The Toronto Raptors came into the offseason open about their needs.
Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, and Gradey Dick are here to stay, but the rest of Toronto's young core is pretty uncertain. That's left the Raptors with a need for a young center, a defense-first wing with some size to complement Toronto's offense-first scorers, and ideally, a backup point guard to carry the load behind Quickley.
With two picks in the NBA draft later this month, it won't be surprising if Toronto fills at least two of those three holes with additions likely coming in free agency either with cap space or the mid-level exception.
Australia's Alexandre Sarr and UConn's Donovan Clingan will both be long gone by the time Toronto makes its selection at No. 19, but almost all the other centers seem like possible picks for the Raptors later on in the first round.
Purdue's Zach Edey and Indiana's Kel'el Ware have both had workouts with the Raptors and seem like the kind of supersized big men that could help Toronto's young core. Both players appear to have some three-point shooting ability and have the size to be valuable rim protectors.
Baylor's Yves Missi is a more traditional big man as a real defensive difference-maker and lob threat thanks to his rare blend of size and athleticism. He does have some ability to defend on the perimeter and could give the Raptors a little more defensive versatility compared to Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk.
Duke's Kyle Filipowski is the best shooter of the bunch and looks like the big man with the most offensive upside thanks to his soft touch around the hoop. Defensively he does lack the size and build to really be a rim protector and could leave Toronto a little vulnerable on defense.
Versatile Wings
Toronto used to have a roster full of versatile and defensively stout wings, but the losses of OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, and Precious Achiuwa have left the organization a little undersized at the forward position. Considering the premium on players of that ilk, it probably makes sense for the Raptors to attack their forward need with the No. 19 pick in the draft.
Miami's Kyshawn George may have the most upside of the wings projected to go toward the back end of the first round this year. The 6-foot-7 freshman shot 40.8% from behind the arc and showed some playmaking skills for the Hurricanes this past year. He's not quite the defender Toronto could use, but his length and guard-like skills should make him an intriguing prospect for the Raptors.
Kansas' Johnny Furphy would give Toronto another young shooter with a little more size than Dick. Furphy has quite a bit of growth to do before he can be an impact player at the next level, but he projects as a savvy off-ball shooter who would give the Raptors a little more offensive firepower.
Baylor's Ja’Kobe Walter is a little undersized to fill Toronto's need for a long wing, but the 6-foot-4 freshman projects as a playmaking forward with some shooting ability. His collegiate numbers were a little disappointing, but Walter was among the top prospects coming out of high school and has shown flashes of being an impressive offensive player.
Virginia's Ryan Dunn is arguably the best defender in this year's class but his lack of almost any offensive skills means he'll probably fall closer to Toronto's pick at No. 31. The 6-foot-6 wing can defend most guards and forwards and has the length to play some smallball center thanks to his 7-foot-1.5 wingspan. If he can develop any sort of three-point shot, he could be a valuable 3-and-D player, but he was essentially a non-shooter in college and there's no indication that's going to change soon.
Toronto really doesn't have any depth behind Quickley for next season and if the organization wants to be competitive next year it might make the most sense to add a guard in free agency this summer. That said, adding a young guard for the future would make some sense either at No. 19 or 31 later this month.
USC's Isaiah Collier was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school a year ago but has fallen down draft boards due to a lackluster freshman season with the Trojans. He's a dynamic on-ball creator who can get the hoop and makes impressive kick-out passes, but turnover troubles and an inconsistent three-point shot plagued his brief collegiate career. He'll likely be off the board before No. 19 but if he falls to Toronto, he could have the upside as a potential down-the-road starter for the Raptors.
Marquette's Tyler Kolek is a senior point guard who should be more NBA-ready than some of his younger peers in the draft. He doesn't quite have immense upside as a 6-foot-1, 23-year-old, but Kolek knows how to run an offense and his three-point shooting would help Toronto's second unit.
Pittsburgh's Carlton Carrington is the youngest of the top prospects in this year's draft and an impressive pull-up shooter. He's a skilled playmaker and a solid defender for his 6-foot-4 frame, but he'll certainly need some developmental time before becoming a contributor at the next level. If Toronto wants to take a chance on an 18-year-old guard, Carrington could be a lottery ticket for the organization moving forward.
