TORONTO – Kyle Anderson was destined to be a member of the Toronto Raptors.
For one, he looks the part: a versatile, long-armed, 6-foot-8 forward who can handle the ball, make plays, and guard multiple positions. With the organization’s affinity for that archetype, it’s hard to believe it’s taken this long to land the 12-year NBA vet.
Well, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Whenever Anderson has hit free agency, dating all the way back to 2018, they’ve called to check in. It’s been close a few times.
They had an offer on the table in the summer of 2022. Four years later, Anderson recalls his decision coming down to the Raptors or Minnesota Timberwolves. Ironically, he looked at the Toronto’s roster, saw the glut of players at his position, and figured his path to playing time would be cleaner in Minnesota. Toronto signed Otto Porter Jr., another 6-foot-8 forward, instead. Then, they nearly acquired him at the 2025 trade deadline, but the deal fell through.
This summer, the stars finally aligned. With the Kawhi Leonard trade pending and threatening to hard cap them at the first apron, they were limited in what they could offer: a one-year deal at the veteran minimum, $3.9 million. This time, Anderson saw an opportunity – a young team on the rise that could use a player of his experience and expertise.
A couple of familiar faces didn’t hurt, either. Anderson has kept in touch with Leonard, his former teammate in San Antonio, and has fond memories of working with then-assistant coach Darko Rajakovic in Memphis.
“I knew [he would be a head coach one day],” Anderson said of Rajakovic. “Slowly, in Memphis, the players all started gravitating to him. His energy, his attention to detail, he knows the personnel, knows what teams are doing – he’s such a great coach, so I knew this was coming.”
The New York City product and former UCLA star is reaching an inflection point in his career. He’s bounced around, playing for five different teams over the past two seasons, and his best years are likely behind him. Settling into more of a mentorship role has been an adjustment for a player who still feels like one of the young guys. Anderson remembers when he at 21 and a 23-year-old Leonard were the youngest guys on the Spurs’ roster. Now, they’re Toronto’s two oldest players at 33 and 35, respectively.
With his reputation as a high-IQ player and positive locker room presence, Anderson should have the opportunity to extend his career and become a designated vet at the end of somebody’s bench. It’s an important role in an increasingly youthful league and one that recently opened up in Toronto, with Garrett Temple leaving for an assistant coaching job with the Dallas Mavericks. It’s one of the first things that Rajakovic told Anderson when they reunited over the summer.
“The more you’re doing with leadership and mentorship and all those kinds of things that are helping the team – not necessarily just if you’re going to make a shot and your contributions on the court – it just grows your value,” Rajakovic said. “His voice in the huddles, his voice in the locker room, it’s going to be very, very important, and he’s ready for it.”
For Anderson, it’s a gradual transition, but not one he’s ready to make full-time.
“I’ve built good rapports with teams around the league and haven’t burnt any bridges, so I think that could definitely be in the cards for me, being a designated vet, a DeAndre Jordan or Garrett Temple-kind of guy,” Anderson told TSN this week. “But no offence to those guys – they’re great guys, they’ve had great respective careers – but I still feel like I want to be out on the floor.”
Nicknamed Slo Mo, Anderson has always played at his own pace. His game is predicated on instinct and intellect, more so than speed or athleticism, so it should continue to age gracefully. At 33, he feels like he still has some basketball left in him and, in Rajakovic’s system, he’ll get the chance to prove it.
However, playing time isn’t guaranteed. On most nights, Rajakovic plans to use a nine-man rotation, with sporadic minutes available for a 10th player here and there. Holdovers Collin Murray-Boyles, Jamal Shead, and Ja’Kobe Walter are locks for the second unit, which leaves Anderson, sharpshooter Jamison Battle, rookie forward Allen Graves, sophomore guard Alijah Martin, and big man Trayce Jackson-Davis competing for one-and-a-half spots. In that group, only Jackson-Davis has more than two years of experience. It’s not hard to imagine Anderson establishing himself as a trusted vet and steadying presence off the bench.
“He’s been great,” said Murray-Boyles. “He’s been in the league for, I don’t even know how long, so he has a lot of knowledge on and off the court. He’s giving us little [tips]. On the basketball court, the way he plays, his pace, just watching him in practice is definitely something to learn from. Seeing him play, you don’t really understand how his game works. But being able to implement his pace, how patient he is, and how he reads the floor is going to be beneficial for me.”
So far, the fit has been seamless. Anderson moved into his place last month and has been enjoying exploring Toronto with his wife and seven-year-old son. With large Jamaican and Chinese populations, which speak to his own roots, Anderson calls it his second-favourite NBA city, behind Miami.
He spent most of the summer training with the club, so the process of learning and building chemistry with his new teammates is already underway. The leadership side of the gig is something that comes natural to him at this stage of his career. He hasn’t been afraid to pull guys aside at practice and in scrimmages, or to hold them accountable. Rajakovic calls him a connector.
“He knows how to play and he’s all about the right things,” the head coach said. “This is not his first rodeo. He’s trying to integrate into the system, to understand his teammates, and to see what are the biggest gaps that he can help [fill]. His voice has been heard right away with our team, and our guys have a lot of respect for him.”
If everything goes according to plan, Anderson and the Raptors envision a future together well beyond his one-year contract. It’s a partnership that’s felt inevitable and one that could work out well for both player and team. It’s been a long time coming.