logo
Collin Murray-Boyles: Raptors sign 9th overall pick to rookie contract

Collin Murray-Boyles: Raptors sign 9th overall pick to rookie contract

USA Todaya day ago
Signed and official. CMB is locked in. 🖊️ pic.twitter.com/ytGPlvpvYf
South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, the ninth pick in the 2025 NBA draft, signed his rookie-scale contract with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, the team announced.
Murray-Boyles was named to the All-SEC second team, averaging 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks on 58.6% shooting as a sophomore. He was the first Gamecocks player since Jimmy Foster in 1983-84 to average at least 16 points and eight rebounds in a season.
He will make $6,332,520 next season, according to Spotrac.
The 6-foot-7 forward led the conference in field-goal percentage and ranked 21st nationally. He was the only player in a Power Four conference to average at least 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block on 50% shooting from the field.
Murray-Boyles established himself as a lottery pick at South Carolina because of his defensive intensity, post presence and ability to make plays for others. He boasts a 7-foot wingspan that enables him to protect the rim and force turnovers.
The 19-year-old added a 3-point shot this past season, with inconsistent results after converting 9 of 34 from beyond the arc. The lefty has a smooth stroke and made it a point of emphasis throughout the predraft process to showcase his potential as a floor spacer.
Murray-Boyles is expected to suit up with the Raptors as they play at least five games in the NBA Summer League, beginning on July 11 against the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. EDT, NBA TV).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Deciphering what's real about the WNBA. Plus: A pair of U.S. Soccer wins
Deciphering what's real about the WNBA. Plus: A pair of U.S. Soccer wins

New York Times

time16 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Deciphering what's real about the WNBA. Plus: A pair of U.S. Soccer wins

