The 2024 NBA Draft is set for June 26 and 27.
The Toronto Raptors gear up as they will have picks No. 19 and No. 31.
At No. 19 the Raptors will have a chance to add a nice prospect to compliment the core three of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently put out an article looking at three realistic draft targets for every team. He lists Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor, Johnny Furphy from Kansas and Kyshawn George out of Miami for the Raptors:
As the Raptors continue remaking their roster around Scottie Barnes, they should seek out as much shooting as possible.
All three of these prospects deliver on that front.
Walter’s form looks better than his percentages (37.6 from the field, 34.1 from three), and his handle could come alive in a spread-out NBA offense.
Furphy’s upside is significant, and while he needs plenty of seasoning to realize it, the Raptors have time to wait.
George just feels like a fit in Toronto, both for his outside shot but also the fact that this front office has shown an affinity for similarly long, lanky wings.
Walter is a 6’5″ shooting guard capable of making shots while possessing physical tools to finish around the rim. In the 2023-24 season the 19-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 38.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent shooting from three-point range. He would be a nice fit alongside Barnes.
Meanwhile, Furphy has a lot of untapped potential and he would be an interesting project for Toronto. Furphy flourished as a starter in Kansas. He averaged 14.4 points per game on 60.7 percent shooting from the field and 51.5 percent shooting from deep in his first seven starts.
George is another intriguing name. He’s got great size for a shooter as George is 6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan. This past season he shot 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from three. His greatest strength is his perimeter shooting, an area of need for the Raptors.
The Ringer projects Ja’Kobe Walter to Raptors at No. 19
As the organization prepares with two draft picks, it will be interesting to see how the scouting department fairs in finding young players that can fit around Barnes and company.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer put out his recent mock draft and he currently has the Raptors taking Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor at No. 19.
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