Garion Thorne dives into his pick and prediction for tonight’s Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors NBA Summer League matchup.
We are coming down to the wire in NBA Summer League, with most teams only having one game left on their schedules and several of the big-name rookies having already been shut down. However, late on Thursday night, we’ve got ourselves a matchup between two teams who have been quite successful in Vegas in 2025, as the 3-0 Toronto Raptors will square-off with the 2-1 Golden State Warriors.
On the DraftKings Sportsbook, Toronto is a 8.5-point favorite and is listed at -425 on the moneyline. It makes some sense, as the Raptors come into this tilt with the best net rating of any squad in Summer League (+17.0).
Warriors vs. Raptors Roster Breakdown
I mentioned at the beginning of Summer League that the Raptors might be a force to be reckoned with due to their roster’s level of continuity and experience. Where this seemingly has been most impactful is on the defensive side of the ball, as a group led by the likes of Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo, Ulrich Chomche and ninth-overall pick Collin Murray-Boyles has been a nightmare for opponents. Summer League isn’t exactly known for a pretty brand of basketball, but it feels quite notable that Toronto has forced 87 turnovers across three 40-minute games. This assist to turnover ratio is simply incredible.
Summer League Raptors are 3-0 & own a +17.0 point differential so far.
Raptors’ opponents have committed 87 turnovers to 39 assists through 3 games in LV.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) July 16, 2025
It’s not like the Raptors can’t score the ball, either. A.J. Lawson might not be a household name for people outside of the GTA, but the Canadian wing has appeared in 68 NBA games since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, logging actual rotation minutes for both Dallas and Toronto. The fact that he’s averaging a team-high 20.7 points per contest as a Summer League sixth man shouldn’t be too shocking. Nor should the fact that Ja’Kobe Walter is a bucket. The Baylor product was picked just outside the lottery in the 2024 NBA Draft, yet he showed a lot of promise in the 52 games and 18 starts he made for the Raptors last season. Walter dropped 26 points in Toronto’s 101-97 win over the Nuggets this past Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Warriors’ Summer League roster is basically the polar opposite of the Raptors’. Golden State hasn’t had its own first-round pick since it took Brandin Podziemski 19th-overall back in 2023, so there just isn’t a lot of high-ceiling talent on this roster. Heck, the Warriors even traded away second-round pick Koby Brea to the Suns, where the Kentucky product has turned some heads with his hot three-point shooting in Vegas so far. Rookie Will Richard has had a couple nice showings for Golden State, but again, this is a team comprised almost exclusively of men who will be playing in the G League come October.
Warriors vs. Raptors Prediction, Pick
This is a classic case of two teams with different organizational intent at Summer League. The Warriors are focused on their veteran core and one last Championship run, while the Raptors are trying to re-create the “bench mob” vibe of nearly a decade ago. One that developed names like Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby and Norman Powell. That’s why Toronto is basically trotting out it’s full second unit in Vegas, with the addition of a top 10 pick in Murray-Boyles. They want a Summer League trophy for culture. Golden State just doesn’t want anyone to get hurt.