The Toronto Raptors’ summer league is in the books, and the real roster conversation now shifts to Calgary, where training camp is scheduled to open at the end of September. That’s where Seth Lundy and Nate Bittle are expected to keep battling after both stood out in Las Vegas, trailing only Allen Graves among Toronto’s most impressive performers.
If the Kawhi deal is processed before camp starts, Toronto would be looking at two open roster spots and one two-way opening. That sets up a direct competition between Lundy and Bittle, with the big question being whether both can land standard NBA contracts or whether one ends up on a two-way deal.
Right now, Bittle appears to have the cleaner path.
Toronto’s depth chart makes the case pretty simple: center help matters more than wing depth. And because two-way players can only appear in a maximum of 50 regular season games, it makes more sense for Lundy to take that route while Bittle fills a more traditional NBA role if he keeps earning it.
Lundy, though, checked a lot of boxes in Vegas. Toronto wants shooting, defense, length and energy from the wing spot, and he brought all of that. He led the team in scoring at summer league, putting up 20 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 stocks while hitting 43.8 percent from three.
What stood out beyond the numbers was the way he handled more on-ball responsibility. Lundy has long been viewed as a catch-and-shoot threat rather than a creator, but in Las Vegas he showed that his off-the-dribble shooting is part of his game too. That matters for a Raptors team that can use a floor spacer in a hurry.
He also brings real defensive value. Lundy is strong at the point of attack, and his 6-foot-10 wingspan helps him rack up steals and trigger the fast break, which fits the defense-to-offense style Darko Rajakovic wants. At 6-foot-4, he’s not going to live at the rim as a shot blocker, but Toronto saw against Indiana that he has the size and timing to come up with a game-saving block when the moment calls for it.
That kind of profile would usually put him in line for a standard deal. The problem is the roster math, and the lack of center depth behind Jakob Poeltl. Collin Murray-Boyles, who stands 6-foot-7 and is not a traditional big, is the Raptors’ only secondary source of center play.
Bittle, meanwhile, gave Toronto plenty to think about. He wasn’t just solid in summer league; he flashed real potential.
The 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.8 blocks per game backed up what the eye test showed: strong processing, maturity, solid rebounding, rim protection instincts, hard screens and even some floor spacing. He also shot 43.8 percent from three on more than four attempts per game.
For a team that badly needs backup center play, that production is tough to dismiss.
So yes, both players are expected to be in camp. But the road ahead looks very different.
Bittle can keep doing what he’s already shown and make the case that he can be a dependable backup five. Lundy, on the other hand, may need to overwhelm everyone in the gym to force Toronto’s hand.
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The problem is that Toronto is not operating with a clean slate, and that makes timing matter as much as interest. A minimum deal for DeRozan would still push the Raptors over the first apron, something they are unlikely to do, which leaves them trying to balance nostalgia, need and flexibility while other teams circle. Miami has also shown interest, so if Toronto wants to make a real push, it may have to move before the market decides the fit for them. [Read more 🡒]
