The Raptors selected Alijah Martin with the 39th Pick in the 2025 NBA Draft
Florida guard Alijah Martin was selected with the 39th pick by the Toronto Raptors on Thursday evening. Martin brings another defender to this Raptors team that lacked shooting, so this was an interesting pick by them for sure. I like him as a player, as he has had a great college career with both the FAU Owls and the Gators, as he was a key contributor to both of those Final Four teams, with the Gators winning the National Championship. Here’s Martin’s full report and how they fit with the Raptors moving forward.Â
Martin’s 2024-25 Stats and Raptors’ Fit
The Fifth-year senior had his best season at Florida in the 2024-25 season. He averaged 14.4 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game in Gainesville last season on the way to winning the National Championship. Martin also went to the Final Four with that talented FAU squad a couple of seasons before winning the championship with the Gators.
Like I mentioned in the intro, the defensive side of the ball is his best trait as a player. He can defend at an elite level, but he’s going to have to improve his outside shooting a bit if he wants to survive the NBA landscape. He shot 35% from three-point range in 2024-25.Â
Final Thoughts
Martin is one of those players in this 2025 NBA Draft Class who can contribute right away in the right situation, and Toronto is an interesting spot for the former Gator. Martin is probably going to contribute in some way right away for the Raptors, but will have limits to his game like Davion Mitchell did for the Kings when he was drafted. Total Apex Sports is the place to be for all NBA offseason moves and transactions, as this is the final NBA Draft day coverage piece for the 2025 Draft.Â
