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The Raptors don’t quite have a full training camp roster yet, with just 17 names to officially consider as part of the team. That changes today, as according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Toronto is set on signing Kyle Collinsworth, a guard out of Brigham Young University, who is a couple of weeks away from his 27th birthday.
Here’s the report:
Toronto is signing guard Kyle Collinsworth to a partial guarantee, league sources tell ESPN. He played with Dallas last season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 11, 2018
As Woj notes there, Collinsworth did indeed spend the 2017-18 season in and around the Mavericks franchise. He was signed by the team in the 2017 off-season to a two-way contract and appeared in 32 games for Dallas this past season (even starting in two of them; the Mavs went 24-58 on the season). Dallas signed Collinsworth to a full deal to round out the season, and then waived him this past summer. The NBA can be cruel sometimes.
Prior to that, Collinsworth, listed as a 6’6”, 210 pound guard, spent time in the G League playing for the Texas Legends, both last season and in 2016-17. Last season while playing for the Legends, he put up averages of 11.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the field (and 32 percent from three), in 35.7 minutes per game across 20 appearances. In a far more limited role with the Mavs last season, Collinsworth put up a mere 3.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while shooting 38 percent from the field (and 24 percent from three). The numbers suggest a well-rounded skill-set, but not much else.
All of this is to say, it sounds like the Raptors are looking at Collinsworth as a useful warm body to have around in training camp, with an eye to adding him to the Raptors 905 roster. The partially guaranteed deal Woj references up there further confirms this situation. There’s no shame in that, as the Raptors have used the summer to sign the likes of Kay Felder and Chris Boucher, and will likely sign two more players to fill out the 20-man roster they’re allowed to have before the start of the season.
As I’ve said before, we’ll see what shakes out of this — but don’t get too attached to Collinsworth in a Raptors jersey.