Toronto Raptors Executive Reveals Draft Priorities and Traits Team Is Targeting

The Toronto Raptors are not just drafting for talent.

They are looking for players tough enough to survive playoff basketball, where defense, physicality, and mental toughness separate contenders from the rest. The front office is focused on building a roster that can withstand the demands of high-pressure, postseason environments when the stakes are highest and weaknesses are most exposed.

As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, the Raptors are placing a premium on players who can hold their own when the game slows down and every possession is magnified. That philosophy applies across the roster, but especially at center, where Toronto continues to evaluate prospects as it looks for ways to support Jakob Poeltl.

“I think probably the most important thing for us is our style of play,” said Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman on Monday. “The way we like to play, I think you all see it with Jakob in terms of playing through him, letting him be a bit of an operator in the high post and what he brings to our defense as well.”

Tolzman said the team is weighing multiple options in the draft, either adding a complementary big who brings a different skill set or trying to secure 48 minutes of consistent impact from a similar profile. Regardless of direction, defense remains a constant in the evaluation process.

“If they’re not going to play on the defense, I think Darko has made it pretty clear that they’re going to have a hard time playing,” Tolzman said. “That wouldn’t change at all, whether it’s a draft pick or a free agent, because I think anyone coming in understands you’re going to be held to a certain standard on the defensive side of the ball, to then be given more rope offensively.”

Toronto’s approach is not just about building a regular-season rotation. Tolzman said the playoffs have highlighted the need for players who can handle the increased intensity and physicality that come with postseason basketball.

“It highlights how physical the game is come playoff,” Tolzman said of the NBA Finals. “The intensity ratchets up, defense is so much more important, which is why I think Darko and our coaching staff preach that so much, knowing that someday we’re hoping to be in that situation.”

The Raptors are looking for players who can stay mentally strong, absorb contact, and keep executing even when calls do not go their way. It is a trait the team believes separates those who succeed in the playoffs from those who fade.

“It takes a certain type of player to understand that, and those are the types of guys we’re looking for,” he said.

Duke’s Khaman Maluach, widely regarded as the best defensive center in the class, could be an ideal fit. Whether he will still be available at No. 9 is unclear. Other options present more difficult decisions. Maryland’s Derik Queen is a polished scorer but has serious defensive question marks. Michigan’s Danny Wolf is skilled offensively but limited on defense. French prospect Noa Essengue stands out as a raw but promising defensive big with room to grow on the offensive side.

Still, Tolzman cautioned that none of these players are being targeted with the expectation they will immediately step into a rotation role.

“I wouldn’t say it’s impacting our decision making at all with nine,” he said. “One of the hardest positions to play, especially for young players, is the centre position. And so there can’t be a ton of expectation that whoever we would take at nine if they are a centre, that they can come in and fill those minutes right away anyway.”

He added that while it would be ideal to draft someone who contributes right away, that outcome is rarely guaranteed.

“To draft that position with the idea that they would for sure be a backup center playing X number of minutes next year, it’s kind of hard to say,” Tolzman said. “Actual rotation minutes is probably easier to fill in free agency or trade or different scenarios than to actually bank on a draft pick coming in and doing that.”

Because of that, the Raptors are expected to take the best player available, regardless of position. The goal is not just to find someone who fits today, but someone who can eventually handle the demands of playoff basketball.

“It takes a certain type of player to understand that, and those are the types of guys we’re looking for,” Tolzman said.

Further Reading