Photo courtesy MattAzevedo.com.
Raptors 905 are set to receive a boost as they finish out their west coast road trip. Axel Toupane is rejoining the team in Santa Cruz today, Raptors Republic has learned, and he is expected to be in the lineup when the club resumes play Wednesday night.
Toupane was plucked from the 905 for the second season in a row last week, this time by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks signed Toupane to a 10-day contract, only to turn around and waive him before it was up in order to sign Terrence Jones. Toupane appeared in two games with Milwaukee, recording one foul and missing a three in six total minutes.
A year ago, Toupane turned a 10-day deal with the Denver Nuggets into another, and then into a multi-year contract. He appeared in 21 games for them, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.5 minutes. Following Summer League, he battled for a roster spot in Nuggets camp, ultimately losing out to Alonzo Gee, then making the decision to return to the 905 in order to stay close to the NBA in the event another call-up came.
The D-League’s Most Improved Player a year ago, a hungrier, more experienced Toupane continued to grow in 2016-17, earning a trip to the All-Star Game and rave reviews from scouts at the D-League Showcase in January. Likely the 905’s best player despite coming off the bench most of the time, Toupane has averaged 16.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals, providing elite defense at either wing position and occasionally on point guards or even power forwards.
Getting Toupane back is a major addition for the 905, who sit atop the D-League standings are in good shape ahead of a potential championship run. The organization views getting players to the NBA level as an even bigger victory than anything that could happen on the court, but they probably won’t be complaining about Toupane’s return, for however long it lasts. It’s surely disappointing for Toupane that he couldn’t stick once again, but at least he earned somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000 over a few days to supplement his $26,000 D-League salary (and he made about $126,000 down the stretch with the Nuggets last year).
If Toupane doesn’t get picked up between now and the end of the year, he stands to be firmly in the mix for one of the Raptors’ two hybrid, two-way roster spots next season, assuming he’s open to signing such a deal. There’s an NBA player here, especially if he can improve as a shooter, and some team’s going to be rewarded for taking an extended chance on him.
