Collin Murray-Boyles is a Raptor worth keeping an eye on this upcoming season.
Collin Murray-Boyles has been building a case for himself to have a larger role in Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković's rotations this upcoming season.
The first-round pick out of South Carolina showed flashes of dominance in 21.9 minutes of action during his rookie season, averaging 8.5 points, five rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 57.9% from the field.
Although the Raptors came up short in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs to the conference rival Cleveland Cavaliers, Murray-Boyles had one of his best performances yet in Game 3. He scored a season-best 22 points on 11-of-15 shooting and collected eight rebounds.
Moreover, the young forward kept Toronto in Game 3, intercepting a bad pass from James Harden during the third quarter while also making an impressive block on Jarrett Allen minutes later, paving the way for a 126-104 Raptors win.
Murray-Boyles was just as dominant during his two seasons as a Gamecock, leading the way with 16.8 points, 8.3 boards, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game during his last year with the program.
Even as South Carolina had their postseason journey cut short 72-68 by Arkansas in the SEC Tournament, he continued to shine. In typical fashion, he logged 20 points while collecting 12 rebounds and two steals while also going 7-for-8 from the free throw line and tallying two assists.
With the 2026-27 NBA season beginning late October, Murray-Boyles has shown that he's got what it takes to not only score, but also effectively facilitate ball movement and keep defenders on their toes.
He will especially come in handy now that the Kawhi Leonard reunion officially came to fruition. With Leonard going to his age 35 season, Murray-Boyles' youth and athleticism should provide him with some assistance on the offensive end by giving Leonard another reliable weapon to pass the ball to and quickly get out of double teams.
Besides Leonard, Murray-Boyles should also complement Scottie Barnes who is projected to have a strong season as well. Furthermore, he has also demonstrated a strong fit alongside RJ Barrett who may very well be on the trade block this year as Toronto continues their quest in finding a backup center.
If Barrett were to be moved, Murray-Boyles could get even more minutes to make up for his absence going forward.
Murray-Boyles and the Raptors will be back in regular season action on Oct. 21 as they take on the Chicago Bulls back at Scotiabank Arena.
