The Toronto Raptors selected University of Florida guard Alijah Martin in the second round with the 39th overall pick at the NBA Draft on Thursday.
Martin, 23, transferred to Florida for the 2024-25 season following four years at Florida Atlantic, and averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 38 games while shooting 45.2 per cent from the field.
A native of Summit, Miss., Martin is now the second player from the Gators 2025 NCAA Division I championship team taken in this year's draft after fellow guard Walter Clayton Jr. was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 25th overall pick. Clayton's draft rights have reportedly been traded to the Utah Jazz.
“A bunch of emotions right now, excited, nervous,” Martin told ESPN’s Monica McNutt after being drafted by the Raptors. “Just ready to get to the next level.”
The pick Toronto used to draft Martin originally belonged to the Portland Trail Blazers and was acquired by the Raptors in a deal with the Sacramento Kings last season alongside Davion Mitchell, Sasha Vezenkov, and Jamal Shead's draft rights in exchange for Jalen McDaniels.
Toronto, coming off of a 30-52 record last season, used their ninth-overall pick on South Carolina forward Collin-Murray Boyles in the first round on Wednesday night.