The Toronto Raptors are moving swingman A.J. Lawson from a two-way agreement to a standard NBA contract that runs through the remainder of the 2025-26 season, according to his agents Todd Ramasar and Mike Simonetta.
The promotion makes the 6’5” guard/forward eligible for postseason play, a benefit two-way contracts do not provide. Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca noted that the deal will expire this summer, positioning Lawson to enter free agency once the season concludes.
Lawson, 25, has appeared in 23 games during his second year with Toronto, averaging 4.0 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.3 minutes while hitting 41.5 percent from three-point range. With Raptors 905 in the G League, he has contributed 21.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals across 36 contests, shooting .465/.360/.792 in 31.9 minutes per game.
The Toronto native went undrafted out of South Carolina in 2021 and is in his fourth NBA campaign after previous stops with Minnesota and Dallas. The Raptors converted him from a two-way to a standard deal last April, waived him in October, and re-signed him two days later on a new two-way pact.
Toronto cleared a roster slot Friday by waiving 27-year-old guard Tyreke Key, who did not log an NBA appearance. If Lawson’s conversion becomes official Saturday, he will add $27,343 to his $636,435 two-way salary; a Sunday promotion would net him $13,672.
The Raptors must defeat the Nets in Sunday’s regular-season finale to secure their first playoff berth since 2021-22.
Source: Hoops Rumors
