Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Garrett Temple has enjoyed a lengthy NBA career built on professionalism, leadership, and a willingness to do whatever his team requires. Respected across the league, he has provided value both on the court and in the locker room through his experience and steady presence.

Here’s detailed information about Garrett Temple:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Garrett Bartholomew Temple
  • Nickname: G-Temp
  • Nationality: American
  • Date of Birth: May 8, 1986
  • Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. (LSU)
  • Height: 6’5″ (1.96 m)
  • Weight: 195 lb (88 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6’9″ (206 cm) listed by the NBA 2K26 player database (2K Ratings)
  • Shoe Size: —
  • Jersey Number:
    • 14 — LSU
    • 2 — Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs
    • 17 — Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors
    • 41 — Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Pelicans
  • Position: Guard-Forward; functionally a shooting guard / small forward swingman
  • High School: LSU Laboratory School (University Lab), Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Wikipedia)
  • College: LSU (Louisiana State University), 2005–2009
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted in the 2009 NBA Draft; no team selected him and he later earned his way in through summer league, 10-day contracts, and roster battles (NBA)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Houston Rockets — 2009–10
    • Sacramento Kings — 2009–10, 2016–18
    • San Antonio Spurs — 2009–10
    • Milwaukee Bucks — 2010–11
    • Charlotte Bobcats — 2010–11
    • Washington Wizards — 2011–16
    • Memphis Grizzlies — 2018–19
    • Los Angeles Clippers — 2018–19
    • Brooklyn Nets — 2019–20
    • Chicago Bulls — 2020–21
    • New Orleans Pelicans — 2021–23
    • Toronto Raptors — 2023–present
  • Player Archetype: Veteran 3-and-D connector / locker-room stabilizer wing (Raptors HQ)
  • Primary Offensive Role: Low-usage spot-up spacer, secondary ball-mover, connective passer, and situational straight-line attacker (Sports Forecaster)
  • Defensive Role: Multi-position perimeter defender who takes tough wing assignments and helps organize team defense with veteran communication (Sports Forecaster)
  • Play Style: Unselfish, disciplined, low-mistake basketball built on floor spacing, ball movement, physical perimeter defense, and veteran poise (Sports Forecaster)
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right-handed (LSU)
  • Athletic Profile: Solid NBA wing size, functional length, mobile laterally, more steady than explosive at this stage of his career (2K Ratings)
  • Recruiting Status: 247Sports Composite 0.8556 recruit; No. 158 nationally, No. 28 point guard, No. 3 in Louisiana in the class of 2004 (247Sports)
  • Draft Status Detail: Four-year LSU player who went undrafted in 2009, then carved out a long NBA career through persistence, defense, versatility, and professionalism rather than draft pedigree (2K Ratings)
  • Injury Status Category: Active veteran; not on a confirmed long-term absence as of March 21, 2026, after being available in January and appearing for Toronto on March 11, 2026 (NBA)
  • Career Stage: Late-career veteran / mentor phase (Raptors HQ)
  • Comparison Style: Thabo Sefolosha–type or Wesley Matthews–lite mold as a defense-first, low-usage veteran wing connector. This is a stylistic comparison, not a sourced one.
  • Championship Rings: 0
  • Parents: Collis Temple and Soundra Johnson Temple (LSU)
  • Children: Three children (Sportsnet.ca)
  • Siblings: Two older brothers, Collis III and Elliott, and one younger sister, Colleen Noelle (LSU)
  • Athlete Relatives: Father Collis Temple Jr. played at LSU and was the first Black basketball player in LSU program history; brother Collis III also played at LSU (LSU)

Player Archetype / Play Style

Garrett Temple’s player archetype is that of a veteran 3-and-D connector, the kind of wing who keeps possessions clean, defends across the perimeter, and fills whatever role a lineup needs. Defensively, he has long been valued for taking on tough wing assignments, communicating coverages, and bringing steadiness rather than gambling for plays, while offensively he works best as a low-usage spacer, secondary passer, and simple decision-maker. Physically, Temple brings legit NBA wing size at 6-foot-5 and roughly 195 pounds with decent length, and even though he is now deep into the veteran stage of his career, his game still leans on discipline, positioning, and composure more than burst. His overall play style is practical and team-first: defend, move the ball, hit open threes, stay in structure, and give younger teammates a reliable model for professional basketball habits. (2K Ratings)

Scouting Report

Garrett Temple has never been the player drawing defensive game plans, but it’s easy to overlook how many possessions he simplifies simply by making the correct decision before anyone else has to. He rarely holds the ball long enough for the offence to stall. If the advantage is there, he’ll swing it. If a cutter has inside position, he’ll find them. If nothing develops, he’ll flow straight into the next action without trying to create something that isn’t available. That restraint is a skill in itself. As an off-ball player, he understands spacing, relocates to passing windows instead of drifting aimlessly, and picks his cuts when defenders turn their heads rather than chasing touches. Defensively, his game has always been built on anticipation more than recovery speed. He shades ball handlers toward help, gets through off-ball screens with solid technique and consistently arrives in the right place as the low man instead of making desperate rotations after the fact. Bigger wings with power can move him off his spot, while explosive guards capable of changing direction multiple times in isolation can expose the limits of his lateral quickness, so asking him to erase elite creators one-on-one isn’t the best use of his game. The interesting thing is that he often defends difficult actions well because he recognises them early. He’ll communicate a ghost screen before it happens, switch without hesitation when the coverage demands it and rarely loses sight of weak-side responsibilities while watching the ball. Offensively, he fits best alongside primary creators who don’t need another player hunting shots but do need someone who keeps possessions organised and punishes defensive mistakes with quick, uncomplicated reads. To me, that’s where his value has always lived. There are similarities to Wesley Matthews in the willingness to embrace complementary responsibilities on both ends, while parts of his game also resemble James Posey, particularly in the disciplined off-ball defence, timely shooting and understanding that sometimes the most important play is simply preventing a possession from becoming chaotic.

Sources:

Sports Illustrated — Garrett Temple Plays His Role in Historic Basketball Family
CBS Sports — How Garrett Temple figured out life in the NBA
LSU Sports — Garrett Temple
NBA.com — Garrett Temple | Guard-Forward | Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors — RAPTORS RE-SIGN TEMPLE
247Sports — Garrett Temple at University Lab Recruit Rank History
Sportsnet — Groove is in the heart for Garrett Temple, Raptors
2K Ratings — Garrett Temple NBA 2K26 Rating (Current Toronto Raptors)