Andre Jackson Jr. is getting another NBA shot, this time with the Toronto Raptors.
Late Tuesday evening, news broke that the former UConn wing and Milwaukee Bucks guard signed a deal with Toronto ahead of training camp for the 2026-27 NBA season. For Jackson, it’s a chance to reset after three seasons in Milwaukee and fight for a spot with a roster that is nearly full.
Jackson’s college run at UConn spanned three seasons from 2020-23, and he left Storrs with a national title on his résumé after helping the Huskies win their fifth championship in 2023. In 36 games during that title season, he filled the box score with 6.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. The Amsterdam, New York, native appeared in 85 games overall in a UConn uniform before entering the draft after the championship run.
Milwaukee took him with the 36th pick in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft, and Jackson spent the next three seasons in a variety of roles. His strongest stretch came in 2024-25, when he played in 67 games, made 43 starts and averaged 3.4 points and 2.7 rebounds. Last season, his minutes dropped to 8.5 per game across 48 appearances, and he logged plenty of DNPs under head coach Doc Rivers.
Toronto is giving Jackson an opportunity, but nothing is guaranteed. The Raptors have all but one roster spot filled entering camp, so he’ll be battling for that final opening. His contract is an Exhibit 10 deal, a one-year non-guaranteed agreement that would give Toronto his G-League rights if he doesn’t crack the opening night roster.
The move also keeps Jackson in the middle of a growing UConn presence around the league. The Huskies had nine players appear in the NBA last season, and that number is already set to grow with Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban joining the list.
Tyrese Martin, meanwhile, signed with FC Barcelona overseas. If Jackson sees NBA minutes for Toronto or another team this season, UConn would likely reach 10 players logging minutes in the league in a single season for the first time since the 2000’s.
In Other News...
Dan Hurley Sounds Off On A Threat To How UConn Builds Teams
Dan Hurley spent part of his latest conversation with state reporters doing what he has increasingly done as college basketball keeps changing around him: sounding the alarm about how hard it has become to build and manage a roster. The UConn coach pointed to the NCAAs eligibility rules as a source of confusion, arguing the current setup needs reform and clearer guidelines because of the chaos it creates for both student-athletes and coaches.
Hurley also touched on the way he thinks about roster construction, which is where the tension really sits for a program like UConn. His concern is not just about the paperwork and the fine print, but about the growing trend of adding older players late in the season, a practice that can alter the balance of how teams are built and maintained. For a staff trying to stay ahead, it is one more reminder that the rules around college basketball are no longer merely background noise. [Read more 🡒]