Mar 20, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Jeremiah Fears (0) shoots during practice at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Toronto Raptors Grab Guard Help in Latest Mock Draft

Originally posted on NBA Draft on SI | By Derek Parker | Last updated May 29, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 NBA Draft is now under a month away, and teams are gearing up to add top talent to their squads for hopeful 2025-26 title runs.

One of those teams is the Toronto Raptors, who sit in an interesting position ahead of this year’s draft. They nabbed star wing Brandon Ingram at the trade deadline last year, and could be looking to avoid further lotteries if possible.

In a recent mock draft I posted to YouTube , the Raptors gambled on Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears with the No. 9 overall pick. You can watch the full video below, or read on for analysis:

The Raptors haven’t been complete strangers to the draft lottery in recent seasons, grabbing talents like Scottie Barnes and Gradey Dick there. This season though, could be their final chance at garnering a top pick in the draft.

With that being the case, the team could use its No. 9 pick to swing on a guard, more specifically Fears, one of the highest upside picks in the class.

At 6-foot-3, Fears is one of the youngest players in the class, but saw some of the highest output, scoring over 17 points, and dishing four assists and nabbing four rebounds per game. He shot just 43% overall, but showed immensely high highs as a lead guard.

Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI on Fears: “Fears is an aggressive offensive player who has confidence in his abilities. That’s one of the reasons his game has translated so quickly at the college level and should give NBA teams similar optimism moving forward. He’s a great athlete who boats good length and explosiveness.”

Fears is certainly a project, but with the right developmental track, could reach legitimate stardom.

For the Raptors, he could be one final star swing while the team has a top-10 pick. While the team has a plethora of guards, none have true, All-Star upside. And with a host of talented wings and forwards, Fears could be exactly what the team need in the long-term.

This article first appeared on NBA Draft on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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