The Toronto Raptors will soon find out their fate.
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on May 12 in Chicago and that’s when the Raptors will know where they are picking from in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Right now the Raptors have the 7th best lottery odds which gives them a 31.9 percent chance to move into the top-4 and a slim 7.5 percent chance to get the No. 1 overall pick.
If the Raptors end up with the No. 7 or No. 8 pick, they could very well go with a big man. Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman put out his latest mock draft and he has the Raptors taking Duke’s Khaman Maluach at No. 7:
“Without room for any young wings to play and develop, the Toronto Raptors could be higher on Khaman Maluach than most.
He was having a strong NCAA tournament before running into Houston. In 21 minutes, he converted one basket, grabbed zero rebounds and picked up four fouls.
It wasn’t the type of performance that’s going to help convince NBA teams that he’s going to be ready for regular minutes next season.
Rebuilding or patient teams won’t likely be bothered. There is still plenty of optimism out there in the long-term potential tied to his 7’2″ size and mobility for finishing, rim protection and shot-contesting.
And given the pre-Duke flashes of shooting range and this year’s 76.6 percent mark from the free-throw line, Maluach may be able to strengthen his case further during workouts.”
Wasserman compares Maluach to Charlotte Hornets’ center Mark Williams. The Raptors are in need of a backup big man behind Jakob Poeltl. Therefore, Maluach makes a ton of sense for them at this spot. He will give them a raw center prospect who has a huge defensive ceiling.
Mock drafts continue to pencil in Maluach to the Raptors at this spot and it could very well happen if Toronto doesn’t move up in the draft.
Chris Boucher is finalist for social justice award
Chris Boucher has been named a finalist for the 2024-25 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion award.
This is a recognition that celebrates players who lead efforts to advance equity and justice in their communities.
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