Toronto Raptors: Nine Options For The Ninth Overall Pick

Running down the options for the Toronto Raptors in advance of tonight's NBA Draft.

None

The Toronto Raptors hold the ninth pick in tonight’s NBA Draft. Picking in the Top 10 is rare for a team that just made it to the Conference Finals – and went six games with the eventual champs – but thanks to the New York Knicks (through Denver), that’s exactly where the Raptors find themselves.

Outside of the top two picks – LSU’s Ben Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram, who are expected to go to Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively – the remainder of the lottery is filled with a host of high upside, low floor prospects that could become superstars, but might end up being the reason a general manager or two get fired in the coming years as well.

Adding to things is that most teams picking in the lottery have multiple needs and various directions they could go, making it difficult to map out who will land where and which players will still be on the board when Adam Silver announces that the Toronto Raptors are on the clock.

As such, let’s take a look at several options Masai Ujiri and company are likely considering.

Before getting to the nine players themselves, let’s get one thing straight: a trade is not at all out of the question. In fact, it might be the best option for the franchise as they aim to take the next step and cement themselves as perennial contenders.

Toronto doesn’t have a ton of room to carry another young player that doesn’t contribute in the rotation this season, but have a couple spots that need to be filled, so shipping out the No. 9 pick for a veteran might make the most sense since many of the options available to the Raptors for their first of two first-round picks (they also hold No. 27) are not considered “instant impact” guys.

But if they keep the pick, here are some of the players Toronto couple end up selecting, in no particular order.

Domantas Sabonis
Power Forward, Gonzaga
Sabonis might be the most sure thing available to the Raptors at this position in the draft – a guy you can bank on being a rotation player that gives you plenty of energy, rebounding and some rim protection for the next several years. While he doesn’t fit in the new “stretch four” world, he would fit the traditional power forward role and takes some of the defensive pressure off fellow Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas.

Jakob Poetl
Center, Utah

Bismack Biyombo played himself into a massive contract this year and there are no guarantees Toronto will be looking to shell out big bucks for “Biz” this offseason. Poetl is a two-way player who would be a solid understudy to JV. Like Sabonis, his floor is relatively well established, but he has a much higher upside.

Skal Labissiere
Power Forward, Kentucky
Labissiere started his freshman campaign as the No. 2 prospect in the country, running neck-and-neck with Simmons. Mediocre play and the ascension of others dropped his stock, but the young, long, athletic forward still has tons of potential. He can shoot it from outside and offers rim protection, so if he’s still on the board, the Raptors might want to snatch him up and take a shot.

Henry Ellenson
Power Forward, Marquette
The new prototype for a power forward is a guy that can stretch the floor on offense and rebound on defense and that’s exactly what Ellenson brings to the table. His stock has been up and down all season, but he put up good numbers on a bad Marquette team and could develop into a Ryan Anderson type in a couple years.

Deyonta Davis
Power Forward, Michigan State

This would be an upside pick – a roll of the dice that Davis develops a greater offensive game and becomes more than just a young, raw bundle of potential. There are no doubts that he’ll rebound and block shots, but the former Spartan still has a lot of room to grow before he’s an impact player, if he gets there at all.

Denzel Valentine
Shooting Guard, Michigan State

Perhaps a bit of a stretch at No. 9, but the National Player of the Year is a “do everything” player who fills a need on the wing. He’s older than most in the draft (he’s 22), but there are fewer “what will he become” concerns with a guy like Valentine, who should be a solid second unit member at the absolute worst.

Marquese Criss
Power Forward, Washington
He’ll probably be off the board by the time the Raptors get to pick, as mock drafts have him going as high as No. 3 or No. 4, but if Criss is still available, Toronto could very well take a shot. Right now, he’s nothing but an athlete with unbelievable upside, so there is risk involved, but he could develop into the next Shawn Marion… or he could also be the next Tyrus Thomas.

Jaylen Brown
Small Forward, California

Another guy that could be gone, but will be worth a look if still on the board is Brown, who had a solid freshman year at Cal and has the athleticism to draw comparisons to Jason Richardson. He wouldn’t be a “need” pick, but sometimes, you just have to take the best guy on the board.

Furkan Korkmaz
Shooting Guard, Anadolu Efes (Turkey)

This is probably too high for Korkmaz to go, but if Toronto is looking to take a draft-and-stash approach as they did with Valanciunas, Korkmaz fits the bill. He has good size, can shoot it from deep and is only 18, so he’ll get bigger and stronger over the next couple years. He’s not quite “two years away from being two years away” like Bruno Caboclo, but it’s unlikely he’d be ready to contribute anything meaningful to a contender next season.

Latest in Sports