Raptors rookie says he plans to be the best player in franchise history
Move over, Kyle Lowry, there’s a new point guard gunning for the Toronto Raptors’ record books.
Though he’s yet to play an NBA game beyond Summer League yet, undrafted rookie Markquis Nowell is looking to stake his claim among the team’s all-time greats.
The Raptors signed Nowell back in June on draft night after he went unselected in the 2023 NBA draft, following a five-year college career with the Kansas State Wildcats and the Little Rock Trojans.
“One day, I’m gonna have everything I prayed for. I really believe it,” Nowell posted to his Instagram story on Monday night.
In a follow-up story, Nowell shared, “I will make history as the best Raptor to ever put on a uniform.”
Markquis Nowell/ Instagram
It’s a bold claim, of course, but that’s likely the kind of fire that’s driven the 23-year-old throughout the course of his basketball career to date.
If there’s a market where undrafted point guards have thrived, it’s probably Toronto. Fred VanVleet developed into an All-Star and NBA champion during his time in Toronto, while Jose Calderon thrived in Toronto from 2005 to 2013 after going undrafted in the 2003 class.
Nowell garnered international attention for a particular performance in this past year’s NCAA March Madness tournament, where he set a single-game tournament record for assists with 19 when his Kansas State Wildcats toppled Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen.
Nowell put up 17.6 points and 8.6 assists per contest in 36 games with Kansas State this past season, averaging 35.5% from three-point range.
While he’s expected to spend most of this season with the Raptors 905 G League squad, remember this article (and more importantly, Nowell’s post) if he ever does become the greatest player in franchise history.
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