The Raptors found a gem in the second round. Now they’ve locked him up for three more years - Toronto Star
Jamal Shead, the 45th pick in 2024 draft, cashes in with $24-million extension after becoming a key part of the rotation.
The Toronto Raptors have agreed to a three-year contract extension with guard Jamal Shead.
QUEBEC—The Raptors have locked up a piece of their future backcourt.
Jamal Shead, the 45th pick in the 2024 NBA draft who became a key part of the rotation in the last two seasons, will get a three-year, $24-million (U.S.) contract extension that could keep him in Toronto through the 2029-30 season, the Raptors announced Thursday night.
The third year is a team option, according to a source granted anonymity because the team does not divulge contract specifics. It’s a major pay jump for Shead, who’ll earn about $2.2 million in the final year of his rookie contract. In an NBA where the average salary has surpassed $12 million, getting a key backup on a multi-year deal at a low cost is a big boost.
The 24-year-old Shead blossomed into a key backup last season when he averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 assists in almost 23 minutes per game. The six-foot-one point guard was also one of the team’s most durable players, appearing in all 82 regular-season games and starting a dozen.
“I thought the offer they gave me was really fair, honestly,” Shead said after the Raptors held their annual training camp open practice here Thursday. “Above fair. I think they believe in me and we’ve had really good communication over the past couple of months, and we really got it done really fast.”
The Raptors see Shead as important for the future because of his leadership, defensive intensity and improving offensive skills.
“From the 45th pick in the draft to the integral role he has carved out with our team, Jamal’s leadership, hard work and tenacity earned this,” general manager Bobby Webster said in a release. “We’re thrilled he’ll be a Raptor for seasons to come.”
The native of Austin, Texas was drafted by the Sacramento Kings for Toronto as part of a pre-arranged trade involving former Raptor Jalen McDaniels. The Raptors front office turned McDaniels, now out of the league, into Shead, Davion Mitchell, a 2025 draft pick that was used to select Alijah Martin and former NBAer Sasha Vezenkov.
“You never know your future in this league,” Shead said. “I’ve been trying to keep my head down, trying to work and it’s been paying off for me tremendously.”
Shead blossomed in his second season as the primary backup to Immanuel Quickley and became the leader of the second unit. He said he knew early in his career that he had the skills to play in the NBA, at least on the defensive end. This season he will work on becoming a more legitimate offensive threat.
“I’d say probably like the first two games, just playing hard, knowing I can guard a little bit,” Shead said of his early confidence. “If you can play defence, you get on the floor, so I knew that I could do that.
“The offensive side is gonna come, but I know for sure that I can guard.”
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Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on BlueSky: @smithraptorsbeat.bsky.social.
