Several draft boards have updated their mock drafts between the NBA Draft lottery, NBA Combine measurements, and the scrimmages as the lottery provided some certainty (for now) on where teams are expected to pick, and draft experts are doing their best to find the “match made in heaven” for each and every team, especially in the lottery range. With a flat draft, teams must juggle their definition of “best player available.” Is that prospect coming from the upside picks, breakout potential picks, or the safe and serviceable picks.
For the Toronto Raptors, we now know where they are picking, outside the lottery at the 19th and 31st spots. These draft experts tried to find a perfect match for the Raptors at the 19th spot. Still, due to the nature of this draft class, there’s no consensus top three at the 19th spot and even worse at the 31st spot, unlike last year, where draft pundits zoned in on Kobe Bufkin, Keyonte Goerge, Cason Wallace, and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
Let’s see what these draft experts are saying:
The Athletic (Vecenie): Yves Missi
Previous pick: Matas Buzelis (6th)
Update: May 12, 2024
yves missi, measured 6'10 without shoes at 230 today, has the mobility to execute a variety of NBA coverages — mid drop, high drop, blitz, even some soft switching
his defensive potential is enormous. take him high and don't overthink it pic.twitter.com/2QEiSjWHBu
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) May 13, 2024
I don’t know if this selection will hold up, as The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie’s mock was right after the lottery, but here’s another interesting take at the 19th spot. On his most recent mock draft, he had Yves Missi going to the Raptors. Missi’s a raw prospect, but he has all the attributes he often falls in love with as part of his Vision 6’9” team-building plan: long, defensive versatility, mobile, fluid, light-footed, and can’t shoot.
31st pick: Ryan Dunn
SB Nation (O’Donnell): Yves Missi
Previous Pick: Matas Buzelis (6th)
Update: May 12, 2024
ESPN (Givony/Woo): Kyshawn George
Previous pick: Kyle Filipowski
Update: May 22, 2024
Kyshawn George brings positional versatility on both ends of the floor while adding size, playmaking, and ample shooting to a team that needs talent. At 19th, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo probably thought the Raptors needed more versatile wing talent than any other position, as higher-ranked prospects like Isaiah Collier, Kyle Filipowski, Yves Missi, and Carlton Carrington are all available at this pick based on their most recent mock draft. Still, George is a very Raptors-y type of prospect, except that he, at least at the college level, can shoot from the perimeter.
31st Pick: Ryan Dunn
NBADraft.NET: Jaylon Tyson
Previous Pick: Carlton Carrington
Update: May 21, 2024
The guys at NBADraft.NET probably thought that the Raptors were in need of a scoring punch, and Jaylon Tyson has the best combination of size, athleticism, scoring versatility, and defence. It’s an interesting pick at this spot, given that they still have Devin Carter and Jared McCain available if they’re looking for a ballhandler.
31st Pick: Hunter Sallis
The Ringer (O’Connor): Isaiah Collier
Previous Pick: Cody Williams (6th)
Update: May 12, 2024
The Ringer’s Kevin O’DraftExpert updated his mock draft immediately after the lottery and will likely have an update again after factoring in the NBA Combine observations. For now, he’s got Isaiah Collier falling to the Raptors at the 19th spot. Collier is probably a sleeper pick in this draft, as he had a rough season at USC. Still, if his swing skill (perimeter shooting) improves, he could very well be a top 5 pick talent for this draft immediately.
31st pick: Trentyn Flowers
No Ceilings: Jaylon Tyson
Previous Pick: Zaccharie Risacher
Update: May 13, 2024
The guys at No Ceilings picked Jaylon Tyson going to the Raptors, perhaps to help Masai Ujiri add depth to a very shallow depth. Tyson should bring the scoring punch and defense, both things sorely lacking from the Raptors’ bench this past season.
