The ping pong balls did not fall the Toronto Raptors way.
The Raptors fell to No. 9 despite entering the lottery with a 19.7 percent chance to stay at No. 7. This is a disappointing result for the Raptors who had their eyes on moving up in a draft that is top-heavy.
Now the Raptors will have to shift their focus to the middle of the lottery where they will really need to zone in on hitting on a prospect.
The big winner of this year’s draft lottery were the Dallas Mavericks who got the No. 1 pick despite having a 1.8 percent chance. The San Antonio Spurs also jumped up to No. 2 and the Philadelphia 76ers ended up with No. 3 pick, followed by the Charlotte Hornets who fell to No. 4. It was a shocking result as the top-4 was something no one could have ever predicted.
Even though the Raptors will be picking at No. 9 there is still value to be had. Khaman Maluach, the Duke 7-footer, could still be on the board. He’s a defensive anchor and elite shot-blocker who would be a strong rim protecter behind Jakob Poeltl. He would instantly fit a need on this team.
Another big man who could still be here is Derik Queen from Maryland. He’s a polished offensive big who can shoot it and who has good footwork in the post.
Kasparas Jakucionis of Illinois could also find himself still available at this spot. The Raptors could take a shot on the 6-foot-5 crafty combo guard.
The Raptors will have a big decision to make. They could draft based on need and go after a big man like Maluach or Queen or they could take another prospect who they feel is the best at this spot.
The Raptors were hoping they would move up in the draft lottery and in turn they got the worst possible outcome. But not all is lost as they could still draft a player who can help turn the franchise around.
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