Ulrich Chomche among five cuts as Raptors trim roster ahead of opener

A former second-round pick is among the casualties as the Toronto Raptors set their opening-night roster on Thursday.

The Raptors cut centre Ulrich Chomche and four other players, the team announced Thursday.

Chomche, the 57th overall pick in the 2024 draft, appeared in seven games with the Raptors during his rookie season before it was cut short by an MCL tear. Injuries continued to plague him this pre-season, when he did not manage to hit the court due to an undisclosed ailment.

Considered a project at six-foot-10, Chomche signed a unique two-year, two-way contract after being drafted.

However, he now won’t see it through. The Raptors open one two-way contract spot on their roster with the move, with guards Checky Hepburn and Alijah Martin filling two of three available slots.

Lawson, the 25-year-old from Toronto, impressed in a 26-game late-season stint with the Raptors last season, putting up 9.1 points per game. He re-signed with the club during the off-season on a two-year deal that included just $100,000 in guarantees.

Rhoden, 26, also received an audition last season, scoring 11.4 points per game over 10 contests with Toronto. He was waived in July and re-signed in September on an undisclosed deal ahead of training camp.

Neither Roddy nor Sarr has ever appeared in a regular-season game for the Raptors.

Toronto’s roster now has 14 players in addition to the two-way contract duo. Its final pre-season game is set for Friday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.