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning. Tragic news overnight, as Liverpool's Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car accident in Spain. More here. Lately, it's never a dull week in the W. We just wrote Sunday about the flurry of activity around Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, but we already have updates there. Plus: veritably seismic news about the league's expansion plans. So as we barrel toward the second half of the season, I thought it would be worth bringing in an expert to provide some fresh, well-informed talking points to have in mind while hanging around the BBQ this weekend. Here's Sabreena Merchant: In your story with Ben Pickman earlier this week, we got concrete details on the disparity between Clark's pay and what she's actually worth — potentially $1 billion — to the league. What's the biggest takeaway? 💬 Although various economists threw out different numbers regarding Clark's overall value, no one disputed the rocket fuel she has poured onto the WNBA economy, in terms of ticket sales, TV viewership, merchandise sales and even the number of people voting for the All-Star game. It's a monumental shift. Advertisement The problem that kept popping up is that the convoluted ownership structure of the WNBA — 42 percent belongs to the WNBA, 42 percent to the NBA owners and 16 percent to investors in a 2022 capital raise — prevents the players from recouping that value. While NBA players get a 50/50 split of basketball-related income, WNBA salaries account for about 10 percent of the league's revenue. The league announced Monday it's expanding to 18 teams by 2030. Give us a vibe check on the reaction. 💬 I may be the wrong person to ask, but there has been a general swell of enthusiasm about adding more roster spots and being able to grow the business of the WNBA. Players have consistently advocated for more investment in their product, and the three new ownership groups are doing that, to the tune of $250 million in expansion fees per team. For reference, the expansion fee for Golden State, which debuted less than two months ago, was $50 million. There is some concern about the league chasing expansion instead of solidifying the business of the 13 existing franchises — check out Satou Sabally's comments on that front. The WNBA is also publicly touting its growth while privately keeping money away from players in CBA negotiations. It's a tough balancing act to strike. Oh, right: the actual basketball! What's an underrated story on the court as we approach the second half? 💬 Phoenix (12-5) has five rookies in its rotation, four of whom were undrafted and played the first part of their professional careers abroad, yet sits second in the standings. While Indiana (8-8), Las Vegas (8-8) and even Seattle (10-7) were projected to be the biggest threats to a Minnesota-New York finals encore, the Mercury have been the most consistent team outside that duo, and their offseason acquisitions of Sabally and Alyssa Thomas have meshed seamlessly. How Phoenix holds up now that the rest of the league has tape on its new roster is something to keep an eye on moving forward. Advertisement Thank you, Sabreena! My take: This league is genuinely rising, but there's some reason to worry about the bubble bursting. Let's keep it moving A pair of U.S. Soccer wins There was just something about concurrent U.S. men's and women's national team games on a summer evening that felt … so right. It apparently did for the players, too: The men's side advanced to the Gold Cup final with a 2-1 win over Guatemala last night, thanks to a pair of goals from Real Salt Lake star Diego Luna, while the women handled rival Canada 3-0 in a friendly. Luna's second goal within 11 minutes was a banger: DIEGO LUNA ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 🔥 HE SCORES HIS SECOND OF THE NIGHT FOR THE @USMNT! 🇺🇸 — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 2, 2025 Emma Hayes' USWNT went 3-0 in this window, scoring 11 goals and conceding none. Mauricio Pochettino's team will play Mexico on Sunday with a chance to win his first trophy as USMNT manager. 🍿 Kershaw's big milestone Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw became the 20th pitcher — and just the fourth lefty — in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts last night in a win over the White Sox. The 37-year-old joins Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer as active members of the club. Our story notes Buster Posey has the most career plate appearances against Kershaw (120), which got me wondering: Who has the presumptive Hall of Famer struck out most? Check tomorrow's newsletter for the answer. More news 📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters. 📺 Women's Euros: Spain vs. Portugal 3 p.m. ET on Fox Our summer of soccer continues. Spain, the reigning women's World Cup winner, begins its tournament as the favorite, while Portugal hopes to advance past the group stage for the first time in its four major tournament appearances. Follow our Euro 2025 coverage here. 📺 WNBA: Fever vs. Aces 7 p.m. ET on Prime Video Two star-studded teams, each sitting at .500 with one-third of the season behind them. Caitlin Clark is set to miss her fourth straight game with a groin injury, but her team should be in good spirits coming off its Commissioner's Cup win earlier this week. There's probably something we could all learn from 73-year-old Pete Carroll, now the oldest head coach in NFL history, about aging gracefully. His consistency in approach has made Carroll the NFL's 'Benjamin Button,' as Michael-Shawn Dugar and Tashan Reed write. The grass on which Coco Gauff announced herself six years ago now appears to be her worst surface, rather than her best. What's the problem? Advertisement Smart piece here from Asli Pelit on how women's soccer players are building media ventures to 'seize the mic, shape the narrative and open doors for the next generation.' Jesse Granger has a comprehensive piece on how the Vegas Golden Knights have adopted a 'home run' philosophy as an organization. Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The Bobby Bonilla Day explainer. Good for him. Most-read on the website yesterday: Live updates from Day 3 at Wimbledon. More there today!

New Boston Celtics big man Amari Williams on his future in the NBA
New Boston Celtics big man Amari Williams on his future in the NBA

USA Today

time29 minutes ago

  • USA Today

New Boston Celtics big man Amari Williams on his future in the NBA

As things currently stand, the Boston Celtics find their frontcourt rotation a thin one, with multiple key big men having left the team via trade and free agency. But the Celtics did add a center to the team with the No. 46 pick of the 2025 NBA draft, former University of Kentucky big man Amari Williams. The Wildcat alum recently made his way to the City of Boston to sit down with the press and share his initial reaction to the team he was drafted to. Williams spoke on what role he thinks he is going to have in Boston in light of said center departures, as well as what got him to the Celtics as a player in the first place. The folks behind the "CLNS Media Boston Sports Network" YouTube channel put together a clip of the two way center's first interview as a Boston player for us to watch later. Check it out yourself. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store