TORONTO – A day later, and Collin Murray-Boyles was still salty that the veteran players on the Toronto Raptors had filled his car with popcorn.
And yes, it was buttered.
The rookie centre had his first full practice in three weeks on Tuesday, upgrading his status on the Raptors’ personnel report to day to day before a five-game road trip out west. Murray-Boyles said that despite the claims of his older teammates, he’d be doing his rookie duties.
“Done everything. They complain I was being late to the games, coming out, but I was just trying to get better, you know?” said Murray-Boyles, tongue slightly in cheek. “But I guess working hard just gets you punished.”
The six-foot-seven 245-pound Murray-Boyles is averaging 7.8 points, five rebounds and two assists per game in his debut NBA season. However, he hasn’t played since he exited Toronto’s 110-107 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 25.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said that Murray-Boyles might be able to play during the Raptors’ road trip that starts on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Toronto will then visit the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers.
“That’s what we’ve been striving for,” said Murray-Boyles on a possible return. “I want to get back with the guys. It hurts to sit on the bench and watch when I know I can make an impact, but we’ll see.
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“We’re striving for it, but no promises.”
Point guard Immanuel Quickley filmed Murray-Boyles opening his popcorn-filled car for Instagram but wouldn’t take responsibility for the prank — “I ain’t no snitch” — but was happy to hear that the rookie could be cleared to play on the road trip.
“It’s great to have (the) young fella back,” said Quickley, who learned from reporters that Murray-Boyles had been upgraded to day-to-day. “We popcorned his car yesterday, so he’s a little bit mad about that, but he adds a lot to our team, toughness, energy, rebound and scoring, pretty much everything, defensive versatility.
“It would be great to have him back, for sure.”
Quickley said that what’s impressed him the most about Murray-Boyles’s game is his high basketball IQ.
“I tell people all the time, it’s like he’s been in — this is the problem, why we popcorned his car — it’s because he acts like he’s been in the league for so long, on the court as well,” said Quickley. “He’s very mature in the fact that he knows where to be on the floor.
“He’s always, like, two steps ahead, offensively and defensively, and then obviously his athleticism takes over.”
Murray-Boyles has earned 22 starts in 47 games played this season, partly because veteran centre Jakob Poeltl has been injured for long stretches of the season. Other times, Murray-Boyles has started over Poeltl for strategic matchups.
Sandro Mamukelashvili is the third man in Toronto’s centre rotation, although he tends to play more on the perimeter than either Murray-Boyles or Poeltl.
Rajakovic wasn’t sure how the rotation would work when Murray-Boyles was finally activated.
“You are looking much more into the future than me,” laughed Rajakovic. “I’m looking forward to dealing with those kind of problems.
“I want to wish that all of our rotation is healthy, so I can have those headaches.”
Trayce Jackson-Davis, who also plays centre, was assigned to the G League’s Raptors 905 on Tuesday morning. It was expected that he’ll play for the 905 against the Motor City Cruise that night and then re-join Toronto for the road trip.
“The plan that we have for him is a long-term plan,” said Rajakovic. “We’re really trying to get him up to speed with our program, with conditioning, playing in the system that we have (and) the demands.
“I think any assignment that we have, any opportunity for him to be with our 905 program, is super important for him and super important for the team.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 17, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
