Former South Carolina basketball star gets new NBA contract

South Carolina basketball alum AJ Lawson has had his best professional season to date, and on Friday, he earned a new deal. Per a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Toronto Raptors have bought out Lawson’s two-way contract and given him a two-year deal to stay with the organization as a full-time player with the NBA team.

The rest of his 2024-2025 contract is guaranteed, while his 2025-2026 deal is non-guaranteed. However, his contract status gives him a better chance of making the roster next year than a two-way deal would.

On the season, Lawson is averaging 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He’s also shooting 42.8% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point arc. Lawson’s minutes load has increased to see him play double-digit minutes in 17 of his last 19 games for Toronto.

Earlier this season, Lawson set career-high numbers with a 32-point, 12-rebound explosion against the Washington Wizards. Then, in the very next game, he scored 28 against the Philadelphia 76ers. The two games were part of one of just four three-game winning streaks for the Raptors this season.

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In his South Carolina basketball career, Lawson was an All-SEC player for the Gamecocks. Following the decision to graduate early from high school, he spent three years in Columbia. Lawson averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals during his days in garnet and black.

Lawson went undrafted in 2021 after declaring for the NBA Draft following his junior year at South Carolina. He has played with the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, and Toronto Raptors organizations. Now, it seems like he might have found a more long-term home.

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