A young Raptors forward shared what has stood out to him after his first days of camp with Toronto's biggest offseason addition.
Training camp is where young players find out how much they have grown over the summer, and forward Collin Murray-Boyles is getting that test while sharing a gym with forward Kawhi Leonard.
The Toronto Raptors opened camp on Tuesday at the PEPS athletic complex at Université Laval in Quebec City, and Murray-Boyles was quick to share what has impressed him most about his new teammate.
Leonard only rejoined the Raptors this month, when the trade that sent forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick and a group of draft picks to Los Angeles became official on September 14.
According to TSN, this week marks his first official practices with his new teammates, and the team has him on a ramp-up plan.
What Stood Out on Day One
Murray-Boyles spoke about Leonard on Tuesday, and his comments, shared by TSN's Josh Lewenberg, showed how much a young player can pick up by watching a veteran go to work.
"Watching him work out, it's mesmerizing. He's been in the league this long and he's still doing all the little things, still pushing himself to the max. It's amazing to see for a young player," Murray-Boyles said.
Leonard turned 35 in June, and while his return was the main story at media day, the part Murray-Boyles pointed to has nothing to do with headlines.
He noticed the effort and the small details, which are the habits that help a player last, and those are good things for a second-year forward to be noticing while he learns how to play well every night.
A Rookie Year Worth Building On
Toronto took Murray-Boyles ninth overall in the 2025 draft out of South Carolina, and he played 57 games as a rookie, starting 22 of them and averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 57.9 percent from the field in about 22 minutes a night.
A left thumb injury bothered him starting in the middle of January and then turned into a sprain in February, and he said in May that he was hoping to avoid surgery on it.
The playoffs were even better.
He averaged 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in the seven-game loss to Cleveland, and his 22 points in a 126-104 win in Game 3 were the most by a first-year player in franchise postseason history, according to TSN.
What It Means for Toronto
The Raptors need players like Murray-Boyles to take a step forward this season.
Leonard is likely to need nights off to stay fresh for the spring, and Toronto needs the young core to keep growing so the team can still win on those nights.
A forward who already showed he can handle playoff minutes as a rookie is one of the best bets on the roster to make that jump.
Learning from Leonard every day should help, because the habits Murray-Boyles described are what turn a good young player into a steady one.
His thumb is still worth watching after the way last season ended, but if he stays healthy, he could be one of the players to keep an eye on this preseason.
Fans get their first look on Saturday, October 3, when the Raptors host the Miami Heat at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City.
