Meet the newest member of the Toronto Raptors.
Toronto selected guard Baylor guard Ja’Kobe Walter 19th overall at the 2024 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard is a gifted two-way player, averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 35 starts for the Bears in his freshman year. He was a five-star recruit coming into college and was the eighth-ranked prospect of the 2023 class on 247 Sports.
According to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, the Raptors did not hold a workout for Walter and he had no indication that the team would take him at 19.
The Raptors need all the help they can get from long-range as they look to build out their core around Barnes. Don’t let his 34.1 per cent hit rate from 3-point range fool you, Walter can provide the shooting they need as one of the best movement shooters in the class.
With the Raptors’ tendency to operate more off-ball screens and handoffs last season, Walter, with his steady pull-up shooting ability, could add serious dynamism to an offence that started to find its sea legs when the core was healthy in limited action last season. He’s also a talented driver, unafraid to get physical down the lane and finish through contact.
Though not a primary shot-creator due to his lack of ball-handling abilities, he did showcase a solid gift for playmaking while in high school and can operate well in tight spaces on drives.
The Raptors finished 25-57 last season and struggled mightily on both ends, finishing in the bottom 10 in both offence and defence.
