The Toronto Raptors
recently signed ex-Cavaliers G Malik Thomas to a Summer League contract
, and there's a very good chance that he'll end up being one of the team's top shooters throughout the event. His ability to score from anywhere on the court was one of the main reasons why Virginia HC Ryan Odom made him the program's top transfer portal priority in 2025.
The 6'5", 215-pound shooting guard started all 36 games for UVA in 2025/2026, acting as one of Virginia's top offensive facilitators for the entirety of the year. He averaged 12.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.5 APG, with an effective FG percentage of 50.6%
.
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Malik Thomas, UVA's postseason centerpiece
Thomas was incredibly crucial to Virginia's 2026 ACC Tournament run, earning a spot on the 2nd-team All-Tournament squad. He averaged 16.3 PPG and 2.3 RPG throughout the event and was a lockdown defender in every matchup.
His ability to find open space and create spots for himself on the dribble really shows off his reputation for having underrated ball-handling skills as well.
Though he didn't put up good stat sheet assist numbers, he's a fairly good playmaker and had some beautiful assists throughout the 2025/2026 season. He has great court vision and is very aware of what's going on around him.
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There were multiple occasions where he was driving full-speed to the basket, and right when you thought he was going to go up for the shot, he'd find a way to bounce pass the ball mid-air to a wide-open player at the three-point line that the defense completely lost track of.
This is exactly the type of player that Toronto needs in the backcourt right now, as their depth behind Immanuel Quickley
, Gradey Dick
, and Ja'Kobe Walter is almost non-existent. One of the Raptors' biggest problems last season was their inability to find consistent production when Scottie Barnes
and Quickley were off the floor, which led to some odd lineups throughout games towards the end of the season.
Thomas undoubtedly has the talent and potential to come in and impress throughout the Summer League as both a reliable scorer and a fairly consistent defender. He's even shown the ability to hold his own against bigger small forwards on occasion. His stocky, 215-pound frame also allows him to stand his ground when ball-handlers try to back him down near the paint.
Much like former UVA guard Jacari White's Summer League outlook
with the Lakers
, Malik Thomas has a really good chance to parlay this opportunity into an Exhibit-10 or two-way contract with Toronto this year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginia as Malik Thomas could be the Toronto Raptors' biggest Summer League steal
.
