TORONTO – Unbelievably, Allen Graves and Jaden Bradley only got to catch their breath when they sat down in front of media.
Graves and Bradley both had a whirlwind 48 hours after the Toronto Raptors selected them 19th and 50th overall, respectively, in the NBA draft. After the initial excitement of being drafted, the pair got on planes and flew to Toronto to officially sign their contracts, tour the Raptors practice facility, and meet with media.
“It’s been crazy. The whole town of Ponchatoula, literally the whole town, has hit up my phone and I’m really appreciative to them,” said Graves, referring to his hometown in Louisiana. “The last 48 hours has been a surreal feeling. It’s been crazy.
“Every time I talk to my family, I’m like, ‘This is crazy. This is crazy.’ It’s a really amazing feeling to be able to go through this.”
Graves’s name was called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday night and the 19-year-old power forward was at the draft in person at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., so his travel to Toronto’s OVO Athletic Centre wasn’t too hectic.
Bradley, however, was selected Wednesday night and was back at home in Concord, N.C., and had less than 18 hours to get himself across the border.
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“I was in North Carolina, watching the draft with my family. We had a good, good time, watching it and hearing my name get called,” said Bradley, noting that he was speaking to reporters around 11 p.m. ET on Wednesday and had arrived in Toronto by noon on Thursday. “I just couldn’t wait to get out here.
“But that’s been the past couple months, just on the road doing the workouts, and so I’m used to it right now.”
Graves averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the Santa Clara Broncos last season.
Bradley averaged 13.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals over 39 games with the Wildcats (36-3 overall), one of the best teams in NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball last season.
Of the 30 players drafted in the second round on Wednesday, Bradley was the only one selected and kept with his team’s original pick. He said he appreciated the vote of confidence from the Raptors.
“That means the world to me,” said Bradley. “Just the organization that had that faith in me I’m gonna show them that it’s going to work out.
“Going to put the work in, it’s going to be tough, but I’m ready for the challenge.”
Now it’s time for the two draft picks to get to work.
“I feel like right now the focus is just really getting my defensive ability, being able to switch, being able to guard,” said Graves. “I feel like that’s how I’m going to stay in the league, that’s how I’m going to keep getting contracts and everything like that.
“Just making sure that I’m being able to switch on the defensive side of the ball, working on foot speed, all that stuff.”
Bradley said that he’s going to try to learn from the Raptors’ veterans like Jamal Shead, who he played against in college.
“They’ve been in this system and I haven’t, so they have a lot of knowledge for me,” said Bradley. “I can’t wait to learn from those guys.
“But, obviously, work on my shooting, be consistent with that, my playmaking, keeping my turnovers down, getting out on the fast break, just making it easier for my teammates and myself.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
