The Toronto Raptors will soon know their draft fate on May 12.
The team currently has the 7th best lottery odds entering the lottery. They also have a 7.5 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick and a 31.9 percent chance of getting into the top-4.
While the Raptors are in need of a backup big, they could pivot and go guard. The Raptors do have a deep guard room, but they could stock up on another young guard who they see as their future.
That guard could be Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis, that’s what CBS Sports’ Gary Parish predicts in his latest mock draft:
“What Jakucionis lacks in explosiveness he makes up for with his diverse skill-set and high basketball IQ. The Lithuanian only shot 31.8% from 3 in one season at Illinois. That shouldn’t be ignored, obviously. But Jackucionis has previously shown to be enough of a reliable shooter that his poor percentage at Illinois won’t send him tumbling on draft night.”
Jakucionis recently declared for the 2025 NBA Draft after one season with the Fighting Illini.
Jakucionis was named to the All-Big Ten third team. He averaged 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 44 percent shooting from three-point range in 33 games. He led the Illini in scoring, tying the freshman record for total points in a season.
Jakucionis has also represented Lithuania several times at the junior level, most recently at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket. He averaged 19.4 points, 5.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 7 games.
He could find himself in the 6-8 range and that’s where the Raptors could snag him. Making him an interesting fit. Immanuel Quickley has been penciled in as the Raptors point guard of the future but perhaps Toronto believes Jakucionis can turn into something special.
He may be too valuable for them to pass up on here.
Kasparas Jakucionis projected to go in Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft
Another recent mock draft penciled Jakucionis to the Toronto Raptors.
Yahoo Sports believes the Raptors will take the young guard at No. 7.
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