Raptors take a risk with talented young guard and avoid being burned

A.J. Lawson, Toronto Raptors | Sam Hodde/GettyImagesThe Toronto Raptors just signed scoring guard A.J. Lawson to a two-way contract. Their path to getting there, however, was a risky one -- and they could easily have lost him to another team.

The news that A.J. Lawson was being waived was a surprising one to many fans of the Toronto Raptors. After his performance last season and a strong preseason, he seemed like a strong candidate to be retained on the contract that he signed last season.

Lawson made his way to Toronto by a circuitous route. The Canadian native attended South Carolina before going undrafted in 2021. After a year in the G League, the Minnesota Timberwolves scooped him up onto…