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A. J. Lawson
Canadian basketball player (born 2000) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Anthony Randolph "A. J." Lawson (born July 15, 2000) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
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Early life
Lawson grew up in Brampton, Ontario and attended GTA Prep in Mississauga, a basketball academy based out of Mississauga Secondary School where he was coached by David Cooper. In his grade 12 season, Lawson was named a National Preparatory Association First Team All-Star and led the team to second place in the NPA championships.[1] Originally set to graduate in 2019 and ranked 40th in his class by 247Sports as well as fourth-best Canadian prospect by North Pole Hoops, Lawson reclassified for the class of 2018.[2] Lawson committed to playing college basketball for South Carolina over offers from Tulane and Creighton. South Carolina head coach Frank Martin began recruiting Lawson after a late night workout in Columbia on the trip back from a tournament.[3]
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College career
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Lawson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 29 games played and was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman team.[4][5] He was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on November 19, 2018, after averaging 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists over a three-game stretch against Norfolk State, Providence and George Washington.[6] Following the season he initially entered his name into the 2019 NBA draft, but decided to withdraw and return to South Carolina for his sophomore season.[7][8]
Lawson was named to the preseason first team All-SEC and to the Jerry West Award watchlist going into his sophomore year.[9][10] He was also named the 41st-best collegiate basketball player going into the 2019–20 season by CBS Sports and the 29th-best prospect for the 2020 NBA draft by ESPN.[11][12] Lawson scored a season-high 28 points on November 15, 2019, in a 90–63 win against Cleveland State.[13] Lawson led the team during the season in total points with 416 and points per game at 13.4 while also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game.[14] Following the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft but did not hire an agent.[15] Lawson decided to withdraw from the draft and return to South Carolina on July 29.[16] On January 6, 2021, Lawson scored a career-high 30 points in a 78–54 win over Texas A&M.[17] As a junior, he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Second Team. On April 19, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft and signed an agent.[18]
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Professional career
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College Park Skyhawks (2021–2022)
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Lawson joined the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks for the 2021 NBA Summer League.[19] On September 22, 2021, Lawson signed with the Atlanta Hawks.[20] However, he was waived on October 7.[21] In October 2021, Lawson signed with the College Park Skyhawks[22] where he played 26 games and averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 48.1% from the field.[23]
Guelph Nighthawks (2022)
On April 26, 2022, Lawson signed with the Guelph Nighthawks of the CEBL.[23]
Minnesota Timberwolves / Iowa Wolves (2022)
Lawson joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League.[24] In five games, he averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, while shooting 51.9% from the field.[25] Later, on July 19, 2022, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.[26] On October 15, 2022, Lawson was waived by the Timberwolves.[27]
Return to College Park (2022)
On November 3, 2022, Lawson was named to the opening night roster for the College Park Skyhawks.[28] On November 16, Lawson signed another two-way contract with the Timberwolves,[29] but was waived on December 8.[30] Two days later, he returned to College Park.[31]
Dallas Mavericks / Texas Legends (2022–2024)
On December 26, 2022, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks, splitting time with their NBA G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.[32] It was converted to a standard-contract on March 4, 2024.[33] Lawson reached the 2024 NBA Finals where the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.[34] On October 8, he was waived by the Mavericks[35][36][37] and three days later, he signed another two-way contract.[38] However, he was waived once again on October 18.[39][40]
Long Island Nets (2024)
On October 27, 2024, Lawson signed with the Long Island Nets.[41]
Toronto Raptors (2024–present)
On December 11, 2024, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.[42] On March 10, 2025, Lawson scored a career-high 32 points with 12 rebounds against the Washington Wizards.[43] He posted 28 points in 36 minutes off the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers two days later, shooting 10-20 from the field and 4-9 from three in a 118-105 victory.[44][45] On April 12, Lawson and the Raptors converted his two-way contract into a two-year, non-guaranteed contract.[46]
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National team career
Lawson has competed internationally for the Canada men's national under-19 basketball team. He averaged 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship as Canada finished second in the tournament.[47] Lawson posted team highs with 18 points and 12 rebounds in Canada's 113–74 loss to the United States in the tournament final.[48]
In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, Lawson averaged a team-best 16.7 points with 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in seven games as Canada advanced to the quarterfinals.[49] He also had the highest scoring performance of the tournament with a 31-point game against Senegal.[50]
Lawson made his debut with Canada's senior men's national team during the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers.[51]
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Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
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References
External links
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