The Toronto Raptors agreed to sign Nate Bittle on Friday on an Exhibit 10 contract, giving the undrafted centre a chance to spend the offseason and training camp in front of the team’s staff. The deal puts Bittle in position to compete for a deeper look while the Raptors sort out their front-court options.
The move matters now because the Raptors’ Las Vegas Summer League squad got into action on Friday, and Bittle is part of that group. At 23 years old, he arrives after five NCAA seasons with the Oregon Ducks and a senior year that produced 16.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks through 25 games. He also showed a perimeter wrinkle for a seven-foot, 250-pound centre, attempting 4.5 threes per game and making them at a 31.9 per cent clip.
Sportsnet's Blake Murphy reported that the contract is an Exhibit 10, which is a one-year minimum-salary NBA deal that is not fully guaranteed. In practice, that kind of agreement is often used to keep a player around for evaluation in the offseason and into training camp, while also giving a team a path to retain G League rights if the player is waived.
That is the part that hangs over Bittle’s next step. The Raptors have added a seven-foot centre they can evaluate, but the contract does not lock in a roster spot, and it does not require the team to carry him once camp decisions begin. If Bittle sticks, the signing becomes a low-cost add with a live body and college production to judge. If he does not, the Exhibit 10 structure still gives Toronto a way to keep his path through the G League open.
For now, the move is a clear bet on size, skill and upside rather than certainty. Bittle has already gone from undrafted to an NBA opportunity, and the real test comes next, when the Raptors decide whether he is part of their season plan or part of the rights retention game that often follows this kind of deal.
