The Toronto Raptors are evaluating guard MJ Collins ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Toronto Raptors enter this offseason with momentum for the first time in several years. After finishing 46-36 during the 2025-26 regular season, Toronto returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games. It was a significant step forward for a franchise that won just 30 games the year before and spent much of the past three seasons searching for a new identity.
That progress, however, has raised expectations rather than lowered them. The Raptors are no longer being viewed as a rebuilding team. With Scottie Barnes emerging as a franchise cornerstone, Brandon Ingram delivering a strong first full season in Toronto, and a young supporting cast continuing to develop, the focus has shifted toward building a roster capable of making a deeper postseason run.
One of the most important avenues for accomplishing that goal is the upcoming NBA Draft. The Raptors currently own picks No. 19 and No. 50, and the team has been evaluating prospects across multiple positions and backgrounds.
The Raptors recently conducted a workout session with three players: MJ Collins from Utah State, Josh Omojafo from South Florida and Nana Owusu-Anane from Grand Canyon.
Of the three, Collins arguably offers the highest upside for a late second-round selection.
Collins is a 6-foot-4, 195-pound combo guard from Rock Hill, South Carolina who spent time at Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt and Utah State during his college career. He averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 36.1% from three-point range in his final season with the Aggies, and enters the draft as a capable scorer and secondary ball-handler.
What stands out most about Collins is his ability to finish around the basket. He converted 69.3% of his non-dunk attempts at the rim and consistently used his athleticism and body control to generate quality looks in traffic. His three-point shooting gives him legitimate floor-spacing value, while his defensive intensity and willingness to compete suggest he can contribute on both ends of the floor.
The biggest concerns revolve around his decision-making and defensive awareness, particularly when navigating screens. Those issues will need refinement at the next level, but Collins projects as an intriguing late-second-round target who could provide offensive punch off the bench.
With the 2026 NBA Draft just eight days away, the Raptors will continue evaluating prospects over the coming days before the big day on June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The pressure is now on general manager Bobby Webster, who recently signed a multi-year contract extension and was promoted to executive vice president, to make the right choice.
