Raptors Don't Get Lottery 'Luck,' Will Pick 9th
They moved down, along with a few other tanking teams
The conspiracy theories are at full tilt after the Dallas Mavericks were awarded the No. 1 pick in the draft and the opportunity to select Cooper Flagg.
How could you blame anyone for thinking that way? The team that traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers now gets rewarded with another franchise-altering player despite a 1.8% chance at it? Yeah, that’s interesting [insert Russell Westbrook GIF].
The San Antonio Spurs, one spot behind the Toronto Raptors in lottery odds, jumped up from eighth to the second overall pick.
Toronto, unfortunately, dropped two spots and will select ninth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Raptors do have history at No. 9, having previously selected Tracy McGrady, DeMar DeRozan, and Jakob Poeltl.
Here’s a quick summary of players a few outlets have the Raptors selecting with that ninth overall pick:
I personally think that, having missed out on a top four pick, the Raptors should prioritize addressing what this roster needs positionally. The backup centre spot is clearly the biggest need and the best big men in this draft not named Khaman Maluach should be available. If the Duke centre is available, then I think the Raptors would be fortunate to select him.
Other big men in the mix include Derik Queen out of Maryland, Danny Wolf from Michigan, Noa Essengue is a Frenchman who played in Germany, and Joan Beringer. Thomas Sorber will also be worth monitoring but might be someone would then consider trading down to pick with later.
While Jamal Shead should assume the backup point guard role next season, a third capable point guard is also a need. Considering the lack of height both Shead and Immanuel Quickley have at the position, someone like Kasparas Jakucionis is intriguing.
Collin Murray-Boyles should be a good player at the NBA level but I do not see him as a suitable fit for the Raptors. He should be a very capable defender but has too far to go offensively. He’s much more a power forward than a centre.
Nolan Traore is a fast, shifty guard with decent size but he can be erratic with his decision making. This is more of a high risk, high reward pick.
Over the next several weeks, I will watch plenty of film so I can narrow down who I think the best choices for the Raptors will be and break down my reasons why here.
As a final note, the positive side of the Raptors sliding to No. 9 is that it does provide more of a cushion when it comes to the team’s salary cap situation. There was a potential scenario where landing inside the top four may have necessitated a deal involving RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley.
This likely makes the upcoming offseason a relatively quiet one with pretty straightforward decisions. In my next piece, though, I will look into the pros, cons, and how realistic a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo is.
Don’t forget, Toronto will also have the 39th pick in the draft.
Notes
From a competitive standpoint, it’s frustrating to see the Philadelphia 76ers out-tank the Raptors down the stretch and move up to the third overall pick. Adding a player like Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe will be a big boost to their depth.
I wonder what the Spurs do with the second overall pick. Dylan Harper is the clear choice but they also already have De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle. Do they use it as a primary chip to pry Giannis Antetokounmpo away from the Bucks? Just the idea of Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama together on the same team will break basketball brains.
There has been some chatter about tanking being worth the bother. The reality is that in 2020 (Wolves - Edwards), 2021 (Pistons - Cunningham), 2022 (Magic - Banchero), and 2023 (Spurs - Wembanyama), the team with the highest odds of winning the top pick did so. Even going back before the odds were flattened, the team with the highest odds from 2015-2018 won the lottery. That’s eight out of nine years where the top pick went to a team with the highest odds. Zion Williamson to the Pelicans in 2019, Zaccharie Risacher to the Hawks in 2024, and now Cooper Flagg to the Mavericks in 2025 are the exceptions over the last 11 lotteries. Maybe the next best thing is to trade a superstar to the Lakers ;)