TORONTO -- On the eve of the squad's inaugural season, the Raptors 905 is already proving its worth.

The Toronto Raptors sent Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira to their NBA Development League affiliate -- Raptors 905 -- on Friday. The two forwards are expected to play in the team's season opener Saturday when they visit the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

The game will be the first major minutes the two Brazilians have played in awhile.

"I think it's great," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. "It's great for the organization, it's great for us to be able to send guys down there, to be able to play and get minutes. . . And it's so close. Mississauga is right down the road, get down there and back. Don't have to take a day to fly wherever.

"It's a huge advantage for us, and a great investment for the organization for the development of players."

Raptors 905 -- who call the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ont., home -- also signed Canadian guard Nick Wiggins and forward Ronald Roberts on Friday.

Casey said weighing what's more beneficial, the slim chance Caboclo or Nogueira might get into a Raptors game versus the experience they'll get with the D-League squad, it's no contest.

Asked what he wants the young players to focus on in the D League, Casey said: "Pick and roll defence, running through our offence, running similar sets (to the Raptors), similar pick and roll coverage, making sure they execute that properly, but most of all getting the feel of playing longated minutes.

"That's the most important thing for both of them, because they work their butts off in drills in practice, but it's nothing like a game," he added. "So this is an opportunity for them to go and play."

Wiggins -- the older brother of Andrew, the reigning NBA rookie of the year -- was claimed by Raptors 905 from the NBA D-League's available player pool. The Wichita State grad split last season between the Idaho Stampede (NBA D-League) and Germany's Tigers Tubingen.

In 28 games with Idaho, Wiggins averaged 9.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 23.9 minutes. In 11 games with Tubingen, he averaged 5.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 11.7 minutes.

Roberts attended the Raptors' training camp this season, recording 10 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes of pre-season action. In 16 NBA D-League games last season with Santa Cruz and Delaware, he averaged 17.5 points, 11.9 rebounds and 30.4 minutes.

Casey said he checks in regularly with Raptors 905 coach Jesse Mermuys, but that he has no say over who plays and how they play.

"But we talk and communicate how things are going, how practices are going," Casey said. "But (Mermuys) is on his own, he's a good coach, in charge down there, so they're in good hands."