Jamison Battle has earned a spot on the Toronto Raptors one ladder rung at a time

New York Times

10-02-2025

HOUSTON — Life moves fast, and so does modern basketball. That's how Jamison Battle found himself in southern Spain in August.
It was Battle's first time in Europe, but he wasn't there to party-hop to Ibiza.
'I think I remember the pace of the game just being so much different than it was in summer league,' Battle told The Athletic on Sunday afternoon, before his Toronto Raptors lost 94-87 to the Houston Rockets. He recalled what it was like to play against a roster full of NBA players as opposed to the rosters you see in Las Vegas in July. 'And your eyes are kind of wide open. And you're like, 'OK, let's just settle down and … take a step back and just understand that this is a different game.''
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Battle has been good at finding the correct pace quickly. Dating to April's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia, an event for players on the periphery of the NBA draft process, Battle has been working almost nonstop to get his next opportunity after the end of his collegiate career.
Thursday after the trade deadline, Battle got a phone call from his agent Aaron Klevan telling him he had climbed the latest rung of his personal ladder: After a flurry of moves left the Raptors with an open roster spot, the team handed Battle a three-year deal on the main squad.
'I was like, 'Oh, really? Wow.' I took a (moment),' Battle said. 'I was pretty excited for that. And then I called my mom. And then the next day in shootaround, Darko (Rajaković, the Raptors' coach) congratulated me and told everyone in front of the team. It was a pretty, pretty surreal moment to achieve your dreams.'
'I'm proud of him,' Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley said. 'That's my little rook right there.'
Two days later, Battle said he is back to his routine, as 'complacency gets you out of this league pretty fast,' but he deserves the moment to take stock. The 23-year-old shooting wing's journey to this moment has been unlikely: three schools in five seasons in college, a stop in Portsmouth, the draft workout circuit, an invitation to summer league from the Raptors, an Exhibit 10 contract that earned him a spot in training camp, winning a two-way contract in camp and, finally, a spot on the Raptors proper.
'Honestly, I had no expectations going in,' Battle said of the pre-draft process.
The deal is partially guaranteed for next year and contains a team option for 2026-27, according to a team source. Assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said the Raptors had seen Battle multiple times over the last few years when scouting higher-profile players. They liked his combination of shooting and size. Raptors 905 GM/Raptors director of prospect strategy Luke Winn and amateur scouting specialist Aleem Hassanali interviewed him in Portsmouth.
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'He had been interesting as a shooter beforehand. And then getting to know him, you saw there's a lot to this guy,' Tolzman said courtside at the Toyota Center Sunday afternoon. 'He's a really smart, well-rounded human being. It piques your interest even more. Bring him (to Toronto) for the draft workout — he played extremely well in that setting, too, and again checks all the boxes in terms of everything more so than on the court. Early on in that process, he became a high-priority guy for us in the event that he (went) undrafted.'
That's what happened, as the Raptors guessed. Teams don't generally use draft picks, even second-rounders, on older prospects who project to be role players.
Meanwhile, Battle and his representatives identified the Raptors as a team with whom he'd have a chance to make his mark due to their lack of shooting. After that, all Battle did was make shots: 9 of 15 3s in Las Vegas, followed by 8 of 14 in the preseason to take the two-way spot from Carlson.
He got an early shot at regular minutes with the Raptors this season because of the team's myriad injuries, and has shot better than 42 percent from 3. He has also shot 47.1 percent in 15 games in the G League.
'I've never been highly recruited,' Battle said. 'I've never been highly sought after. My mantra is head down, work hard, stay present in the moment. You can only control what you can control. And that's what I live by. That's what I've done. It's got me here so far. I'm going to continue to do it. Obviously, you get a contract and it feels rewarding, but it's just the beginning because there's so much more that you want. Obviously (I'll) take a step back and realize that this is a huge deal.'
• Immanuel Quickley had four turnovers against the Rockets, but this was his best effort since he returned from a groin injury. He had 20 points, 18 of which came in the first half, eight rebounds and two assists. He was as aggressive in looking for his shot as he has been all year.
.@IQ_GodSon : 20 PTS | 8 REB pic.twitter.com/rabQNpNQh3
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 9, 2025
'The only way to really get rhythm back, get that conditioning back is to play,' Quickley said. 'There's nothing else that can simulate that. … I feel like I'm getting better and better.'
• This is a year for development. With that in mind, Scottie Barnes should attempt his share of 3s. However, his process needs to be more rigorous than it has been lately. Barnes checked in after a bench-heavy lineup surrendered a 10-point lineup in the second quarter and quickly took a top-of-the-key 3 off of no passes. It was open, but there is a time and place for that shot when you are having a poor season from 3. The Raptors have often said Barnes sets the tone for them, but that cannot only be on defence. Barnes is shooting 26.6 percent from 3 on the year after going 0-for-8 on Sunday.
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• This was a homecoming for Jamal Shead, who was the collegiate defensive player of the year at the University of Houston last year. The Raptors held practice at the school Saturday. Rajaković said one of Shead's areas for growth is driving to the left, and he got a layup after shifting to that side to go against the Rockets. He had 14 points in 19 minutes.
• Gradey Dick left the game near the end of the first half with a neck contusion suffered when he fell to the floor after an attempt in transition. Ja'Kobe Walter started in his place in the second half. The Raptors said Dick cleared initial concussion testing.
• Speaking of which, RJ Barrett is still in concussion protocol after developing symptoms Monday. He rejoined the team over the weekend in Houston, and Rajaković said he has a chance to play before the All-Star break. The Raptors play in Philadelphia on Tuesday before playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto on Wednesday.