While they didn’t fall as far as teams like Utah or Washington, the Raptors were among the clubs to slide multiple spots in Monday’s draft lottery. They entered the night with the seventh-best odds, but will be picking ninth overall in this year’s draft.
As Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes, that lack of lottery luck diminishes the odds of Toronto adding a difference-maker in this year’s draft after the team spent much of the season angling for a better draft position. While that will raise the level of difficulty as Masai Ujiri looks to build another title-contending team, the Raptors president indicated on lottery night that he wasn’t fazed by the results, pointing to the organization’s positive history with the No. 9 overall pick.
“Tracy McGrady. DeMar DeRozan. Jakob Poeltl,” Ujiri said. “We’ll be fine. I guarantee you we’ll be fine. … We have all our picks going forward. I think we continue this rebuild and grow as a team. And honestly, I’m as optimistic as I was (before the lottery).
“I believe that the NBA has become (about) movement, movement, movement. You just wait for your turn (for a big transaction that makes sense). It will come: patience and (we will) see if that’s the way. But I think for this team, we’re just going to keep growing. And (we have) young players. We’ll be fine adding another one.”
As for which prospects the Raptors might target at No. 9, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca points to Duke big man Khaman Maluach as one possible fit, noting that the club will be seeking center depth behind Poeltl. According to Grange, some league sources have told him Maluach is high on Toronto’s radar, while other sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking have pushed back on that notion.
The Raptors, who also hold 39th overall pick in this year’s draft, have a workout scheduled with Australian forward Alex Toohey, tweets Grange. Toohey is the No. 39 prospect on ESPN’s big board.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Confirming a report from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that assistant coach Coby Karl has been let go by the Sixers. Karl is one of several staffers the team is parting ways with, according to Pompey, who identifies associate player development coach Terrel Harris, senior physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer John Tooher, and director of coaching operations Michelle Bell as a few of the others exiting the organization.
- In a column for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pompey makes the case that the Sixers should use the No. 3 overall pick on Rutgers’ Ace Bailey, assuming Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are off the board. However, if they do select Bailey, the 76ers will need to make sure they “focus on making him a real contributor from day one,” Pompey contends, rather than possibly stunting his growth by making him a fourth option or role player.
- Could Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears be the right fit for the Nets at No. 8 in this year’s draft? Noting that Fears shows up at that spot in multiple mock drafts, Brian Lewis of The New York Post writes that the lottery prospect has worked out for Brooklyn and the Wizards so far and received some positive feedback from the Nets. “Yes, I met with Brooklyn. I worked out for Brooklyn as well,” Fears said. “The conversations were great. They were just telling me how they think I could fit within their system and be an overall good piece for them.”
Bailey is a scorer who doesn’t offer much else. Also at Rutgers he was listed as 6ft 10in but was measured after the season at 6ft 7in. The sixers have Guards, but not a lot of size. I think they should go Johnson from Texas. Bailey has a high bust rate in the nba
Edgecomb would be my choice. He does not need the ball to be effective, can play either guard spot. Not super big but has great athleticism.
Edgecomb is the best pick. Let’s hope Morey doesn’t try and get to smart. This kid has Anthony Edwards all over him
I don’t love the guys available at 3 w/ Bailey, Edgecomb and Johnson being the 3 most mentioned. If the sixers love one of those guys by all means pick them. My preference would be to trade back with Washington or Brooklyn swapping firsts and looking to recoup the one we owe them.
As a Wizards fan, I have also been wondering about whether PHI and WAS might be able to make a deal. 6 & 18 for 3 seems like a pretty good swap, and might get both teams what they want.
Whether or not a trade comes to fruition, I imagine both teams will evaluate it anyway. It likely comes down to how much of a variable both teams see between the value of 3 and 6. It’s a trade that could benefit both teams, unless one is already locked into who they want and when they will be available. Good luck either way
Flagg
Harper
Ace
VJ Edgecombe
Knueppel
Tre Johnson
Queen
Fears
Maluach
Murray-Boyles
I don’t think Nets will pass on Maluach. Except maybe fir Queen. All boards have Knueppel in top ten. Maluach, Queen, Demin are all better prospects to me. Unless you are looking strictly for shooting.
