Sandro Mamukelashvili is looking to take the next step of his career with the Toronto Raptors.

The 6-foot-9 forward joined the Raptors on a two-year, $5.5 million contract as an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is excited about how he can fit in with the team.

"They are a lot of young guys who want to get better and get to the next level together," Mamukelashvili told TSN's Josh Lewenberg on Friday. "There’s a lot of great guys there. I know A.J. [Lawson], I know RJ [Barrett], who was my teammate in high school. I feel like I can take my game to the next level here."

Mamukelashvili, 26, played the past three seasons with the San Antonio Spurs and averaged 6.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 61 games last year.

Drafted 54 overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2021, Mamukelashvili has averaged 5.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 191 career games split between the Milwaukee Bucks and Spurs.

Mamukelashvili used his time in his two other stops to get his footing in the game and learn what it takes to stick around on an NBA roster.

With Milwaukee, he was one of the younger players and says that he watched rotational pieces stick to their roles in order to make the game easier for Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Spurs, he was one of the older players on the team and was able to take on a vocal leadership role where he can bring positivity and energy on the team.

On the Raptors, he will be expected to back up starting centre Jakub Poeltl and provide a different look for opposing defences to adjust to.

"I think I bring a different style of play, said Mamukelashvili. "If you put me at the five, I can shoot the ball and stretch the floor. If you put me with Poeltl, I'm a cutter. I know how to cut, play off the ball, and how to space out. Also, when I'm playing with Scottie [Barnes], I think it will be difficult to guard a two-guy pick and roll when it's two big guys because you got to communicate.

"For four years it's been a tough spot for me to figure out my spot in the NBA, so hopefully I'll take another step to show that I belong and I'm a rotational piece [with the Raptors]."

One of the things that attracted Mamukelashvili to Toronto was the opportunity to play for head coach Darko Rajakovic. With both men coming from the European game, Mamukelashvili feels like Rajakovic will have a better time understanding what his strengths and weaknesses are and can fully integrate him into the Raptors lineup.

"They have a great coach. He's Eastern European who understands the European style of play, which I play the most," said Mamukelashvili. "It's all about knowing your role, if you know your role, how to execute your role, and know how to play hard, you make the job easier."

Mamukelashvili and Barrett were teammates in high school at Montverde Academy in Florida. Barrett, at the time, was one of the top high school players in the United States leading his team to a 31-0 season in 2018, winning the national championship and tournament MVP.

Since then, Barrett played a season in the NCAA with Duke and six seasons in the NBA with the New York Knicks and Raptors. After watching his career so far, Mamukelashvili is impressed by how much he's improved over that time period.

"He's developed and got so much bigger physically," said Mamukelashvili. "He's also smarter. There was no shot that RJ didn't like in high school. He used to shoot everything, and I would go rebound for him. I'm looking forward to playing with him [again]. I think he's developed his outside shot  a lot, so I'm looking forward to supporting him and being on the floor with him."

Off the court, Mamukelashvili looks at Toronto as an amazing city with an amazing fan base. While there were pieces in place on the court that made him feel comfortable joining the Raptors, the community and organization were also a key part of his decision.

The New York native is coming to the city with his four dogs, two mixed bullies and two toy poodles, and he is already enjoying the city.

"I love Toronto already, I love the fan base," Mamukelashvili said. "It's an amazing city and amazing fan base so everything about Toronto felt right. Of course, basketball is very important, but he community and organization felt right too. I'm going to come in there and make sure I don't disappoint.”