Toronto Raptors rookie's first contact with team on draft night might surprise fans
It's been quite the summer for Toronto Raptors rookie Allen Graves, who's already been spotted soaking in events across the city.
The Raptors selected the 6-foot-9 forward with the 19th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Santa Clara University in June, and it didn't take long for Toronto players to welcome him with open arms.
In an interview with Offside at a youth summer camp in Toronto, Graves revealed the first Raptors player to reach out to him after he was drafted, and it may come as a surprise to some fans.
"I think IQ [Immanuel Quickley] was the first player to reach out," Graves said.
"I remember he told me he's really excited that Toronto drafted me, and that I'm really going to enjoy being here."
Graves said he responded to Quickley's message, saying that he's ready to get to work.
Quickley could come as a surprise to some fans since the 27-year-old guard has missed a total of 74 games since he was traded here from the New York Knicks for OG Anunoby halfway through the 2023-24 season.
The Raptors point guard wasn't the only player to reach out. Graves said the now-retired NBA veteran Garrett Temple also sent Graves an encouraging message on draft night.
The 20-year-old instantly impressed Raptors fans in his four NBA Summer League games last month, averaging 16.8 points and nearly seven rebounds.
Allen Graves sitting courtside with Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković at a Toronto Tempo WNBA game on June 27. (John E. Sokolowski/Imagn Images)
Graves said everyone he's met has been "super" welcoming so far, and that everywhere he goes in the city, there's always a fan who tells him how excited they are to see him in a Raptors uniform.
He apparently loves the summer vibe around the city as well.
When he visited Toronto for the first time in June for his pre-draft workout, he was blown away by the city's beauty. He remembers FaceTiming his family and showing them how beautiful the lakeshore was.
Though it might take the Louisiana native a season or two to get used to a Toronto winter.
Brad Penner/Imagn Images
