The following is part of Raptors Republic’s preview series for the 2026-27 series. You can find all the other pieces here.
Collin Murray-Boyles has already made the hardest part of being a rookie look pretty easy. He came into the NBA with plenty of questions about his size, his offence and where exactly he would fit. By the end of his first season, he had answered most of them.
Now, the expectations are different. Murray-Boyles is no longer the ninth overall pick trying to prove he belongs. He is coming off a playoff run where he looked like one of Toronto’s most important players, and the Raptors will need more from him in Year 2.
As a rookie, Murray-Boyles averaged 8.5 points, five rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 57 games while shooting 57.8 percent from the field. He also averaged nearly a steal and a block per game. The numbers were pretty good. Watching him play was even more impressive.
He has a way of making himself involved in almost every possession. He fights for rebounds, gets his hands into passing lanes, battles bigger players and is constantly moving around the floor. That was especially noticeable on defence.
There were legitimate questions about whether Murray-Boyles would be able to defend NBA centres at just 6-foot-8. With a lack of centre depth on the squad and Jakob Poeltl going down last season, Toronto had no choice but to ask him to do exactly that. Well, he handled it with flying colours.
He was strong enough to battle with bigger players while still being mobile enough to switch onto guards and wings. That gave Darko Rajakovic a player he could move around the floor depending on what the matchup called for. Luckily, Murray-Boyles seemed to enjoy the challenge.
His hands became one of his biggest weapons. Raptors fans quickly gave him the “Magneto” nickname because of how often he seemed to come up with a steal or deflection. He finished his rookie season averaging 1.9 steals and blocks combined per game, which ranked third among rookies.
His hands were not only impressive on the defensive end of the floor. Murray-Boyles showed enough as a passer last season to make you think there is something bigger there. He is comfortable with the ball in his hands and has good vision for a player his size. He can find cutters, make quick reads and pass out of traffic.
Toronto should look to lean into that more this season. Instead of treating him like a traditional big who screens, rebounds and finishes around the basket, the Raptors can give him opportunities to make decisions.
His ability to play alongside Scottie Barnes makes that even more interesting. Both players can handle the ball. Both can defend multiple positions. Both are at their best when they are allowed to make reads instead of being locked into one position. If Murray-Boyles becomes more comfortable offensively, Toronto can start building some creative lineups around the two of them.
If there is something he needs to develop more, like Barnes, it’s becoming a better three-point threat. Murray-Boyles shot 34 percent from deep last season, but he was not exactly letting them fly. He averaged just 0.9 attempts from beyond the arc per game. That is something he will need to change.
He needs to become confident enough that defenders cannot completely ignore him. If he starts taking those open threes without hesitation, it could change the way teams defend him, because once his defender decides to close out, he has the tools to attack.
If you thought CMB’s rookie regular-season was impressive. His playoffs were something else. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, he averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists while continuing to make plays defensively.
He had 22 points in Game 3, setting a Raptors rookie playoff record, followed by a 15-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 4. In Game 6, he finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five combined steals and blocks.
Those games mattered because Toronto wasn’t just playing him to give a rookie playoff experience. He was actually contributing to winning basketball. In fact, he was a major reason why the series was forced to go to seven games.
In that playoff series, he also became a legitimate option around the basket. Murray-Boyles shot 73.8 percent in the restricted area during the series, and he looked much more comfortable creating his own offence. That is the version of Murray-Boyles the Raptors will want to see more often this season.
The expectations are higher now. There is no hiding from that. Murray-Boyles has already shown that he can be a very good defender. He has already shown that he can handle centre minutes despite being undersized. He has already shown that he can make an impact in the playoffs. Now Toronto needs him to put it all together.
Murray-Boyles dealt with multiple thumb injuries last season, yet he still managed to finish the season strong. Now imagine if he can stay healthy over a full season. After everything Murray-Boyles showed as a rookie, it is clear that the next step is going to be a fun one to watch.
