Raptors bringing back young guard on training camp deal
The Toronto Raptors have signed guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. to a training camp deal, as per NBA Insider Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. has agreed to a training camp deal to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors, with a significant salary guarantee if he makes the opening night roster, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 22, 2023
With the agreement, Dowtin Jr. will receive a significant salary guarantee should he crack the opening night roster. The 26-year-old appeared in 25 games with the Raptors last season, averaging 10.4 minutes per game along with 2.4 points and 1.2 assists. The 25 games marked a career-high, as he logged just nine games a season prior, split between the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Orlando Magic.
Dowtin Jr. went undrafted during his college career with Rhode Island and signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Magic shortly afterward. He went on to win a G League Championship with the Lakeland Magic in 2021.
The Raptors are looking to bounce back this coming season after putting up a disappointing 41-41 record during the 2022-23 campaign. They qualified for the play-in tournament but were eliminated by the Chicago Bulls.
Since being eliminated, the Raptors have gone through a ton of changes. They fired Nick Nurse, replaced him with Darko Rajakovic, and signed Dennis Schroeder while losing Fred Vanvleet to the Houston Rockets. How competitive they will be this coming season remains to be seen, but watching Dowtin Jr. battle in training camp to try and earn himself a spot will be exciting for Raptors fans to watch.
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