Jamal Shead falls into interesting spot as Raptors' 2025-26 season approaches

"It was clear when the Toronto Raptors decided to abandon the Davion Mitchell experiment, which had proven to be effective in spurts, that Jamal Shead was fully trusted as the team's primary focus of a tenacious and gritty guard for the foreseeable future. I was really impressed with Shead's rookie campaign, especially given the circumstances that brought him to Toronto in the first place. He was an older prospect, and the only reason he ended up with the Raptors is because they managed to pull off a trade with the Sacramento Kings during 2024 draft night,"

"Shead's rookie season wrapped up on a very strong note, as he averaged 7.1 points on 40.5% field goal shooting, 32.3% from three, 4.2 assists, 1.5 rebounds, and nearly a steal (0.8) per game in 75 games with the Raptors. Regarding his impressive availability, it positioned Shead at the top of the Raptors' brass when it came to healthy players, since he was the only roster member to appear in more than 65 games during the 2024-25 campaign."

"He will likely still play a key role off the bench, not quite being ready for Toronto's starting point guard spot just yet. To that point, Shead is essentially the Raptors' only other true point guard on the main roster besides Immanuel Quickley. You could count Alijah Martin too in a sense, who is set on a two-way deal as of now. Sure, Toronto has been used to shifting players out of their natural positions, thanks to their versatile skillsets, but given the Raptors' need for a solid hand to lead the second unit, Jamal Shead is poised to be that guy."

The Toronto Raptors shifted away from Davion Mitchell and installed Jamal Shead as their primary tenacious guard option. Shead arrived as an older prospect acquired largely through a salary-dump trade with the Sacramento Kings that involved Jalen McDaniels. Shead averaged 7.1 points, 4.2 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 40.5% FG, 32.3% 3PT and 0.8 steals across 75 games. Shead led the roster in availability, appearing in more than 65 games while others did not. The Raptors project Shead as a key bench leader and secondary point guard behind Immanuel Quickley, with expectations to build in his sophomore season.

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