Six teams, two leagues, one goal: Colin Castleton found a home in Toronto
The following is part of Raptors Republic’s series of pieces reviewing the season for the Toronto Raptors. You can find all the pieces in the series here.
He came, he left, and then he came back after joining a rival. Colin Castleton bounced around this year, but found a home north of the border by the season’s end.
The recently turned 25-year-old played for three NBA teams and three G League teams across two different countries this past season, talk about a whirlwind season! After spending the preseason with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 6-foot-11 big man was cut before the season began. It wouldn’t take long for Castleton to be snatched up, however, signing a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies a week into the regular season on Oct. 30.
The former Florida Gator didn’t get many opportunities in Memphis, however, averaging only 4.6 minutes across 10 games played, to the tune of 1.4 points and 0.9 rebounds. Castleton also coincidentally played 10 games with the team’s G League squad, the Memphis Hustle, where he was predictably great. In nearly 32 minutes per game, he averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 stocks. Efficiency-wise, the centre shot 43.8 percent from the field and even hit 26.1 percent (6-for-23) from downtown in the minors, after going 0-for-4 with the big club and only shooting one 3-pointer in all of his rookie season last year.
Unfortunately for Castleton, once the calendar flipped to 2025, the Grizzlies waived him on Jan.10. The big man would return to the G, but this time with the Osceola Magic, where he continued to tear up the minors. The skilled centre averaged 17.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals in just over 29 minutes per game across 17 contests. While the 3-point shooting volume tanked as he only took three total triples with Osceola, the efficiency inside the arc shot up. In almost 12 attempts per game, the Pembroke Pines, Fla. native shot 58.9 percent from the field, his most efficient mark in any situation in his career. His great play would earn him a 10-day contract with Toronto, and it’s here where Colin’s Raptors story began.
Actually, before his Raptors story began, his Raptors 905 story began and ended, playing his one and only 905 game before joining the big squad. And he was fantastic, putting up a game-high 27 points on 12-for-18 shooting (66.6 percent), six rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal in an absurd 43 minutes. What made this debut more impressive was, one, Castleton had only been with the team for a cup of coffee, and two, he almost played the entire game.
“A really good development organization, good people from the bottom to top, heard nothing but great things,” said Castleton about the Raptors after his 905 debut.
“Overall, great organization, excited to be here. It’s cold right now, even though a lot of people told me it wasn’t going to be cold. I’m from Florida, so I don’t really have a good judgment on the weather. I still saw snow, so for me, that’s cold. Other than that, I like it.”
The rest of his back-to-back 10-day contracts would be spent in the NBA with the Raptors, making four starts in the process. Toronto, which has needed some big help for a couple of years now, threw Castleton into the fire, and he held his own. Across 10 games, the now 25-year-old averaged 6.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.4 stocks while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 25.0 percent (2-for-8) from downtown.
During his time north of the border, Castleton showcased an array of skills offensively. The centre exhibited that he could put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, whether on a post-up or even driving the lane. He was also used as a dribble-handoff-hub, having some actions run through him with the ball in his hands. His ability to keep the offence flowing with his quick decision-making and passing skill, to go along with the handle and touch he showcased, fits right into how Darko Rajakovic likes his bigs to play in his quick-moving offensive system. Not to mention a 3-point shot that is developing, as in his first year of shooting it from distance somewhat regularly, he averaged 23.3 percent (10/43) in the NBA and G League combined.
There is a lot the Raptors can work with on the offensive side of the ball with Colin, but he also possesses tools on defence to succeed. He possesses great length, standing at 6-foot-11 while boasting a 7-foot-4 wingspan. Castleton also moves pretty well for his size, though he is fairly an upright mover. While maybe lacking the strength and explosion to be a premier shot blocker and overall post defender, his length makes up for those shortcomings to some degree. Another positive of the second-year big’s game is his rebounding, especially offensively. He attacks the boards on both ends with a great motor and positioning, averaging nearly 10 per game across the G League this season and over seven in the big leagues. On the offensive boards, he put up gaudy numbers, averaging 4.3 in the G League and snagging over three per game in his Toronto stint.
After his two 10-day contracts expired, Toronto had to either sign the centre for the remainder of the season or let him go; Toronto opted for the latter. After showcasing quite a bit while with the Raptors, the Florida native would sign a 10-day contract with a division rival of Toronto, the Philadelphia 76ers. While in the city of brotherly love, the big man continued to play well, averaging 6.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 19.6 minutes across five games.
Then things got funky at the back end of the Raptors’ roster, with Cole Swider and Orlando Robinson being waived, opening the door for Brampton, Ont. native A.J. Lawson to have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal and for Castleton to be brought back on a standard deal as well. The big man got the exact same deal term-wise that Lawson got, signing for the final game of the regular season plus all of the 2025-2026 season, though the next season is fully non-guaranteed.
Of course, Castleton’s season would close back north of the border, armed with a new contract for one final game. In the season finale, the big finished with 10 points on 5-for-7 shooting (71.4 percent) to go along with two rebounds, officially ending his hectic season.
Colin Castleton showed enough for Masai Ujiri and co. to bring the 6-foot-11 big man back into the fold for next season with a chance to fight for a spot. If he has a good camp, a good preseason, it would cement a long stretch of solid play for a team that could use some size and help in the front court, like Toronto. Who the Raptors take in June’s draft will certainly affect Castleton’s chances of making the team next season, but with the team falling to the ninth overall pick, it gives Toronto more flexibility under the tax threshold to keep him in the program. He showed good things, but it takes more than that to stick in the NBA. The Raptors are at the very least giving Castleton that opportunity to potentially find a home in Toronto.
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