Getty Jeff Dowtin dunks the ball in a Golden State Warriors game.
After a season spent bouncing around the NBA including a stop with the Golden State Warriors, Jeff Dowtin Jr. is headed to the Toronto Raptors.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on July 19 that the former Rhode Island guard signed a two-day deal with Toronto. The signing comes on the heels of a strong Summer League performance for Dowtin and appears to close the door on any immediate reunion with the Warriors.
The Toronto Raptors are signing guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. on a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Dowtin Jr. had call ups to Golden State, Orlando and Milwaukee last season.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Dowtin Earns New Deal
After going undrafted in 2020, Dowtin spent the next season with the G League Lakeland Magic and helped lead the club to a championship. He played with the Warriors in last summer’s California Classic, averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds in two games while making 65% of his shots from the field, NBC Sports Bay Area noted.
The Warriors claimed Dowtin off waivers last December and converted his contract to a two-way deal. He appeared in four games with the Warriors and later played one game with the Milwaukee Bucks and four with the Orlando Magic. He averaged 2.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the season.
Dowtin rejoined the Raptors for the 2022 Summer League, averaging 16.0 points, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals over four games in Las Vegas. The Raptors had hinted they had plans for Dowtin, with head coach Nick Nurse offering some praise for him.
“Jeff Dowtin is a quality player that’s in on the Summer League team with also a lot of eyeballs on him,” Nurse said on July 8. “We’re really evaluating him strongly.”
Warriors Bolstering Backcourt
After losing guards Gary Payton II and Damion Lee in free agency, the Warriors have made some moves through the draft and free agency to bolster their backcourt depth. The team signed guard Donte DiVincenzo, who said conversations with Warriors stars Steph Curry and Draymond Green helped him pick Golden State.
“Once I had the conversations with Steph and Draymond, everything kind of slowed down for me a little bit,” DiVincenzo told reporters on July 9. “I got away from the numbers and the dollar signs and everything and I was more so focused on what is best for Donte, what’s best for me going forward. And like I said, I go back to the culture and the environment. I think it’s something I want to be a part of and that’s who I am. So I don’t think I have to change who I am. I can just fit in and become a Warrior.”
Jay Bilas believes Ryan Rollins is a “great talent” who was well worth the price on the Warriors’ draft-day trade (via @MontePooleNBCS)
The Warriors also traded up in the NBA draft’s second round to take Toledo guard Ryan Rollins, a move that came at a high cost. The Warriors paid $2 million to the Atlanta Hawks to complete the swap, though ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas told NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Dubs Talk” podcast that it was worth the cost to Golden State.
“In today’s game, $2 million is a lot of money — but it’s not that much when you start talking about the money that’s being thrown around,” Bilas said. “Golden State is winning right now, so if you add a valuable piece to that, it’s worth the money.”
READ NEXT: Draymond Green Says Warriors Rookie Can Become ‘Perennial All-Star’