The Toronto Raptors have been handling their business.
It may not have been the way anyone would have hoped when the season started but at this point, losing seems to be the best path forward. Lately, they’ve been doing that, dropping each of their last seven games and nine of the last 10.
For those who stuck around to watch the end of the so-called ‘Tampa Tank’ back in 2021, this probably feels awfully similar. Back then, the Raptors lost 11 of their final 13 games, sneaking bottom seven in the NBA Draft Lottery and eventually the No. 4 pick in the NBA Draft.
This time, Toronto has added incentive, having traded away their first-round pick top-six protected to the San Antonio Spurs at last year’s trade deadline. But right now, the tank is working.
Toronto sits tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the NBA. Leaping the Grizzlies would give Toronto a roughly 46% chance to keep its first-round pick with a 37.2% chance to land a top-four pick in the draft.
Portland is doing its part to stay in front of the Raptors in the reverse standings, having lost four of the last six with a 3.5 game lead on Toronto. Considering how tough Portland’s remaining schedule is, it’s unlikely the Raptors do jump the Trail Blazers. If they do, however, manage to get into the bottom five, Toronto would have a 64% chance to keep its pick.
Conversely, falling behind Memphis would leave Toronto with the seventh-worst record and a 32% chance to keep its pick.
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