The young guard could see an elevated role this season as the Toronto Raptors eye a return to NBA prominence.
The Toronto Raptors might give more looks to one of their younger pieces in Alijah Martin this upcoming season as the franchise has their sights set on returning to 2019-esque levels of dominance that earned them their first-ever NBA championship.
While Martin averaged 2.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists during limited action this past season, he shot a reasonable 32% from the field and converted on 78.9% of attempts at the free throw line.
As a result, it is likely that Martin will be seeing more minutes on the floor given the possibility of Toronto shipping off RJ Barrett in a trade to fetch another NBA-caliber big who can complement 7-foot center Jakob Poeltl and allow him more time to rest during the grind of an 82-game season.
Although Martin would sit out for the entirety of the Raptors' Summer League campaign with knee inflammation, general manager Bobby Webster took a step of confidence in the 24-year-old's future, signing him to a new standard contract in early July following his impressive rookie season.
He had his best night yet on Jan. 11 during Toronto's 116-115 overtime victory against the Eastern Conference rival Philadelphia 76ers, scoring nine points while collecting eight rebounds and four steals. To top it off, Martin made two blocks through 30 minutes of action.
Martin had a similar performance against the Orlando Magic on March 29, managing eight points on the night while also logging four boards and going 3-for-7 from the field.
Furthermore, Martin's steady development has been evident ever since his lone season with Florida in which he averaged a career-high 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
He also put up remarkable figures during his fourth and final season with Florida Atlantic in 2024, averaging 13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 34 games of playing time.
Even as Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles are set to continue receiving the bulk of the workload, Martin has proved himself deserving of additional opportunities, especially in the unfortunate scenario where one of them were to be sidelined with an injury.
With the Kawhi Leonard trade still pending per ESPN, Martin should also come in handy if the move goes through with his excellent ball handling that can help the 35-year-old superstar's quest for a third title.
Martin and the Raptors will be back in action on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT when they host the conference foe Chicago Bulls at Scotiabank Arena.
