The Toronto Raptors continue to pile on the loses. The team has lost 7 of their last 8 games.
With the Raptors latest loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, they now have the the 6th worst record in the NBA.
This is significant because if Toronto remains as the league’s sixth-worst team, they will have a 45.8% chance to land a top-six pick in the 2024 NBA draft.
If Toronto remains in the top six in this upcoming draft, they would not be required to give up their first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs this year.
If the Raptors fall to the seventh-worst record in the league, then they would only have a 32% chance to keep their pick.
The Raptors and Grizzlies are neck and neck when it comes to the sixth-worst record in the league and there’s still 38 games to go.
It’s unlikely the Raptors crack the fifth-worst record in the overall standings as the Blazers are currently three games behind the Raptors and they are clearly rebuilding themselves.
If the Raptors do hang onto its pick this year, they will have to pay up in the following years. The first-round pick in the deal with the Spurs is top-six protected through 2026. If Toronto somehow earns a top-six pick in each of the next three drafts then the first-round pick owed to San Antonio becomes two second-rounders.