Raptors could get their wish with Maluach. Only team I see could take him is Nets. Only Queen might be a better fit. I’m Nets I take Maluach and trade Claxton. Plenty of teams would want him.
Sixers are in a great spot. They can add a player that can help now. Who can also develop into a future star. Considering Spurs have Fox. Sixers should talk to them about switching picks. Harper could start for them next year.
Spurs trading back feels like a real possibility. Harper, fox and castle seems like a log jam. I think the most ‘spurs’ thing to do is for them to trade back for knuepple and bank additional draft capital. Knuepple is definitely a spurs guy, and fills a need for them (wing shooting). Super boring move that all the podcasters will hate. Totally the spurs thing to do.
Kon is a solid addition for them. A shooter is probably their biggest need. Also a real 4 they can use, like Queen. Spurs are in a great position.
I kind of assume that the Sixers will keep the pick if they think Bailey is worth taking at 3 – he’ll need to get playing time and they will need to feel like he can help contribute to winning next year. But I don’t see them drafting a guard at 3 given what they already have/can have with Maxey, McClain, and Grimes, so if it isn’t Bailey then maybe they trade down.
So basically everyone is afraid for raps to get Maluach…so he was overrated until raps wanted him? Hmm.
NO is where someone could trade up for Maluach. Otherwise he should be there for Nets. I would take him. Nets could go for Queen or Fears if he drops. And leave Maluach for Raptors to snap up. Imo Maluach Makes Raptors a top 4 team in East. Would they trade up for him ????
They should.
I wouldn’t be opposed Bulls giving up the 12th pick in the draft to Brooklyn for Nicholas Claxton. We need an athletic big who can rebound and protect the cup. If Brooklyn wants to shed Claxton’s salary then I’d offer 12 and Zach Collins and Jalen Smith. We know AK won’t rebuild and Jalen Smith was a huge disappointment, I would be okay using that money the next two years and find a guy in FA who can help the wing depth. He is soft and can’t really be counted on and is not a good player for this system. Brooklyn gets Collins’ expiring contract next year and 12th pick for their youth movement. Moves Clax’s contract as well.
Giddey/Coby/Buzelis/Clax and then get a starting caliber SF in a trade with Vu.
Brooklyn has like 4 first round picks and like 70 million in cap space. Not sure this makes sense from their perspective.
Clayton has a longer contract than Collins and Smith. Collins expiring $17M gives them leverage on a potential deal to swing for a star/superstar later down the road with their boatload of picks. I don’t think Fernandez is enamored with Clax like the previous staff was.
If the Sixers had any brains they’d use the 3rd overall pick (their best asset) to get rid of Paul George to a rebuilding side which doesn’t care about bad contracts.
Paul George and pick 3 for Kris Middleton, Marcus Smart and pick 18.
Middleton and Smart two savy win now vets but both in the final year on their contracts. Gives us another chance to be competitive before resetting the books. Plus at 18 you’re still getting a good player. Rasher Fleming, Yaxel Lendeborg, Carter Bryant or Johni Broome.
Maxey Smart Middleton Fleming/Yaxel Embiid
McCain Walker Oubre …. Drummond
Council Bona
That’s a team I’d be happy with moving into next season with. Embiid the first option and Maxey the second. Good production from Middleton, McCain Walker and Oubre. Should be better defensively with Smart and Middleton on the wings. The rookie PF gets good minutes and good win now environment with some solid vets.
All of a sudden if guys can stay healthy we look good and have some depth and if not rebuild with the young players we have and atleast we don’t have to deal with the PG contract.
Interesting curveball … but doesn’t smell like d. morey kind of thinking
Well that would be one way to unload the Paul George contract. I’m not sure I would do it if I were Washington. I’d have to be darn sure about whoever I was drafting. That contract is brutal.