A.J. Lawson Bio
Anthony Randolph Lawson is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays on a two-way contract, which splits his time between the NBA roster and the Raptors 905 of the NBA G League. Lawson began his professional career in 2021 after going undrafted in the NBA Draft. He played college basketball for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2018 to 2021 and has represented Canada internationally at multiple youth levels.
Early Life and Background
Lawson was born on July 15, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He grew up in Brampton, Ontario, and attended GTA Prep in Mississauga for high school. At GTA Prep, a basketball academy based out of Mississauga Secondary School, Lawson was coached by David Cooper. During his grade 12 season, he was named a National Preparatory Association First Team All-Star and led his team to second place in the NPA championships. 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 to the class of 2018.
Path to Basketball
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 session in Columbia following a tournament. Lawson played three seasons for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2018 to 2021, developing into one of the top guards in the Southeastern Conference before declaring for the 2021 NBA Draft.
A.J. Lawson Career
College Career (2018–2021)
Lawson made an immediate impact at South Carolina during his freshman season. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game across 29 games and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors 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.
Lawson continued his development as a sophomore, leading the team with 416 total points and averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He was named to the preseason first-team All-SEC and the Jerry West Award watchlist entering the season. On January 6, 2021, Lawson scored a career-high 30 points in a 78-54 win over Texas A&M. As a junior, he improved his scoring to 16.6 points per game along with 4.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He earned Second-team All-SEC honors and declared for the 2021 NBA Draft, signing with an agent to end his collegiate career.
Professional Career (2021–Present)
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, Lawson joined the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks for Summer League. On September 22, 2021, he signed with the Atlanta Hawks but was waived on October 7. Lawson then joined the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBA G League affiliate. In 26 games, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field.
Lawson joined the Dallas Mavericks for the 2022 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in five games while shooting 51.9% from the field. On July 19, 2022, he signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was waived in October but returned to College Park and signed another two-way deal with Minnesota in November before being waived again in December. On December 26, 2022, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks, splitting time between the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. His contract was converted to a standard contract on March 4, 2024. Lawson appeared in the 2024 NBA Finals where the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games. On October 8, 2024, he was waived by the Mavericks. Three days later, he signed another two-way contract but was waived again on October 18.
Toronto Raptors Era (2024–Present)
On December 11, 2024, Lawson signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. He made his debut with his hometown team later that month. On March 10, 2025, Lawson scored a career-high 32 points with 12 rebounds in a game against the Washington Wizards. Two days later, he posted 28 points in 36 minutes off the bench against the Philadelphia 76ers, shooting 10 of 20 from the field and 4 of 9 from three-point range in a 118-105 victory. On April 12, Lawson and the Raptors converted his two-way contract into a two-year, non-guaranteed contract. He made 26 appearances (two starts) for Toronto during the 2024-25 season, averaging 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. On October 16, 2025, Lawson was waived by the Raptors. Two days later, he re-signed with the team on a two-way contract.
International Career
Lawson has represented Canada at multiple international levels. He competed 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, helping Canada finish second in the tournament. In the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup, Lawson averaged a team-best 16.7 points per game in seven games as Canada advanced to the quarterfinals. He recorded the highest scoring performance of the tournament with a 31-point game against Senegal. 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.
A.J. Lawson Career Highlights
Lawson has earned recognition at both the collegiate and professional levels throughout his basketball career.
College Accolades
Lawson earned Second-team All-SEC honors in 2021 and SEC All-Freshman Team recognition in 2019 during his three seasons at South Carolina. He led the Gamecocks in scoring during his sophomore and junior seasons and scored a career-high 30 points against Texas A&M in January 2021.
Professional Achievements
Lawson appeared in the 2024 NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks. During the 2024-25 NBA season with Toronto, he recorded a career-high 32 points against Washington and followed with a 28-point performance against Philadelphia. His 2024-25 season averages of 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game represented his best NBA season to date.
2025 Season Performance
The 2024-25 NBA season marked Lawson’s most significant professional season since entering the league in 2021. Playing for his hometown Toronto Raptors, Lawson established career highs in scoring while appearing in 26 games with two starts. His 32-point performance against Washington and 28-point game against Philadelphia demonstrated his ability to contribute offensively when given opportunities.
The Raptors converted his two-way contract to a two-year deal in April, signaling their confidence in his development. Despite the mid-season contract upgrade, Lawson’s role remained limited within Toronto’s rotation. The Raptors waived Lawson on October 16, 2025, before re-signing him two days later on another two-way contract. The move indicated continued organizational investment in his potential.
Lawson enters the 2025-26 season competing for backcourt minutes with the Raptors while continuing his development with Raptors 905. At 25 years old, he remains in the early stages of his professional career and seeks to establish himself as a consistent contributor at the NBA level.