The Toronto Raptors will have the No. 9 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
The Raptors fell two spots back in the draft lottery and now will have to make a big decision about who to add to their roster.
There have been many prospects linked to the Raptors as mock drafts continue to come out.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have the Raptors taking Collin Murray-Boyles of South Carolina:
“The Raptors could go in many directions with this pick, with young, multipositional players scattered throughout the roster, and plenty of options with the many players they’ve assembled via the draft and trades in recent years.
Murray-Boyles would fit in from a culture and toughness standpoint, adding more defensive versatility and playmaking, even if his lack of perimeter shooting isn’t ideal as a potential floor-spacer for Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram.
Picking ninth in what many NBA insiders consider a draft in which the top tier consists of eight players, a best-player-available strategy makes sense for Toronto, a plan this front office has followed in the past. Murray-Boyles’ unique blend of passing, foul drawing, finishing prowess and defensive playmaking has him rated as a potential top-5 pick in some NBA team analytics models, especially because he doesn’t turn 20 until mid-June. — Givony”
Murray-Boyles would give the Raptors a true power forward, someone who would slide into the Raptors bench unit. His defensive potential is the true draw here and he also has great playmaking chops for his size.
Shooting is where Murray-Boyles needs to improve. His shooting percentages in the 2024-25 season were 58.6 percent from the field which is respectable, but he only shot 26.5 percent from three-point range. He also shot 70.7 percent from the free throw line.
Murray-Boyles would be able to help the Raptors with his defensive presence and on offense he’s a big body finisher who has a great playmaking feel.
Bleacher Report mocks Raptors selecting Noa Essengue with No. 9 pick
In another mock draft, Bleacher Report had the Toronto Raptors taking international prospect Noa Essengue with the 9th pick of the draft.
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