LAS VEGAS—A visitor sidles up to an NBA general manager in the hallways of the Cox Pavilion to say hello and see what’s up.

“What are you doing here?” the longtime executive asks. “Andrew Wiggins isn’t until next year.”

But while the NBA world waits for the most heralded Canadian player in history to get to the league a year from now, the summer league is turning into something of a proving ground and career springboard for a promising group of Canadian talent.

It speaks to the rapid ascension of Canadians in the NBA world that half a dozen of them are here this summer and more are coming.

“The young talent in our group and even younger than us coming up is great,” said Toronto’s Devoe Joseph, who played for Toronto’s Las Vegas entry. “You see in Kelly Olynyk and Anthony Bennett (lottery picks this year) and all these draft picks in recent years how much basketball is growing in Toronto and in Canada.

“Andrew Wiggins, he’s got a lot of hype right now and from what I’ve seen, he’s living up to it. So I’m just proud of everybody and keep working as a country and push each other.”

Joseph, his brother Cory with San Antonio, Andy Rautins (Chicago), Junior Cadougan (Milwaukee), Myck Kabongo (Miami), Robert Sacre (Los Angeles Lakers) and Liam McMorrow (New York) represent the largest group of Canadians ever to play in a summer-league season.

Olynyk was dominant with the Boston Celtics earlier this month in Orlando; Bennett was in Las Vegas but sat out because of shoulder surgery.

“It shows where the game is and where we are as a country,” said Devoe Joseph. “It’s great for the game and for us.”

Whether any of the Canadians can use the opportunity to even garner an NBA training-camp invite is questionable but that doesn’t mean they aren’t getting valuable experience.

Anything they can pick up that will help them make contacts or develop their games helps.

“It’s always experience,” Joseph said after a Raptors game this week. “Anytime you can get anything, whether it’s in your game or learning about the coaching or how the league is, if you get anything out of it, it’s a good thing.”

Raptors coach Dwane Casey made the most important point about the influx of Canadians. They may not make it to the NBA but their skills will improve, and they will be able to get top-notch coaching and work on the parts of their games that need it the most.

And even if they don’t reach the very top level of the profession, they will be able to carve out a nice living playing the game.

“I’ve had a man crush on Devoe since he came in and was working out in our gym,” said Casey. “The No. 1 thing with Devoe, and I’ve told him, is he has to get stronger. That’s one thing Cory has done, he’s got his body stronger and ready for the banging, because (Devoe) has NBA skills. He’s just got to get the NBA strength now to take the bump, take the hit and still get the job done.

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“Whatever any of the kids from Canada get out of this is only going to make the game better.”

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