First, there were open tryouts, then the G League draft, finally, there was training camp, and now all that’s left to do is hoop.
The Raptors 905 have assembled their 13-man roster to try to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. With the newfound talent on this squad, that might be the expectation, and the real challenge might be winning the championship like they did in 2017. The season begins with Friday’s opener against the College Park Skyhawks, and will run all the way to the end of March, potentially further if the 905 can make the aforementioned playoffs.
Trying to lead the team to the promised land will be second-year head coach Drew Jones, after going 18-32 last season. It was a roller coaster year for Jones in his first season, starting with a 5-11 record through the Tip-Off Tournament, before flipping a switch once the regular season started. The team started the clean slate 11-4, the second-best start in franchise history and topping the Eastern Conference. Injuries and players getting called up unravelled the season, however, as the team would go on to lose 17 of their last 19 games, plummeting down the standings while setting a franchise record 10 losses in a row.
It was a near-historic start to the regular season before an unworldly collapse, but it’s a new year, and this crop is loaded with talent to help turn things around. Let’s break the team down.
Raptors 905 roster:
Guards: Chucky Hepburn (two-way), Alijah Martin (two-way), AJ Hoggard, Jarkel Joiner, and Tyreke Key.
Wings/Forwards: A.J. Lawson (two-way), David Roddy, Patrick McCaw, Quincy Guerrier, and Tyson Degenhart.
Bigs: Olivier Sarr, Julian Reese, and Jaden Bediako.
Eligible assignment players: Gradey Dick, Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamison Battle, Jonathan Mogbo, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamal Shead.
The two-way players in rookie guards Hepburn and Martin, plus the returning Lawson, headline this year’s squad that will try to improve on the 905’s 58-92 record over the last three seasons.
Beginning with Hepburn, who unquestionably will be the 905’s starting point guard. The 22-year-old signed a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent and should be one of the leaders.
Hepburn spent three years at Wisconsin before spending his final collegiate season at Louisville, where he broke out. With the Cardinals, Hepburn averaged career-highs across the board, including points (16.4), assists (5.8), rebounds (3.5), steals (2.4), field goal percentage (43.2), and free throw percentage (84.4). Those 2.4 steals per game led the American Athletic Conference (ACC) as he captured the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Hepburn is small, measuring in just under 6-foot-1 without shoes, 189 pounds, and with a near 6-foot-5 wingspan. He does, however, bring experience, poise at the lead guard spot with more on-ball juice than you would think, and a defensive pedigree.
Martin will be Hepburn’s running mate, as if the pair were to start in the back court together, they would give opposing teams’ ball handlers nightmares.
The 39th overall pick was shockingly consistent over his last three years at Florida Atlantic, plus his championship-winning season at Florida. The 23-year-old averaged nearly 14 points, over five rebounds, nearly two assists, and 1.4 steals over those four years, while shooting nearly 37 per cent from distance on six attempts per game, over 44 per cent from the field and over 76 per cent from the free throw line.
Martin flat-out is a winner. Over those four years, his teams had an astounding 115-32 record, while helping lead the Owls to a Final Four appearance, then, of course, being a part of the national championship-winning Gators this past season.
Martin is a physical, wildly athletic, and tough defender at the point of attack who plays bigger than his 6-foot-1 and a half height with a sturdy 208-pound frame and a large 6-foot-7 wingspan.
The offensive side of the ball is where Martin will get the chance to grow the most in the G League, as more questions need to be answered offensively rather than on defence. Martin’s transition game is a big positive, as his athleticism in the open court is something to watch. But in the half-court, while the guard offers spacing, the lack of on-ball creation could and should be put to the test.
Lawson rounds out the trio of two-ways as he returns after an all-star season in the G.
In 26 games with the 905 last season, the 25-year-old averaged 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 44.1 per cent from the field, 38.0 per cent from distance, and 67.5 per cent from the charity stripe.
