Axel Toupane

Axel Toupane (born July 23, 1992) is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA G League. Toupane also represents the senior French national team in international events.[1] At a height of 2.01 m (6'7") tall,[2] and a weight of 101 kg (223 lbs.), he plays at the shooting guard and small forward positions.

Axel Toupane
No. 66 – Santa Cruz Warriors
PositionShooting guard / Small forward
LeagueNBA G League
Personal information
Born (1992-07-23) July 23, 1992
Mulhouse, France
NationalityFrench
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
NBA draft2014 / Undrafted
Playing career2011–present
Career history
2011–2015SIG Strasbourg
2015–2016Raptors 905
2016Denver Nuggets
2016–2017Raptors 905
2017Milwaukee Bucks
2017New Orleans Pelicans
2017–2018Žalgiris
2018–2019Olympiacos
2019–2020Unicaja
2020SIG Strasbourg
2021–presentSanta Cruz Warriors
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  France
FIBA World Cup
2019 China
U20 European Championship
2012 SloveniaUnder-20
2011 SpainUnder-20

Professional career

SIG Strasbourg (2011–2015)

From 2008 to 2011, Toupane spent time with the Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez and SIG Strasbourg Under 21 teams, before joining the SIG Strasbourg senior squad for the 2011–12 LNB Pro A season. As a rookie, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.4 rebounds, in 22 French Pro A League games. In the 2012–13 season, Toupane averaged 3.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, in 35 French Pro A League games, as he helped Strasbourg reach the French Leaders Cup Final. He was considerably more effective the following season, as he averaged 6.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, in 41 French Pro A League games.

Following the 2013–14 season, Toupane entered the 2014 NBA draft, but he was not selected. He then competed in the 2014 NBA Summer League, for the Dallas Mavericks' summer league squad, where he averaged 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game, in four games.[3] He returned to Strasbourg following the Summer League, and in the 2014–15 season, Toupane averaged 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, in 42 Pro A games.[4] Strasbourg finished as the regular season leaders for a second straight year in 2015, and also won the French Cup and the French Leaders Cup.

Raptors 905 (2015–2016)

On July 23, 2015, Toupane signed with the Toronto Raptors, after averaging 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds, in three Summer League games for the team.[5] On October 24, 2015, he was waived by the Raptors, after appearing in two NBA preseason games.[6]

On October 31, 2015, Toupane was acquired by the Raptors 905, of the NBA Development League, as an affiliate player of Toronto.[7] On November 19, he made his debut for the Raptors 905 in a 109–104 loss to the Maine Red Claws, recording 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal, in 30 minutes of playing time.[8]

Denver Nuggets (2016)

On March 3, 2016, Toupane signed a 10-day contract with the Denver Nuggets, after averaging 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steal, over 32 games played in the D-League.[9] The next day, he made his NBA debut, in a 121–120 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, recording one rebound in five minutes off the bench.[10] He later signed a second 10-day contract with the Nuggets, on March 14,[11] and a multi-year contract on March 25.[12] At the conclusion of the 2015–16 season, Toupane was named the NBA D-League Most Improved Player.[13] On October 15, 2016, Toupane was waived by the Nuggets.[14]

Return to Raptors 905 / Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2017)

On October 30, 2016, Toupane was reacquired by the Raptors 905.[15] On February 25, 2017, Toupane signed a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.[16] On March 4, 2017, he was waived by the Bucks,[17] and then reacquired by the Raptors 905 later that day.[18]

New Orleans Pelicans (2017)

On April 10, 2017, Toupane signed with the New Orleans Pelicans, for the remainder of the 2016–17 season.[19] On July 25, 2017, he was waived by the Pelicans.[20]

Žalgiris (2017–2018)
Toupane with Žalgiris in 2018

On July 27, 2017, Toupane signed with the Lithuanian club Žalgiris, of the LKL League.[21][22][23] His solid defence helped the team in both the Euroleague, where Žalgiris reached the first Final Four in 19 years and finished in 3rd place, and the LKL, where Žalgiris won the 8th consecutive LKL championship. Axel was also one of the best players in the league cup, which Žalgiris also won.

