The Toronto Raptors continue to host workouts ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
The team will have the No. 9 and No. 39 pick in the two-day draft.
There’s been a lot of speculation about what the Raptors are going to do with their first-round pick. Will they trade it? If they don’t trade it, who will they select?
Based on positional need the Raptors could use a backup center. The team lacked a reliable backup option for Jakob Poeltl when he missed time.
In Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft, they have the Raptors taking a big man in Maryland’s Derick Queen who was compared to Alperen Sengun:
“There won’t be many opportunities for a young forward to develop in Toronto after the Raptors acquired Brandon Ingram. That could sway the Raptors to think big and consider Derik Queen, who’d give them another option that can create for themselves in the half court.
While Queen struggled during athletic testing at the combine, those who’ve bought in did accepting his lack of explosion or speed. His skill level and feel should appear high enough for teams to see a surefire offensive weapon, even if his defensive upside remains limited.”
Queen started in 36 games for Maryland, averaging 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.4 minutes. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound big man was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors.
He’s a skilled big man with an impressive offensive skillset. Queen’s got excellent footwork, crafty finishes, and playmaking abilities, particularly in the low post. Defensively, he’s a strong rebounder with good hands and has great capabilities as a playmaker. However, he needs to improve his help defense and rim protection at the next level.
Noa Essengue projected to Raptors in latest ESPN mock draft
Noa Essengue has been gaining a lot of buzz and he’s an intriguing option for the Raptors.
In ESPN’s latest mock draft, they have the Raptors selecting Essengue.
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