Toronto Raptors Swing on High Upside in Recent Mock Draft

The 2025 NBA Draft is now less than a month away, and teams are gearing up to add top talent. Especially those in the lottery.

One of those is the Toronto Raptors, who after adding star wing Brandon Ingram in a trade-deadline deal this season, will hope to avoid next year’s draft lottery.

With that being the case, they’ll likely be looking to swing for the fences this year, making the most of their final top draft pick for the foreseeable future. In NBA Draft on SI’s most recent mock draft, the Raptors took a chance on Ratiopharm Ulm’s Noa Essengue at No. 9, one of the highest upside players in this draft.

A 6-foot-9 forward with immensely long arms, Essengue has likely been the single most productive international player in the class so far. For Bundesliga’s Ulm — who have sent a myriad of players to the draft in recent years — he’s seen a highly productive season on both ends, scoring in double figures on the season while adding plenty of steals and blocks, too.

Essengue is a monster in transition, looking to get out and go as much as possible, and diving to the rim with solid athleticism, length and tenacity. He finished around 80% of his transition attempts, getting to the line at a phenomenal rate.

His half-court offense — primarily his shooting — needs refinement. But the bones are certainly there for a long-term productive role player, or even developmental star.

The Raptors front office has long-valued the lengthy, do-it-all archetype, and Essengue fits into their system well. There’s likely little chance he’d be able to make an impact in Year 1, but long-term he could blossom into the piece to push them into contention.

Perhaps the biggest positive with Essengue is his age: he's one of the youngest players in the class at still-18, just three days older than soon-to-be No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Per an earlier scouting report from NBA Draft on SI regarding Essengue: "The French forward is one of the youngest players in this entire draft class, not turning 19 until December of the 2025-26 season. With how much upside he has, teams could swing for the fences and buy into his long-term potential. He has the archetype of a player who can thrive in the modern NBA and will be one of the most interesting international names to keep an eye on this season."

Regardless, the team will have options with the No. 9 pick. Day 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft will kick off on Wednesday, June 25.