ESPN Mocks Raptors Selecting Duke’s Khaman Maluach With No. 7 Pick

The Toronto Raptors find out their fate on May 12 at the NBA Draft Lottery.

After a disappointing 30-52 season riddled with injuries, Toronto shifted its focus to positioning themselves for the best possible draft pick.

Currently with the seventh-best odds, there is an off chance that the Raptors move up come Monday. However, signs point to Toronto staying put at seven; nonetheless, picking in the lottery is a win.

Notably, Toronto fell out of the lottery last summer and now they have an opportunity to pick from a long list of prospects to fill different positional needs.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft by Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, they valued the center position and had Toronto selecting Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach at No. 7.

On the year, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on 71 percent from the field.

Overall, the center position is an area of need, with production severely dropping off behind Jakob Poeltl. By bringing in a big that can play 15-20 minutes a contest, that would certainly help.

Hypothetically, Maluach avoids pressure to succeed right away by being a backup. Which is beneficial, to allow him to develop naturally and handle a role that best suits him.

Raptors projected to take Khaman Maluach in Bleacher Report’s latest mock draft

With the 2025 NBA Draft steadily approaching, mock drafts begin to take shape as teams learn what they desperately need.

For the Raptors, strengthening their frontcourt is one of those needs. Bleacher Report seems to be catching on to that, as Khaman Maluach is a common name for Toronto.