Armed with the No. 29 pick in this Wednesday’s NBA Draft, the Toronto Raptors have many options on their hands in a draft that’s being touted as one light on overwhelming star power but still heavy on lots of talent across the board.
As such, though picking second-last in the first round doesn’t sound all that exciting, due to the nature of this draft, the Raptors could end up with a really good player there and there’s lots to choose from.
The same could be said of their second-round pick at No. 59, where there are seemingly infinite possibilities for the Raptors to go with.
Still, the shine, as always, is in the first round and it feels as if nearly every player, perhaps outside of the top 10, could be in play for the Raptors at No. 29. So, to help whittle down targets you might want to keep an eye on during draft night, here are 10 prospects the Raptors might be considering.
Desmond Bane
A six-foot-six, 215-pound senior guard from TCU, Bane is a sharp-shooting, defensively responsible player who fits the mould of overlooked older prospects like Norman Powell and Fred VanVleet.
Though not an explosive athlete and lacking the kind of length you’d ideally like to see from a potential three-and-D wing prospect, Bane would still make for a fine selection as a player who can contribute immediately. He shot 44.2 per cent from three-point range on about 6.5 attempts per game in college and was named First-Team All-Big 12.
There are more exciting names on this list, but don’t mistake the relative safety of Bane for a lack of ability. He has a lot of it.
Tyler Bey
Not to be confused with Villanova sophomore Saddiq Bey — who is expected to go sometime in the lottery or just outside of it — Tyler Bey is a six-foot-seven, 216-pound junior hailing from Colorado.
He mostly played the wing, but thanks to his high motor and relentless effort on the glass, Bey could figure to see some small-ball four time at the next level.
In college, Bey averaged 13.8 points and nine rebounds per game as he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Bey brings to the table great length, agility and strength to make an impact on the defensive end but will have to improve as a shooter. He shot 41.9 per cent from three this past season — a good-looking mark — but he only took a total of 31 three-point attempts across Colorado’s 31-game season, meaning that percentage is a little deceptive as to his actual shooting ability.
Isaiah Joe
Joe is a sweet-shooting six-foot-five, 180-pound guard from Arkansas who said he’s tried to model his game off the likes of Klay Thompson and Buddy Hield — marksmen who prefer to move without the ball to get open and let fly when the ball reaches their hands.
A knee injury limited Joe to only 26 games played this past season and he saw his draft stock fall as he put up subpar stats during a sophomore year where he was probably asked to do a little too much, averaging 16.9 points on poor 36.7-per cent shooting.
Counting stats don’t tell the full story with Joe, however, as he was a volume shooter, averaging about 10.6 three-pointers per game with the vast majority of his looks coming from outside. As previously mentioned, Joe was probably asked to do too much for the Razorbacks this past season, but that wouldn’t be the case with the Raptors, where his usage would obviously drop and his averages could return to par.
Theo Maledon
A raw, six-foot-five, 176-pound 19-year-old French point guard prospect, Maledon has seen his stock drop significantly since earlier in the year, and that could be to the benefit of the Raptors.
As detailed by Sportsnet’s Evan Rosser in his profile of Patrick Engelbrecht, Raptors director of global scouting and international affairs, Toronto has had its eye on Maledon for a while and likely won’t be swayed by the recency bias of impressive workouts from other prospects should he be available.
As a pick, Maledon could be a bit of a risk as he’s likely not ready for the NBA yet, but he features great size, length and natural vision for a point guard so young, and his upside could be immense.
The Raptors have a great player-development program they could put him on if they decide to bring him over from France. If not, he could be a draft-and-stash candidate as he’s getting experience in France’s top league on one of the best teams in ASVEL.
Jaden McDaniels
A hyped-up prospect who failed to meet expectations during his lone year at Washington, McDaniels hurt his draft stock significantly, but there’s a chance that top-10-level talent he was said to have remains.
It’s unlikely that McDaniels will last until No. 29, but if he does the Raptors would have a hell of a talent on their hands with skills similar to new max man Pascal Siakam.
McDaniels is a six-foot-nine, 200-pound forward who’s game at the moment leans more towards the perimeter. He has excellent shooting mechanics and with his size and length he can get his shot up and over just about any defender. Additionally, McDaniels has an explosive first step and a tight handle that allows him to shake loose guys checking him to set up drives to the basket and pull-ups.
