Alijah Martin

Martin is an American guard on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors after a college career that spanned Florida Atlantic and the University of Florida. Drafted 39th overall in 2025, he arrives in the NBA with a national championship ring from the 2024 Gators, a Final Four berth with the 2023 Owls, and a reputation as a streak scorer who improved his production at every collegiate stop.

Born on December 26, 2001, in Summit, Mississippi, Martin attended North Pike High School, where he was a two-sport standout. As a senior quarterback on the football team, he passed for 2,100 yards and rushed for 1,300 yards. In basketball, he averaged 25.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game during his senior season. He committed to Florida Atlantic for college basketball.

Martin played sparingly as a freshman at FAU before elevating his role as a sophomore, averaging 13.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and earning all-conference third-team recognition. In his junior season, he averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds and helped lead the Owls to the program's first-ever Final Four appearance. His senior season saw similar production—13.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists—before he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

In April 2024, Martin transferred to the University of Florida. He immediately became the Gators' starting shooting guard and delivered a 32-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance in a win over Southern Illinois. In the Final Four against Auburn, he scored 17 points in a 79–73 victory. In the national championship game against Houston, he added seven points as Florida secured its third NCAA title. The championship capped a remarkable single-season ascent from a mid-major transfer to a national champion.

The Toronto Raptors selected Martin with the 39th overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft and signed him to a two-way contract on July 10, 2025. The two-way arrangement allows him to divide time between the Raptors and their G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, while he adjusts to NBA speed, physicality, and defensive demands. He enters the league as a mature rookie with four years of college experience and high-stakes tournament exposure.

Martin is a scoring guard with a quick trigger, strong frame, and willingness to attack the rim. His three-point shooting improved over his college career, and he has shown the ability to get hot in stretches. At Florida, he operated as a secondary creator alongside the Gators' primary ball-handlers, using off-ball movement and catch-and-shoot opportunities to complement his off-the-dribble game. Defensively, he uses his football-honed physicality to body up wings and fight through screens, though he will need to refine his technique against NBA-level athletes.

Martin enters the 2025–26 season as a two-way contract player for the Toronto Raptors. He brings a championship pedigree from the 2024 Florida Gators, a Final Four appearance from the 2023 Florida Atlantic Owls, and a rare multi-sport high school background that shaped his competitive makeup before he focused exclusively on basketball.