The Brampton, Ont. native also played in 26 games for the big club last season, averaging 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 42.1 per cent from the field and 32.7 per cent from distance.
His athleticism, rim pressure, transition game, and 3-point shooting should all stand out again. There is stuff to clean up, however, as the team will surely be hoping for his efficiency, especially at the rim, and his overall decision making to improve, while the refined on-ball defence he showed at Summer League and during the pre-season carries over.
Rounding out the guards is first-round G-League draft pick AJ Hoggard, the returning Tyreke Key, and former Skyhawk Jarkel Joiner.
Hoggard was selected 10th overall in the draft after spending Summer League with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 25-year-old spent five years in college, four years under Tom Izzo at Michigan State, before transferring to Vanderbilt for his final collegiate season.
In his four years at Michigan State, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound guard averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 steals while shooting 41.0 per cent from the field, 30.3 per cent from distance, and 74.7 per cent from the charity stripe.
Hoggard’s resume at Michigan State includes two honourable All-Big 10 mentions, while finishing as just one of five Spartans with at least 600 assists, and one of three Spartans to record 1,000 points, 500 assists and 300 rebounds in the past 30 years.
In his final season at Vanderbilt, Hoggard averaged 9.6 points, 4.6 assists (third in the SEC), 2.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting 35.2 per cent from the field, 27.1 per cent from distance, and 73.4 per cent from the free throw line.
Hoggard is a big guard who likes to push the pace, get downhill, then finish at the rim or spray it out. He can get to the paint; it’s the 3-point shot and defence that will be monitored.
Key returns to Mississauga after making 10 starts with the junior Raps last season as a “three and D” off guard.
Across 42 games, the 27-year-old averaged 6.8 points, 1.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 stocks while shooting 47.4 per cent from the field, 39.5 per cent from 3-point territory, and 70.3 per cent from the free throw line.
You know what the 6-foot-2, 207-pound guard is going to offer you, as he’s going to knock down shots and get up into you at the point of attack. After coming off a year in which he was in and out of the rotation, it will be interesting to see how the Tennessee alum fits in.
Joiner joins the 905 after his returning rights were acquired in a trade from the Skyhawks this offseason.
Over 94 games across his two seasons with the Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks G League affiliate), the 26-year-old averaged 10.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.7 steals while shooting 42.6 per cent from the field, 32.6 per cent from distance, and 75.9 from the charity stripe.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Joiner is a small and quick guard who could soak up minutes if the three-ball comes around.
The wing/forward group features a bunch of different types of players, as you would expect, including the returning Quincy Guerrier and Patrick McCaw (though it’s been a little bit), while David Roddy and Tyson Degenhart join as affiliate players.
Starting with Guerrier, whose role was constantly changing last season.
The 26-year-old started nearly half of the season for the club (18 games), but was also completely out of the rotation when multiple assignment players were down at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.
Despite all that, the Montreal, Quebec native produced when he was on the court, averaging 10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 stocks across 40 games. Efficiency-wise, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound Canadian shot 47.6 per cent from the field, 28.2 per cent from distance, and 63.8 per cent from the free throw line.
His athleticism, physicality, rebounding, length with his 7-foot wingspan, and defensive versatility offer enough for him to stick around, while the rest of his offensive game continues to develop.
McCaw returns to the organization after winning a ring with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. In fact, he won a ring in three straight seasons to start his career, with the first two coming with the Golden State Warriors.
The 30-year-old hasn’t played in the NBA since 2021, which was with the Raptors, and has spent the last four years with the Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers affiliate) in the G.
In 155 games with Delaware, the 6-foot-7, 181-pound wing made 44 starts and averaged 6.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 45.5 per cent from the field and 33.5 per cent from distance.
It will be interesting to see what sort of role McCaw has on the team, as the 905 have multiple younger players they surely would like to give run to.
Also new to the team this year are affiliate players with different experience levels in David Roddy and Tyson Degenhart. The former has competed in 168 NBA games to date, holding averages of 6.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists, while the latter is an undrafted rookie.
