Raptors sign undrafted March Madness star: report

It might not have been exactly how he expected it to go, but the Toronto Raptors are giving Markquis Nowell the NBA shot he craved.

On the wee hours of Friday morning, it was reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania that the Raptors had signed the 5’8″ Kansas State point guard to a two-way contract after he went undrafted at the 2023 NBA Draft.

Undrafted guard Markquis Nowell – who set an NCAA tournament record for assists (19) on Kansas State's Elite 8 run – has agreed to a two-way NBA contract with the Toronto Raptors, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023

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.

“I’m trying to keep short guards relevant,” he said in an interview with the New York Post earlier this week. “There’s not many of us in the NBA that’s playing at a high level. I want to put on for them… I just feel like there’s nobody out there that’s working harder than me. That’s where my confidence comes from.”

Nowell had reportedly worked out for the Raptors ahead of the draft process, as he posted a video on social media driving through the streets of Toronto.

Toronto is a team who have struggled with backcourt depth over the past two seasons following the departure of Kyle Lowry in the summer of 2021 to the Miami Heat.

2022 All-Star Fred VanVleet is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer after declining his player option, though there’s still a chance he could re-sign with Toronto, with the latest reports stating the team is set to offer “big money” to retain their starting point guard.

It’s likely Nowell joins Toronto’s roster at the upcoming NBA Summer League, taking place in Las Vegas from July 7 to July 17.

With their lone selection in Thursday’s draft, Toronto took Kansas shooting guard Gradey Dick at 13th overall.

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