Raptors’ Center Depth Gets A Major Boost From Jamarion Sharp
· Yahoo Sports
The Toronto Raptors made a roster move on Monday that points straight at where they feel thin. They signed seven-foot-five center Jamarion Sharp to a training camp deal and waived guard Chucky Hepburn in a corresponding move. That puts Raptors center depth back at the front of the conversation, with the Knicks game coming Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena.
The timing is rough for Hepburn. He tweaked his left hamstring late in the third quarter of Saturday’s win over the Clippers, the game that showed how the Raptors improved in Game 2, and he played just one minute before heading to the locker room. Toronto’s preseason roster was already at the 21-player limit, so adding Sharp meant someone had to go.
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Raptors’ Center Depth Gets A Major Boost From Jamarion SharpWhy Hepburn Was The Odd Man Out
Hepburn spent all of last season on a two-way deal and signed another one in June. He appeared in two NBA games without scoring a point. Most of his work came with Raptors 905, where he averaged 9.5 points and 6.5 assists, and his point-of-attack defense helped drive the club’s 16-0 start. The hamstring injury made the decision easy.
The G League Path Is Still Open
Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reported that Hepburn is eligible to join the 905 if he chooses. That would let him rehab there and work back into the two-way mix later. The route has not been announced, but the option is there.
Jamarion Sharp Fills a Real Gap
Sharp is 25, undrafted, and has no NBA experience, but his G League résumé speaks directly to Raptors center depth. He won Defensive Player of the Year with the Texas Legends last season, averaging 7.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks in 25.1 minutes over 39 games. He shot 73.5% from the field. He blocked five or more shots in 15 games and set his season high with nine against Oklahoma City on Nov. 21st.
A Familiar Face From Las Vegas
Sharp was already on the Raptors’ Summer League roster in July, averaging 7.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He then signed a two-way deal with the Clippers, who waived him on Sept. 25th. Toronto had two-way interest in him at the time, according to Murphy, so this is more of a return than a cold addition.
The Raptors Center Depth Problem Is Real
Raptors center depth rests largely on Jakob Poeltl, the only established center on the roster. Trey Jemison, a six-foot-ten center on a two-way deal, and seven-footer Nate Bittle, a rookie whose foot rehab complicates his candidacy, are still unproven at this level and have yet to establish themselves in the rotation.
Collin Murray-Boyles played many of his rookie minutes at center, but Darko Rajakovic has said Toronto does not want to lock him into that spot. Rajakovic said Murray-Boyles will see time at both power forward and center, including stretches next to Poeltl.
The math explains why. If Poeltl plays in the mid-20s in minutes, Toronto still needs someone for roughly 20 more minutes at center every night. If that someone is Murray-Boyles, he ends up in the backup-five role Rajakovic says he does not want to limit him to. That is why the case that the bench depth could become Toronto’s biggest strength depends so heavily on who plays behind Poeltl.
What Sharp Changes For Murray-Boyles
A shot-blocking seven-footer who can take backup minutes lets Murray-Boyles move between the four and the five instead of anchoring the second unit. Saturday gave a preview of the usage Toronto wants. He came off the bench for 21 minutes and finished with 13 points on 4/9 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
In the opener, he scored six points on 3/10 shooting with nine rebounds in 20 minutes. The extra scoring came from the free-throw line, where he made 5/7. Before that game, we looked at what to expect from the second Raptors preseason game, and the physicality of the second unit, with Murray-Boyles at the center of it, was one of the main points.
Apr 26, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles (12) passes the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard James Harden (1) during game four of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn ImagesSharp Still Has To Earn It
None of this is guaranteed. Sharp is on a camp deal, reportedly an Exhibit 10, and is not on a two-way yet. Jemison and Malachi Smith hold two of the three two-way spots, and Hepburn’s former spot is now open for a camp standout. Sharp has a real opening, but he has to beat out whoever else shines in camp.
His first chance comes Tuesday against the Knicks. The question is how a seven-foot-five center handles NBA pace and spacing, which his G League numbers cannot answer. Raptors center depth will not be solved by one camp signing.
The Last Word
Moving on from Hepburn was a roster-math decision driven by an injury, and the 905 route could keep him in the organization’s orbit. Sharp’s signing is the bigger story. It shows the front office sees Raptors center depth as the weakest point of an otherwise deep roster, and a camp deal is a cheap way to test a possible answer. If Sharp earns a two-way spot, Murray-Boyles gets the flexibility Rajakovic wants, and Poeltl gets a backup who protects the rim. If he does not, Toronto still lacks a clear second center before opening night.
Featured Image: Candice Ward-Imagn Images
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