He has serious strength issues that he may never resolve, but, like Siakam was when first coming into the league, McDaniels is a high-level athlete with plenty of skills that just couldn’t be untapped in college, but could translate to the NBA level.
Jahmi’us Ramsey
Ramsey is a six-foot-four, 195-pound, built-like-a-brick-house freshman guard from Texas Tech who earned Big 12 Fresman of the Year honours this past season after a stellar season that saw him average 15 points per game and shoot 42.6 per cent from deep on a little more than five attempts per contest.
Having just turned 19 in June, Ramsey still has a long ways to go in his development and that’s why he could be an intriguing high-upside play for the Raptors at No. 29. He already has the strength and physique to play in the NBA, and appears to have the necessary shooting stroke and athleticism to succeed as well.
What will be needed from Ramsey is more aggression, however. For a player with his kind of physical gifts, he was seen settling for jumpers too often in college when he had opportunities to drive the ball to the hole, especially against slighter guards trying to check him.
Isaiah Stewart
An old-school, muscular big man who’s most comfortable playing on the inside, Stewart boasts a non-stop motor and what he currently lacks, there’s hope his natural work ethic will eventually be able to shore up some of the glaring holes in his game.
Stewart just finished his freshman year at Washington where he averaged 17 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game and was named First-Team All-Pac-12. He has an advanced post game already and was a terror on the inside in college.
Where Stewart will have to improve is as a passer as he’s outright terrible at it right now, and the jury’s still out on whether he can develop into a good shooter. He shot over 77 per cent from the free-throw line in college indicating the mechanics are there for him to become decent, but there’s never a guarantee.
Tyrell Terry
Where Terry ends up is a mystery. Some mock drafts have him in the lottery, others in the range where the Raptors are picking and even lower, and the reason for this is simple.
Though Terry is among the most skilled players in the draft as one of the most advanced passers and a shooter with near-unlimited range, he comes in at only six-foot-three, 170 pounds meaning he’ll be a fair bit undersized both in terms of height and strength at the NBA level.
Granted there have been special players with his physical and skill comparables, most notably Stephen Curry and Trae Young, but Terry didn’t enjoy anywhere close to the kind of collegiate career as those two.
He had a fine freshman season, averaging 14.6 points and shooting over 40 per cent from the field, but nothing like the masterclass years that Curry and Young put up at Davidson and Oklahoma.
Still, the talent is there, and if he’s still on the board at No. 29, the Raptors could certainly do worse.
Xavier Tillman
A classic undersized, hard-nosed big man with plenty to offer a team should one give him a chance, Tillman stands six-foot-eight at 245 pounds and brings smarts and a boat-load of work ethic to the table.
Tillman looks ready-made to step in and immediately contribute at the NBA level. He sets hard screens, is an adept passer and is a strong defender, both individually and in team concepts.
He was named the Big 10 Defensive Players of the Year this season and has the advantage of a little more seasoning than most coming out of Michigan State as a junior.
The big question mark with Tillman is whether he can shoot the ball as he’s never shown a great deal of offensive skill, but regardless of that, Tillman would be a solid, safe pick for the Raptors as he’d figure to instantly step into a backup centre role should one of Serge Ibaka and/or Marc Gasol leave in free agency.
Cassius Winston
Michigan State’s leader for the past four years, Winston is a six-foot-one, 185-pound senior point guard who comes with great pedigree but is being projected as a second-round pick because he’s not an explosive athlete and could be taken advantage of defensively because of his size.
Funny thing, though — a certain Raptor point guard who’s about six-foot-one, isn’t overly athletic and was criticized for his size as a liability turned into a six-time all-star and greatest player in the franchise’s history, and is having himself a pretty good NBA career.
Look, this isn’t to say that Winston is going to be another Kyle Lowry but the comparable is there as both players are natural-born leaders, and winners with an insatiable competitive drive with a knack for making those around them better.
Lowry will be turning 35 this coming season and there’s a chance VanVleet could leave in free agency, so taking a proven-commodity point guard might not be a bad idea for the Raptors.
