After going undrafted in Thursday’s NBA Draft, former K-State guard Markquis Nowell agreed to a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.
Nowell started his collegiate career at UA-Little Rock, before transferring to K-State for his final two seasons playing one year for Bruce Weber and being one of only two players on the roster when Jerome Tang took over the Wildcats.
Nowell was a strong role player behind Nijel Pack in his first season at K-State, averaging 12.4 points per game and shooting 31% from three with 5.0 assists per game. In his senior season under Tang, Nowell went from role player and streaky shooter, to a third team All-American, All-Big 12 First Team and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament’s East Regional. He did it by scoring 17.6 points per game and dishing out 8.3 assists per game, while raising his three-point shooting to 36%.
Nowell made a name for himself nationally during K-State’s Elite Eight run where he set the NCAA Tournament record for assists in a game with 19 against Michigan State in the Sweet Sixteen.
Nowell’s signing of a two-way contract is the same type of deal that Dean Wade signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers after going undrafted in 2019. Wade would play in 12 games as a rookie in Cleveland and then play in 63 the following season. He is currently in the middle of a three-year, $18.5 million deal with the Cavs.
The NBA created the two-way deal for players that can move between the NBA team and their G-League (formerly D-League) affiliate. Nowell can be active a maximum of 50 games under his two-way deal with the Raptors during the upcoming season, meaning he will have to play games with the Raptors 905 when not on the Toronto roster.
Nowell will be joined in the Toronto rookie class with fellow Sunflower State and Big 12 player Gradey Dick. Nowell will make his Raptors jersey debut in the NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, which begins on Friday July 7th.
