hard to ignore when the team needs steadiness, effort and some lineup flexibility. For a Raptors group searching for anything that can stabilize the present, he has at least given them a real option to consider. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Keep Running Into A Problem That Could Derail Their Start
The Raptors have spent the first stretch of the 2026-27 season trying to hold the line without Kawhi Leonard, and the results have been mixed at 4-4 through eight games. Leonard has appeared in only two games because of injury, leaving Toronto to sort through a rotation that has shown flashes but also some troubling stretches when the games tighten up.
The biggest concern has been what keeps happening after halftime. Toronto has repeatedly let third quarters slip away, none more glaring than the collapse against Denver, when the Nuggets buried them 41-15 in the period and held them to 21.7 percent shooting. Getting Leonard back should help, and so could some lineup tweaks, but until the Raptors solve that recurring problem, the early-season footing still feels shaky. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Linked Again To A Star Big Man They Once Passed On
The rebuilding chatter around Domantas Sabonis is picking up again, and it has a familiar feel for the Raptors. Toronto was among the teams that checked in on the Kings big man last season, when Sacramento was willing to listen but the talks never got far enough to produce a deal. Contract concerns and disagreements over the price tag helped stall things then, even as Sabonis remained one of the more intriguing names on the board.
Now the Kings are again exploring trade options as they sort through a reset, and the Raptors are in a different kind of pressure point of their own. With both Toronto and Charlotte struggling this season, the kind of player Sabonis is can become even more appealing, especially for teams looking to accelerate a retool instead of waiting it out. Whether that interest turns into real movement is still the open question, but the groundwork for another round of calls is clearly there. [Read more 🡒]