The Toronto Raptors have had a pretty good track record recently when it comes to finding young talent.
Over the last two drafts, Toronto has used two first-round picks on players who fit the same mold: defensive-minded players who can impact the game in multiple ways. In 2025, it was Collin Murray-Boyles. In 2026, it was Allen Graves.
Both players impressed during their first taste of NBA action in Summer League, but after comparing their performances, Graves may have put together the more complete showing.
That’s not a knock on Murray-Boyles, who gave Raptors fans plenty to be excited about. And who is on a track for his NBA career that Graves would surely dream to be on. It’s more a reflection of just how impressive Graves looked from the moment he stepped on the Summer-League floor.
Collin Murray-Boyles
The Raptors selected Collin Murray-Boyles ninth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and fans had to wait a little longer than expected to see him in action. CMB missed Toronto’s Summer League opener against the Chicago Bulls after being ruled out before tip-off with a left adductor strain. Luckily, the injury didn’t keep him sidelined for long.
Murray-Boyles made his Summer League debut in Game 2 against the Orlando Magic and, after a slow start offensively, quickly settled in. He finished with eight points, seven rebounds and three steals.
It wasn’t a flashy debut, but the impact was clear. Murray-Boyles showed the defensive instincts and physicality that made him such an intriguing prospect coming out of South Carolina.
His best performance came later in the tournament when he helped lead Toronto to the semi-finals with victory over the Golden State Warriors.
In that game he finished a game-high 20 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists. He shot 8-of-13 from the field and finished as a plus-22.
Most of his damage came inside. He attacked the basket, used his strength to get downhill and consistently created extra possessions by crashing the glass.
While he struggled in Toronto’s semifinal loss to the Sacramento Kings, scoring just four points, his overall Summer League performance still left plenty of optimism. He wasn’t creating his own shots and was more or less subsisting on what was created by his teammates passing or misses.
Across four games, Murray-Boyles averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 boards, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 57.1 percent from the field in 23.6 minutes per game. The defence was clearly hellacious.
Allen Graves
If you thought Murray-Boyles’ Summer League debut was impressive, well….Allen Graves’ was something else.
The Raptors selected Graves 19th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and with several players unavailable, he immediately became one of the focal points of the team.
Graves finished Summer League averaging 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 50 percent from deep on 5.5 attempts per game.
In his Summer League debut, Graves announced himself immediately. He finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks while knocking down three three-pointers. The most impressive part was how many ways he impacted the game.
He grabbed five offensive rebounds, created extra possessions and made plays defensively all over the floor. After missing his first four three-point attempts, Graves knocked down three straight in the fourth quarter and overtime. It was the type of confidence you would want to see from a first-round pick.
While CMB struggled in his final game, Graves saved his best performance for last as well. Against the Miami Heat, he scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He even hit some jumpers on the move, expanding the category of triples he was attempting.
He also added six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal while committing zero turnovers.
The Raptors fell just five points short of making the Summer League playoffs, but Graves was a major reason they finished with a winning record. At times, he even initiated in the pick and roll, showing real positional versatility.
Graves and Murray-Boyles show the Raptors are building the right way
The biggest similarity between Murray-Boyles and Graves is obvious: they both fit exactly what Toronto wants to build around. They defend. They play with toughness. They impact the game without needing the ball.
Knowing how impressive Murray-Boyles looked in his first Summer League and seeing how quickly he became a valuable piece for Toronto, it is very hard not to be excited about what Graves could become.