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Allen Graves ready to be Santa Clara’s next NBA standout, with an assist from Podziemski

Allen Graves poses on the red carpet prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS – Shortly after Allen Graves became the 13th player from Santa Clara University to be drafted into the NBA, his phone lit up with messages from the school’s two most recent alumni in the league.

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2023) and Thunder star Jalen Williams (2022) each sent their congratulations Graves’ way after he was picked No. 19 overall. Podziemski took it a step further by helping the young forward connect with one of his former Golden State teammates, Trayce Jackson-Davis.

“They were telling me they’re proud of me and just to keep going,” Graves said after his summer league debut. “Brandin texted me and said Trayce is my guy and he’s gonna look out for you.”

Jackson-Davis spent two-and-a-half years with the Warriors before being traded to the Raptors before February’s deadline, and Podziemski trusted the well-liked center to show Graves the ropes in the NBA.

“When we did the (offseason) mini-camp, I was talking to Trayce a lot,” Graves said.

At the Las Vegas summer league, those lessons have been put to good use. The 6-foot-8 Graves put up 22 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in his debut against the Celtics.

Even though he is playing more on the wing, compared toa more interior role at Santa Clara, Graves has not had to change his approach much at all at the pro level.

Santa Clara forward Allen Graves, left, controls the ball while pressured by Gonzaga forward Braden Huff during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Spokane, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)

“I knew that I would translate very well because of my IQ,” Graves said. “I feel like I can adapt at an elite level, and what I’m going to continue to do going forward is using my brain … reading the defense, I’ve been doing it my whole life. I obviously wasn’t the most athletic guy, so I had to know angles, had to be able to read the defense.”

Graves does not dominate the ball. Instead, he lives inside the ever-changing pockets of space created by chaos on the court, darting from one spot to the other while allowing teammates move and play without inhibition.

When the opportunity arrives, Graves always seems to be in the correct position to knock down an open 3-pointer, deflect an opponent’s pass, grab a loose ball or snag a rebound.

It is a style of play that Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek predicted would lead to great things as a professional after Graves led the Broncos to a near-upset of Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“He has an incredible work ethic and he’s passionate about the game,” Sendek said. “With his skill level, his basketball feel and IQ, his toughness, he checks a lot of boxes, and I think ultimately will be a very successful NBA player.”

Graves averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while being named the West Coast Conference’s sixth man of the year and freshman of the year as a member of the all-conference team.

As a professional, the Raptors have taken a somewhat unique approach to handling the rookie’s time in Las Vegas. While some teams ask their top draft pick to expand his game and try things that they will likely not be asked to do in a pro setting, Toronto’s coaching staff has turned in the other direction.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Allen Graves after he is drafted nineteenth overall by the Toronto Raptors during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

With big minutes set for high-scoring wings like Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram — or Kawhi Leonard if Toronto’s trade to reacquire him goes through — Graves’ role will be defined by him doing all of the little things.

“‘We want you to play hard, we want you to get deflections, cause chaos on defense, and then go get rebounds, crash the glass every time,” head coach Darko Rajaković told Graves before the games began. “Then everything else will fall in line.”

With Barnes and other NBA Raptors watching the games in Las Vegas, offering their advice and support from the sidelines in real time as Graves plays, being the ultimate role player does not sound too bad to the rookie.

“I can just go out there and play my game, play free,” Graves said. They’re like, ‘We don’t expect you to do anything that you haven’t done, that you’re not comfortable doing.’”