Every NBA front office faces its fair share of turbulence, and the Toronto Raptors are no exception. Recent years have brought occasional scrutiny over contract extensions and financial flexibility, with hefty deals for players like Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl occasionally creating ripples on the trade market. Front offices must also endure draft night misses, such as investing a high lottery pick in Gradey Dick, whose perimeter shooting has taken longer to translate to the professional level than initially hoped.
Yet, despite inevitable missteps, exceptional talent evaluation can single-handedly rescue a franchise’s trajectory. For Masai Ujiri’s front office, that masterstroke arrived on draft night in 2025 when the organization scooped up forward Collin Murray-Boyles with the ninth overall pick—a decision recently hailed by CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn on the Third Apron podcast as the franchise’s biggest organizational win in recent history.
Outsmarting the Consensus: The Steal of the 2025 Draft
Reflecting on draft boards and consensus mock structures from that summer, Quinn noted that none of the reputable pre-draft analysts projected Murray-Boyles to be selected inside the top ten, with many ranking him significantly lower. In hindsight, the forward was drastically underdrafted.
“The biggest organizational win for Toronto in recent front office history was drafting Collin Murray-Boyles at number nine,” Quinn observed on the podcast. “I would say right now, he was underdrafted. He should have gone higher. I think he has a chance to be an All-Star.”
That evaluation is already looking prophetic. Despite having his rookie regular season limited to just 57 games due to a thumb injury, Murray-Boyles made an undeniable impact when healthy, capping off a stellar campaign by earning All-Rookie honors and delivering a jaw-dropping postseason performance.
A Star is Born on the Postseason Stage
When the Raptors limped into the playoffs facing immense adversity, few expected them to push the Cleveland Cavaliers to a thrilling seven-game series. The odds were heavily stacked against Toronto: Immanuel Quickley was forced to miss all seven games, Brandon Ingram struggled before missing the final two contests, and the team lacked the veteran playoff pedigree of their opponents.
Yet, the Raptors proved they are rapidly becoming a legitimate force in the Eastern Conference, and Murray-Boyles was the catalyst behind that belief. Thrust into high-stakes action as a rookie, he emerged as Toronto’s third-leading scorer behind stalwart anchors RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes, putting up an impressive 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Despite giving up significant size against Cleveland’s elite frontline of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Murray-Boyles consistently outplayed expectations, bringing a gritty, fearless brand of basketball that electrified the fanbase.
Primed for a Massive Second-Year Leap
As the organization prepares for the upcoming campaign—highlighted by the anticipated finalization of the blockbuster trade bringing Kawhi Leonard back to the fold—the spotlight shines brighter than ever on Murray-Boyles’ development.
While questions remain regarding the team’s ultimate ceiling and Leonard’s health, one thing is certain: fans are counting down the days until they see the young forward back on the floor. Presuming Jakob Poeltl retains the starting center role to begin the year, Murray-Boyles is primed to anchor the second unit as arguably the most impactful reserve and lockdown defender in the conference.
If he maintains full health, Murray-Boyles has all the raw tools, tenacity, and basketball IQ necessary to take a monumental sophomore leap. Do not be surprised if his name quickly enters the conversation for both the Sixth Man of the Year award and a coveted spot on the NBA All-Defensive Team. For a franchise eyeing a return to elite contention, unearthing a future All-Star at pick nine changes everything.
