Allen Graves and Jaden Bradley have been wrapped up in the whirlwind of the draft, seeing the two players make their way north to Canada to speak to media ahead of the Summer League’s beginning.
Graves entered flanked by family, his brother a prominent presence on the sidelines as the rookie took a seat at the OVO Athletic Centre. The former Louisiana Mr. Basketball was collected and relaxed as he spoke about the outpouring of support from his Ponchatoula community – 8000 strong – where “literally the whole town” was picking up the phone to wish him well.
He called Toronto “amazing,” and spoke positively about the city’s greenery as similar to that of his native US south. The connection to home is strong, noting that his father worked four jobs – as a bus driver, in a mechanic shop, and as a minister – and brings that ethos of working hard to his play on the court. “I got to take my job as serious as he does,” said the forward. And indeed, Graves seems to have a good understanding of his place on the team, and in the league.
He said that his year one focus would be on defence, “being able to switch, being able to guard,” with that side of the ball being how he would “keep getting contracts.” Graves was confident about his abilities, saying that the latter half of the season, especially his matchup with Gonzaga, marked when the NBA dream felt real. “I feel ready, I wouldn’t have took it if I didn’t think that I was ready, and I was able to play at this level.”
Bradley, drafted just last night, was a bit more subdued after flying in to Toronto from North Carolina. Bradley was born in Rochester, New York, and lived in Charlotte for much of his life. Similarly to Graves, he spoke about his defensive responsibilities as paramount to his play. “I knew I had to hang my hat on the defensive end,” he said. “My freshman year at Alabama, I had some great, great players and I knew I had to… kind of earn minutes.”
That unselfish perspective from the former Big 12 Player of the Year suggests he’ll fit in well on a Raptors squad alongside the roster of other points guards. Having faced off against Jamal Shead in college, Bradley called it “a crazy game,” and complimented Shead, calling him “a great player defensively,” and that “offensively, he had it going as well.” Having the two hard-nosed guards on the same team now could be a dangerous weapon in the hands of this Raptors organization.
There were moments of levity from Bradley as well. When asked about strange questions that he was asked by teams during the draft, he was asked “what is it like growing up with a fed in the house?” This, in reference to his father’s work in the federal government, which he joked was a matter of his father “know[ing] every movement”.
Bradley was the only second round draft pick not traded last night, and spoke about what that meant to him.
“It means the world to me,” he said. “I’m going to show them that it’s gonna, it’s gonna work out.”
The NBA Summer League will begin on July 9th, 2026, running until the 19th. Keep an eye out for the rookies to show off their stuff soon!