The 24-year-old Roddy brings experience, having been on five teams through three seasons before this. He split the 2024-25 season between the Atlanta Hawks (27 games, three starts), Philadelphia 76ers (three) and Houston Rockets (three), averaging 4.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 45.6 / 31.1 / 76.9 per cent shooting splits.
The former first-round pick (23rd overall), who stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 255 pounds, was also a standout player during his three years at Colorado State. As a senior, Roddy averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 57.1 per cent from the field and 43.8 per cent from beyond the arc.
In the NBA, Roddy is a career 30.2 per cent shooter from downtown, which just won’t cut it. If that 3-point shooting from his college days can come back, however, the former Mountain West Player of the Year could really make his mark on the 905 and get back into the NBA.
Degenhart gets his first professional stint after signing as an undrafted free agent this offseason.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward played four years at Boise State and improved every year. Across his 138 collegiate games, Degenhart started 132 of them, averaging 14.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.1 stocks.
Efficiency-wise, he had very solid splits, averaging 51.8 per cent from the field, 35.4 per cent from distance, and 77.6 per cent from the free throw line.
The 23-year-old received three straight Mountain West First-Team selections and offers an interesting blend of size and efficient shooting.
Finishing off with the bigs as Olivier Sarr and Julian Reese join as affiliate players, while Canadian Jaden Bediako rounds out the squad.
Starting with Sarr, who is in line to be the main big man for the 905 this campaign, after averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game across 46 career contests with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2021-2024).
The 6-foot-11, 240-pound centre missed last season after sustaining a left Achilles tear while playing with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, in Game 3 of the 2024 G League finals. Across 53 games with the Blue over the past three seasons, Sarr averaged 11.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.1 stocks.
Collegiately, the Niort, France native spent three seasons at Wake Forest, averaging 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.6 stocks in a breakout junior season where he was named to the All-ACC third-team and was the runner-up for ACC Most Improved Player. Sarr would then transfer to Kentucky for his senior season (2020-2021), where he would average 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 stocks, and 1.3 assists while shooting 47.0 per cent from the field, 44.4 per cent from distance (12-for-27), and 79.1 per cent from the free throw line across 25 games.
In line to back Sarr up seems to be fellow affiliate player Reese.
The 22-year-old signed with the Raptors after playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during Summer League. The 6-foot-9, 252-pound forward/big averaged 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 26.4 minutes in 134 career games (102 starts) across four seasons at Maryland.
Reese accomplished quite a bit during college, as he ranks second on the Terrapins’ all-time rebounds list (1,015) and joined Len Elmore as the only players in program history to total at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in their career. A native of Baltimore, Reese averaged 13.3 points, nine rebounds and 28.5 minutes in 36 games (all starts) and was an All-Big Ten honourable mention last season. Reese is also the brother of WNBA all-star Angel Reese.
At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, Reese is a non-shooter. It will be interesting to see if that’s something that develops while having to execute true big man things on a nightly basis.
Brampton-born Jaden Bediako joins the team through tryouts after playing in the Adriatic league last season and in the CEBL this past summer.
In 19 games (13.1 minutes per game) with Mornar overseas, the 25-year-old averaged 3.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and nearly a block while shooting 49.1 per cent from the field and 77.3 per cent from the free throw line. This past summer with the Saskatchewan Rattlers, Bediako played in 22 games (22.1 minutes per game) and averaged 8.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks while shooting 47.7 per cent from the field and 55.6 per cent from the free throw line.
In his final year of collegiate basketball at Seton Hall, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound centre averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 37 games.
Those are the players who will soak up the majority of the minutes in Mississauga, but given how the NBA team is trending and how the minutes are being distributed, there could be plenty of assignments. Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamison Battle, and Jonathan Mogbo all average the least amount of playing time on the big squad, with the latter already assigned for the opener.
It can really only go up from here for the 905 after a 58-92 record over the past three seasons, and they have the talent to do just that.
