Raptors’ Collin Murray-Boyles Ranks Fifth in Betting Odds for NBA Award

While they may not be known as one of the bona fide championship contenders next season, the Toronto Raptors have made a lot of noise this offseason and have much to look forward to. General manager Bobby Webster received a lot of criticism for selecting Santa Clara forward Allen Graves with the No. 19 pick in this year’s NBA draft, but now he is looking like one of the steals of the draft. 

In the Summer League, he showed that he will be a pivotal piece of the Raptors’ future. Much of the anticipation around Toronto’s team was centered around him and second-year forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who ultimately sat out the entirety of the period with a finger injury. The former No. 9 pick in the 2025 NBA draft was set to be unleashed by constantly putting the ball in his hands and allowing him to operate as the primary ball-handler in the pick-and-roll. Due to his absence, this authority transferred over to the rookie first-round pick, and he delivered like many didn’t know he could. 

Murray-Boyles had a similar effect to end the regular season and throughout the first-round playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Going into last year’s draft, his defensive upside was obvious due to his keen instincts and good intangibles. What many didn’t realize was how quickly he could learn from superstar teammate Scottie Barnes how to be extremely versatile and effective right away. In addition, he became a viable scoring option, using his aggression and physicality to score in the paint off the pick-and-roll, off-ball cutting, and offensive rebounding. 

After seeing such rapid growth from the now 21-year-old, it’s no surprise to see him among the top candidates to win the Most Improved Player of the Year award next season. BetMGM has the former South Carolina Gamecock as +2000 to win, tied for the fifth-highest odds behind Milwaukee Bucks center Kel’el Ware (+1600), Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (+1200), San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (+1200), and Charlotte Hornets guard/forward Brandon Miller (+800). 

His continued rise is now a focal part of the Raptors’ championship aspirations. He is widely expected to be the most impactful player on the roster outside of Barnes and Kawhi Leonard, assuming the trade is officially finalized. Once Leonard is announced as a Raptor again, there may be more moves on the horizon from Webster, both in free agency and the trade market. While they may both be long shots, the dreadful scenarios in Golden State and Denver have made Stephen Curry and Jamal Murray trade targets. Plenty of quality free agents remain as well, so there is still lots to come before training camp begins.