Photo Credit: Lucas Peltier
The Toronto Raptors have brought back a big from Summer League to compete for a roster spot.
Seven-foot-five centre Jamarion Sharp will join Raptors training camp, Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reported on Monday.
The G League’s Defensive Player of the Year last season, Sharp was part of the Raptors Summer League roster before he signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was waived by the Clippers just ahead of their training camp on Sept. 25.
The 25-year-old will now compete for one of the Raptors’ two-way spots, as all three are currently occupied by Malachi Smith, Trey Jemison and Chucky Hepburn — who sustained a left hamstring strain in Saturday’s preseason win over the Clippers.
Nimari Burnett, Tyson Degenhart, Tyreke Key and Nate Bittle are also among the players competing for spots on camp deals. However, Bittle has been in a walking boot due to a foot injury.
Sharp averaged 7.7 points (on 73.5% from the field), 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 blocks with the G League’s Texas Legends last season. He had similar numbers at Summer League with the Raptors — a line of 7.4 points on 71.4% shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over the five games.
Our Louis Zatzman wrote this about him during Summer League:
“A legitimately fearsome shot-blocker. That seems like it would port over to the NBA pretty cleanly. He timed the Heat well, even swatting a reverse layup in the second that took great patience. As always, he dunked everything on the other end, too. He rolls well, and I think his pick-and-roll game has looked better than it did at the start of Summer League. It’s hard to see an NBA team not taking a chance on him this upcoming season.”
Sharp will get his first chance to suit up for a Raptors preseason game on Tuesday when they host the New York Knicks at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.