A.J. Lawson Bio
Anthony Randolph Lawson, known professionally as A.J. Lawson, is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays under a two-way arrangement that also links him to the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. A shooting guard listed at 6 feet 6 inches and 179 pounds, Lawson entered the professional ranks in 2021 after a decorated college career at the University of South Carolina.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Lawson grew up in nearby Brampton and rose through the Canadian prep system before reclassifying to join the South Carolina Gamecocks a year ahead of schedule. He went undrafted in 2021 but built his career through the NBA G League and short stints with several NBA organizations. In 2026, he earned All-NBA G League Second Team honors, recognition that underscored his steady climb back to a standard NBA contract.
Early Life and Background
Anthony Randolph Lawson was born on July 15, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario. He grew up in Brampton, a city in the Greater Toronto Area long known for producing elite Canadian basketball talent. His early life centered on school and sport, with basketball becoming his central focus during his teenage years.
Lawson attended St. Marguerite d’Youville Catholic Secondary School before transferring to GTA Prep, a basketball academy based at Mississauga Secondary School. At GTA Prep he was coached by David Cooper, who helped shape his perimeter game. In his grade 12 season, Lawson was named a National Preparatory Association First Team All-Star and led his team to the NPA championship game.
Originally expected to graduate in 2019, Lawson reclassified into the class of 2018 to accelerate his college path. He was ranked 40th in his class by 247Sports and was considered the fourth-best Canadian prospect by North Pole Hoops. That decision set the stage for his commitment to South Carolina over offers from Tulane and Creighton.
Path to Basketball
Lawson’s path to high-level basketball ran through Canadian prep circuits and national team competition. Before college he represented Canada at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship, averaging 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game as Canada finished second. He later starred at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, leading his team with 16.7 points per game and posting a 31-point performance against Senegal.
Those international showings, combined with his prep production, drew attention from United States college programs. South Carolina head coach Frank Martin began recruiting Lawson after watching him work out late at night in Columbia during a return trip from a tournament. The relationship led to a commitment that positioned Lawson as a key building block for the Gamecocks.
A.J. Lawson Career
College Career (2018–2021)
As a freshman at South Carolina in 2018–19, Lawson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game across 29 appearances. He earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors and was named SEC Freshman of the Week on November 19, 2018, after a three-game stretch in which he averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. That spring he briefly entered the 2019 NBA draft before withdrawing to return to campus.
Lawson grew into a featured scorer as a sophomore and junior. He opened 2019–20 on the preseason first team All-SEC and the Jerry West Award watchlist, and he scored a then career-high 28 points against Cleveland State on November 15, 2019. As a junior he averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, set a new career high of 30 points against Texas A&M on January 6, 2021, and was named Second-team All-SEC before declaring for the 2021 NBA draft.
NBA G League Start and First NBA Looks (2021–2022)
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Lawson joined the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks for NBA Summer League action. He signed with Atlanta in September 2021 but was waived before the regular season, then joined the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League. In 26 games with College Park he averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field.
In April 2022, Lawson added a stint with the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League, broadening his professional résumé. That summer he joined the Dallas Mavericks for Summer League and averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds across five games, performances that earned him a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 19, 2022.
Dallas Mavericks Era (2022–2024)
Lawson’s time in Minnesota ended with a waiver in October 2022, and he split time between the Timberwolves and the College Park Skyhawks that fall. On December 26, 2022, he signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks and split the next two seasons between the Mavericks and their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. His two-way deal was converted to a standard NBA contract on March 4, 2024.
During the 2023–24 season, Lawson reached the 2024 NBA Finals with Dallas, where the Mavericks fell to the Boston Celtics in five games. He was waived by Dallas in October 2024, briefly returned on another two-way contract, and was waived again before the regular season began.
Toronto Raptors Era (2024–Present)
On October 27, 2024, Lawson signed with the Long Island Nets. Less than two months later, on December 11, 2024, he signed a two-way contract with his hometown Toronto Raptors. He made an immediate impact in March 2025, scoring a career-high 32 points with 12 rebounds against the Washington Wizards on March 10 and following it with 28 points against the Philadelphia 76ers two days later. On April 12, 2025, the Raptors converted his two-way deal into a two-year, non-guaranteed contract.
In 26 appearances during the 2024–25 NBA season, two of them starts, Lawson averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists for Toronto. On October 16, 2025, he was waived by the Raptors and re-signed two days later on a two-way contract. On April 11, 2026, the Raptors converted his contract into a standard NBA deal, cementing his place on the roster.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lawson is a scoring-oriented shooting guard whose strengths lie in mid-range pull-ups, attacking closeouts, and finishing at the rim. He rebounds well for his position, a skill he showed as a junior at South Carolina and later in long NBA G League stints. His ability to create offense in transition and connect from beyond the arc has made him a reliable scoring punch off the bench.
Notable Events and Milestones
His career-high 32-point game against Washington on March 10, 2025, and his appearance in the 2024 NBA Finals with Dallas stand as defining moments. He also earned All-NBA G League Second Team recognition in 2026 and posted the highest single-game scoring performance of the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup with 31 points against Senegal.
A.J. Lawson Career Wins
Lawson’s résumé is built more on individual production, milestones, and team achievements than on traditional championship counts. His most prominent team result is a trip to the 2024 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks, while his personal accolades include SEC All-Freshman Team (2019), Second-team All-SEC (2021), and All-NBA G League Second Team (2026).
NBA and G League Highlights
Lawson has yet to record a verified NBA win count in the inputs, so individual NBA win totals are omitted. In the NBA G League he has spent time with the College Park Skyhawks, Iowa Wolves, Texas Legends, Long Island Nets, and Raptors 905, posting double-figure scoring averages across multiple stops. He also represented the Guelph Nighthawks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League in 2022.
Other Wins and Performances
On the international stage, Lawson helped Canada finish second at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship and reach the quarterfinals of the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup. He made his senior national team debut during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Americas Qualifiers.
A.J. Lawson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Publicly available verified details about Lawson’s parents and broader family are limited in the supplied sources, so this section is kept brief. His roots in Brampton, Ontario, place him within a deep Canadian basketball community, and his development at GTA Prep connected him to a strong network of Canadian coaches and mentors.
Personal Life
Lawson is a Canadian national who has spent the majority of his professional career based in the United States with NBA and G League teams. Verified details about a spouse or children are not present in the supplied sources, so those personal details are omitted here.
2025 Season Performance
Lawson’s 2025 campaign centered on establishing himself with the Toronto Raptors after joining the team on a two-way contract in December 2024. His March surge, including the 32-point, 12-rebound performance against the Washington Wizards and the 28-point showing against the Philadelphia 76ers, marked his most productive NBA stretch to date. Those games helped earn the April 12, 2025 conversion of his contract into a two-year, non-guaranteed deal.
Across 26 appearances for Toronto during the 2024–25 NBA season, two of them starts, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, serving as a steady scoring option off the bench. The Raptors finished outside the playoff picture, but Lawson’s late-season form gave the franchise a clear evaluation case for his future role.
Looking ahead, Lawson was waived by Toronto on October 16, 2025, then re-signed two days later on a two-way contract, and on April 11, 2026, the Raptors converted his deal into a standard NBA contract. That progression signals continued organizational belief in his development, and his 2026 All-NBA G League Second Team selection reinforces the outlook that he remains a productive piece of the Raptors’ perimeter rotation.