Olympiacos (2018–2019)

On July 17, 2018, Toupane signed a two-year deal with the Greek team Olympiacos of the EuroLeague.[24] In 45 games played for Olympiacos, he averaged 5.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. On April 13, 2019, Toupane parted ways with Olympiacos.[25]

Unicaja (2019–2020)

On August 21, 2019, he has signed 1+1 year contract with Unicaja of the Liga ACB.[26]

SIG Strasbourg (2020)

On September 1, 2020, Toupane signed with SIG Strasbourg until October 17th.[27]

On December 3, 2020, Toupane signed with the Golden State Warriors.[28] On December 18, 2020, the Warriors released Toupane.[29]

Santa Cruz Warriors (2021–present)

On January 12, 2021, Toupane was included in roster of Santa Cruz Warriors which would participate the 2020–21 season in the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex of Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando.[30]

National team career

As a member of the junior national teams of France, Toupane played at the 2011 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he won a bronze medal, and at the 2012 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship, where he won a silver medal. Toupane has also been a member of the senior French national basketball team. With France's senior team, he played at the 2017 EuroBasket.[31]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  PIR  Performance Index Rating
 Bold  Career high

Note: The EuroLeague is not the only competition in which the player participated for the team during the season. He also played in domestic competition, and regional competition if applicable.

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Denver 21014.5.357.325.7651.5.7.3.33.6
2016–17 Milwaukee 203.0.000.000.000.0.0.0.0.0
2016–17 New Orleans 2020.5.625.333.000.5.0.5.55.5
Career 25014.1.380.318.7651.3.6.3.33.5

EuroLeague
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG PIR
2013–14 Strasbourg 10215.1.355.143.5002.7.9.2.12.52.4
2017–18 Žalgiris 342115.3.503.375.7112.1.5.4.16.95.8
2018–19 Olympiacos 26413.3.382.361.8151.2.5.5.24.83.3
Career 702714.6.444.353.7271.9.5.4.15.54.4

Personal life

Axel is the son of Jean-Aimé Toupane, a basketball coach and former player of Senegalese descent, and a French mother.

References
  1. "Axel Toupane Player Profile". RealGM.com. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  2. TOUPANE, AXEL HEIGHT: 2.01.
  3. "2014 Summer League Player Profile – Axel Toupane". NBA.com. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  4. "Axel Toupane profile". LNB.fr (in French). Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  5. "Raptors Sign Michale Kyser & Axel Toupane". NBA.com. July 23, 2015. Retrieved July 23, 2015.
  6. "Raptors Announce Roster Changes". NBA.com. October 24, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  7. "Raptors 905 Announces NBA D-League Draft Results, Training Camp". OurSportsCentral.com. October 31, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  8. "Rozier, Red Claws Spoil Raptors 905's First-Ever Game in Mississauga". NBA.com. November 19, 2015. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  9. "Nuggets Sign Axel Toupane". NBA.com. March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  10. "Lopez tips in with 0.4 seconds left in OT, Nets beat Nuggets". NBA.com. March 4, 2016. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  11. "Nuggets Sign Axel Toupane to Second 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  12. "Nuggets Sign Axel Toupane to Multi-Year Contract". NBA.com. March 25, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
  13. "Raptors 905's Axel Toupane Named 2016 NBA Development League Most Improved Player". NBA.com. April 20, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  14. NuggetsPR (October 15, 2016). "#Nuggets Waive Kennedy, Sampson and..." Twitter. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  15. "TRAINING CAMP ROSTER AND SCHEDULE". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 30, 2016. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  16. "Bucks Sign Axel Toupane to a 10-Day Contract". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 25, 2017. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  17. "Bucks Sign Terrence Jones". NBA.com. March 4, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  18. "NBA D-League Transactions". NBA.com. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  19. "Pelicans Sign Axel Toupane for Remainder of 2016-17 Season". NBA.com. April 10, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
  20. "Pelicans Waive Quinn Cook and Axel Toupane". NBA.com. July 25, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  21. "Rimtas pastiprinimas: "Žalgiryje" – NBA patirties turintis prancūzas". Krepsinis.lt. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  22. "Axelis Toupane'as – solidžiai besiginantis ir puolime vis tobulėjantis atletas". BasketNews.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  23. ""Žalgiris" rado žmogų, kuris aikštėje gali daryti praktiškai viską". Krepsinis.net (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  24. "Olympiacos announces Axel Toupane". EuroLeague.net. July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
  25. "Axel Toupane left Olympiacos". EuroHoops.net. April 13, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  26. "Unicaja Malaga inks Axel Toupane". Sportando. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  27. "Axel Toupane inks with SIG Strasbourg until October 17". Sportando. September 1, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  28. "Warriors Announce Roster for 2020-21 Training Camp, Fueled by Gatorade". NBA.com. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  29. "Warriors Waive Forwards Sutton, Toupane and Wesson". NBA.com. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  30. "Santa Cruz Warriors announce 2020-21 roster". NBA.com. January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  31. Axel TOUPANE (FRA).
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