The Raptors may have found another one.
Toronto has built a reputation on turning draft picks into real NBA players, and Allen Graves is already giving that formula a familiar look. Taken 19th in the 2026 draft, the forward has wasted little time flashing the kind of all-around impact that can turn a mid-round selection into a major win.
Through his first three games, the raw box score doesn’t jump off the page. But the per-36 numbers tell a much louder story: 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.9 blocks and 1.6 steals. That’s the kind of production that hints at a player who can do a little bit of everything if the minutes and touches keep coming.
That versatility fits neatly into what Toronto has long asked of its wings. The Raptors have spent years valuing players who can handle, pass, shoot and defend, and Graves looks like he belongs in that lane. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes summed up the appeal this way:
“Graves is a true "little things" superstar, gifted with innate timing and anticipation that basically allows him to teleport to the right spot for rebounds and loose balls,” Hughes wrote. “He has tremendous hands and excellent length at 6'9", both of which help compensate for limited run-and-jump athleticism.”
There’s also a path to more opportunity opening up. Toronto already has Scottie Barnes, Kawhi Leonard, Ja’Kobi Walter and Collin Murray-Boyles taking up plenty of the forward minutes, so Graves may have to settle for flashes rather than a steady diet of run. But Leonard is already out and set to miss significant time, which gives Raptors fans a better look at what Graves can bring over the next few months.
At 20 years old, he’s still one of the younger players in the room, but he doesn’t play like someone who’s just getting started. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward has the frame to hold up, and the defensive value is obvious. He can guard in space, and he also has the tools to serve as a second-side rim protector alongside bigs like Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl.
The swing skill is the shot. Graves is under 20 percent from three so far, though the sample is small. In college, he showed a very different level of efficiency, hitting 41.3 percent of his threes at Santa Clara while taking just 2.6 per game in his lone season there.
Toronto would gladly take even that version of him in the pros. A forward who can knock down threes, attack the glass, defend multiple spots and help at the rim is exactly the kind of player this roster can use. If Graves can bring that package together, the Raptors won’t just have another useful rotation piece - they may have another draft steal on their hands.
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Now the Thunder are shifting their focus to finding a center for the open roster spot, leaving Agbaji to keep searching for another opportunity. For Toronto fans, it is another reminder of how quickly the margins can change for a player trying to carve out a place in the league, with one door closing just as another teams needs suddenly opened elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Get A Big Opening Against A Lakers Team Under Pressure
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For the Raptors, it is a chance to catch a talented opponent at a vulnerable moment and make the most of a favorable opening. For the Lakers, the bigger concern is avoiding a skid before a back-to-back set adds even more strain to the schedule. Toronto does not need to solve every issue in one night, but it does have an opportunity to test a team that is already feeling the pressure to respond. [Read more 🡒]