Last year, the Toronto Raptors traded away OG Anunoby and landed two key players in return Immanuel Quickley and homegrown product RJ Barrett. Both had potential, but were young. It didn’t take long for Barrett to take his game to the next level while playing close to home. And, since that has proven to be a winning formula, it is no surprise that team management are trying it again. This time, with AJ Lawson, signing the Toronto native to a two-way contract.
The 6-foot-6, 185-pound guard has shown flashes of promise while playing with the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves over the past two NBA seasons. But has been developing in the NBA’s G League this season. There, Lawson averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 11 games for the Long Island Nets this season, and has been a standout His impressive performances has earned him a show with the Raptors, who are dealing with a never-ending series of injuries to key players including starting guards Scottie Barnes and Quickley. Lawson’s previous G League stints with the Texas Legends, Iowa Wolves, and College Park Skyhawks saw him average 21.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in the 2023-24 season and 20.0 points and 7.4 rebounds in 2022-23.
Signed ✍️
Welcome home, @ItsAJLawson pic.twitter.com/jXh7sDYCf3
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) December 11, 2024
This marks a homecoming for Lawson, who is returning to the city where his basketball journey began. He was raised in Brampton, and played basketball at GTA Prep, an academy hosted at Mississauga Secondary School. He played collegiately with the South Carolina Gamecocks, but was undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft instead signing as a free agent and attending summer league in 2021 and again in 2022 before signing with the Timberwolves as a two-way player, and then the same with the Mavericks. He played His rise through the ranks mirrors that of RJ Barrett, another Toronto-native player who saw significant growth in his career after joining the Raptors’ division rivals, the New York Knicks. Many will be hoping that Lawson can follow a similar path to success in his hometown.
Lawson’s NBA career to date has seen him average 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in 57 games. He now has an opportunity to prove himself at the next level with the Raptors, a team that is making the most of their current injury-riddled roster situation to audition many young players.
