The Athletic’s Latest Mock Draft Has Toronto Taking A Big Man And Wing Player

The Toronto Raptors did not have a good 2024 NBA Draft Lottery.

They had to relinquish their 2024 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs after it fell to No. 8 as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.

Had the Raptors pick landed inside of the top-six, they would’ve kept it.

The Raptors had a 45.8 percent chance of keeping their pick but the ping pong balls did not go their way.

Now the Raptors will have only two picks in this year’s draft. They own No. 19 via the Indiana Pacers and No. 31 via the Detroit Pistons.

Toronto can still go out and find some under the radar talent at these spots.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic put out his latest mock draft following the results of the NBA Draft Lottery and he has the Raptors taking a big man and a wing.

At No. 19 Vecenie has the Raptors taking Yves Missi out of Baylor. He is a a legitimate 7-footer with a 7-5 wingspan. Missi has a great frame and connects on lob finishes in transition. He is a solid shot blocker and can stick with guards on defense. Missi averaged 10.7 points per game on 61 percent shooting from the field. He made the Big 12 All-Defense team as a freshman. Vecenie compares him to a Clint Capela-style NBA big man. The Raptors could use some big man depth behind Jakob Poeltl after releasing Christian Koloko due to a blood clot issue.

At No. 31 Vecenie has the Raptors selecting 6-8 wing Ryan Dunn from Virginia. Dunn averaged 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game in 2023-24. He shot 54.8 percent from the field, 20.0 percent from three and 53.2 percent from the foul line. He would give the Raptors some more depth at the wing position and would be a nice grab in the second-round.

Raptors almost land No. 1 pick in 2024 NBA Draft Lottery

The Raptors came close to landing the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery.

Toronto was reportedly one of seven teams that had a chance at the No. 1 pick heading into the final draw, per The Athletic.