The Toronto Raptors missed out on a top-six lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after their pick fell to No. 8.
Their first-round pick was conveyed to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade that took place at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline.
All is not lost for the Raptors though as they will still have two picks at their disposal. The No. 19 pick via the Indiana Pacers and No. 31 via the Detroit Pistons.
There is already a ton of chatter about who the Raptors will select at No. 19. This is considered a weak draft class so no pick is set in stone. A lot is changing on the daily and the Raptors will have to do their due diligence leading up to the draft.
One of the most compelling prospects at this year’s draft is Canadian Zach Edey. He was originally supposed to be a second-round pick, however Edey has moved up on a lot of draft boards. The standout Purdue center could end up being a late lottery to mid first-round pick.
There is a good chance that Edey could still be on the board by the time the Raptors make their first-round selection. According to John Fanta of Fox Sports, he has Edey being drafted by the Raptors at No. 19 in his most recent mock draft.
The Raptors need some center depth behind Jakob Poeltl and Edey would be an interesting choice here. Edey dominated this past season with Purdue, averaging 24.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. He led the Boilermakers to the the 2024 NCAA men’s national championship where they fell short to the UConn Huskies. For as great as Edey looks there are still plenty of concerns about if his game with translate to the NBA level.
Edey has a stellar drop step and hook shot. He showed a lot of poise with his back to the basket. However, Edey does a lot of his work inside. He is not seen as a threat to stretch the floor. Also with NBA spacing Edey might have trouble keeping up with faster guards and forwards of defense.
All things considered, the risk might be worth taking with Edey.
Raptors expected to trade Bruce Brown around the draft
Bruce Brown’s time with the Toronto Raptors might be coming to an end soon.
There was a lot of speculation that the Raptors were going to trade Brown at the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline, but a deal never panned out. Now the belief is the Raptors are expected to trade the 27-year-old around the 2024 NBA Draft.
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