A.J. Lawson is taking his talents to the Liga ACB in Spain after playing four seasons in the NBA.
As the Toronto Raptors look to make a serious push for NBA Eastern Conference contention in the upcoming 2026-27 season, A.J. Lawson will not be tagging along for the ride.
Instead, the 26-year-old guard has decided to sign with Spain's Saski Baskonia per Spanish journalist Chema de Lucas. Baskonia have been a force in the Liga ACB, winning four titles with their most recent championship being in 2020. Additionally, they broke a 17-year drought in the Copa del Rey, taking down Real Madrid 100-89 on Feb. 22.
Lawson went undrafted to begin his professional career in 2021 following three seasons with South Carolina. He had his best season for the Gamecocks that year, averaging 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and a team-best 1.5 steals per game.
Even though South Carolina's season would come to a halt against Ole Miss, Lawson still managed 12 points on the night while logging four rebounds and two steals. He also shot an efficient 83.3% from the free throw line while effectively taking care of the ball with a single turnover.
As a result, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks were the first two teams to take a flyer on him in 2022. He would only play one game for Minnesota before signing with the Mavericks on a two-way contract.
For Dallas, Lawson mustered 3.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game in 56 games of action by the time he left in 2024.
His next and final stop in the NBA would be Toronto. Before securing a standard contract with the squad this April, Lawson averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and two assists per game for the G-League Raptors 905. Such a breakout performance would also earn him All-NBA G-League Second Team honors.
However, his numbers dropped significantly in 24 games on the main roster as he averaged just 4.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.5 steals, 0.3 assists and 0.2 blocks per game in 9.4 minutes of play.
These figures were also a regression from the 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.5 steals per game he averaged in his first season as a Raptor.
Lawson went out on a high note during Round 1 of the NBA playoffs in Toronto's 112-110 overtime victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6, shooting 66.7% both from the field and beyond the arc in the 10 minutes he saw off the bench.
Now, Lawson will have his sights set on a resurgence in yet another change of scenery--this time on the other side of the Atlantic.