31st pick: Ryan Dunn
Tankathon: Devin Carter
Previous Pick: Rob Dillingham (6th)
Update: May 20, 2024
Happy Birthday @Raptors & @HawaiiMBB alum Anthony Carter 🇺🇸
He went undrafted in the 1998 NBA Draft managed a 13 year career with the 6'1" PG's final stop coming with the #Raptors in 2011-2012.#NBABirthdays pic.twitter.com/Ms68FDo9in
— שאהיד this•is•shahid شاھد (@this_is_shahid) June 16, 2021
Tankathon pegged the best point guard available at 19th, and Devin Carter could be the next in line to Gary Trent Jr., being the son of a former Raptors to suit up in Toronto. Carter should solidify the team’s ball handling. He could potentially add more dimension to this team with his shooting and if he can hold up defensively, especially on lineups where he could possibly share minutes with Immanuel Quickley.
31st pick: Ryan Dunn
NBA Draft Room: Jared McCain
Previous Pick: Jaylon Tyson
Update: May 20, 2024
Jared McCain is one of three Duke freshmen in the last 25 years (Gary Trent Jr. and Brandon Ingram are the others) to shoot over 40% from three on over 5 attempts per game. https://t.co/Fbxf23AigL
— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) April 13, 2024
The guys at NBA Draft Room’s got jokes! With Gary Trent Jr. likely out of the door (UFA this summer), they decided to select another Duke guard – someone who’s not explosive nor athletic, has good hands defensively but is skilled enough in the perimeter and middy. But hey, at least McCain’s much more willing to do a whole lot more than shoot, as he’s got a good nose for the ball and the willingness to look and pass to his teammates (he’s more of a combo guard at Duke due to a glut at the guard position).
31st pick: Ulrich Chomche
College Sports Wire (Patton): Jared McCain
Previous pick: N/A
Updated: May 20, 2024
31st pick: Bobi Klintman
CBS (Boone): Devin Carter
Previous pick: Ron Holland (6th)
Updated: May 20, 2024
CBS’ Kyle Boone tabbed the best available PG to go to Toronto at the 19th spot, which was available because Boone had Jared McCain going to OKC at the 12th spot. This decision is probably based on BPA, as he had Ron Holland going to the Raptors at 6th previously.
CBS (Parrish): Tidjane Salaun
Previous pick: Ja’Kobe Walter (6th)
Updated; May 20, 2024
On CBS, Gary Parrish’s most recent mock, Tidjane Salaun, made a rare appearance outside of the lottery when he had Tristan Da Silva, Jared McCain, and Jonny Furphy going ahead of Salaun. This is an intriguing thought process if one would put on their GM hat for a minute, as this is a name that people might not expect to be available at the 19th spot.
CBS (Cobb): Tyler Smith
Previous pick: Stephon Castle (6th)
Updated: May 20, 2024
Some prospects have ranged to go after the Raptors’ 19th pick but are expected to be off the board at the 31st pick. CBS’ David Cobb probably felt that the Raptors should take a chance on Tyler Smith’s potential, given their pedigree in developing Vision 6’9” players.
CBS Finkelstein: Ryan Dunn
Previous Pick: Reed Sheppard (6th)
Updated: May 20, 2024
I like Ryan Dunn, but it feels like CBS’ Adam Finkelstein went for a reach here, as Dunn could still be on the board at the 31st spot. Still, Finkelstein probably liked how the Raptors amassed and developed all of these big wings that can’t shoot and turned them respectable. With the Vision 6’9” cupboard empty, I guess why not?
Bleacher Report (Wasserman): Zach Edey
Previous Pick: Kyle Filipowski
Update; May 21, 2024
Zach Edey knocking down threes with ease at his pro-day 👀 pic.twitter.com/aIgAXi60YG
— Stevie (@RaptorsShaq) May 21, 2024
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman seems hell-bent on getting the Raptors some help in the middle. Post-lottery, he pegged Duke’s Kyle Filipowski. This time, he’s providing us with Can-Con in Zach Edey, who improved his stock and might squeeze his way into the late lottery range. As mentioned above, a center? Is there something that you’re not telling us, Mr. Wasserman?
31st pick: KJ Simpson
