NBA Draft

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Raptors first round pick Gradey Dick is introduced to media in Toronto

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Introductory Press Conference with Gradey Dick - June 26, 2023

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Toronto Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster speaks with the media following the 2023 NBA Draft.

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Post-Draft Availability l Bobby Webster - June 22, 2023

Gradey Dick speaks with the media following the 2023 NBA Draft.

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Post-Draft Availability l Gradey Dick - June 22, 2023

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The Toronto Raptors will select 23rd in the 2017 NBA Draft on Thursday night. It's easy to say that DeMar DeRozan's selection at ninth overall in the 2009 Draft is the moment that sticks out most in Toronto's recent draft history, but there have been plenty of enjoyable moments along the way to the team the Raptors have assembled. Player moment is part of professional sports. Still, each of the players drafted by the Raptors — including those who are no longer with the team — are a piece of the puzzle leading to the roster the team has built today.

Below, a look back at some of Toronto's recent draft night moments:

1 - With the ninth pick in the 2009 draft, the Raptors selected DeMar DeRozan out of USC. A freshman, DeRozan was considered one of the prospects with the highest upside in his draft class. Eight years later, DeRozan is the longest-tenured player on Toronto's roster, spending much of this past season breaking franchise records and getting his name to the top of the record books.

Shortly after the pick was announced, DeRozan took to twitter to address the Raptors fanbase:

It took just two days for DeRozan to begin understanding the support of Raptors fans:

Here, a longer look back at the 24 hours following the draft for DeRozan as he came to Toronto as a Raptors player for the first time:

2 - In 2010, the Raptors found themselves on the clock with a prospect available that they had expected to be off the draft boards. Despite not coming to Toronto for a pre-draft workout, Toronto selected Ed Davis with the 13th overall pick. When he was drafted Davis didn't have a passport.

Here's the moment where Davis was selected:

3 - The 2011 draft saw Toronto selecting Jonas Valanciunas with the fifth overall pick. Because Valanciunas was under contact in Lithuania, he didn't join the Raptors until the 2011-2012 NBA season where he joined fellow rookies Terrence Ross and Quincy Acy in getting adjusted to the NBA game:

4 - The Raptors drafted two players in the 2012 draft: Terrence Ross with the eighth overall pick, and Quincy Acy with the 37th overall pick. Ross, drafted out of Washington, was selected higher in the lottery than many had projected. He spent his first four-and-a-half seasons with Toronto being being traded to Orlando earlier this season in exchange for Serge Ibaka. Acy, a four-year senior from Baylor, spent just a season and a half with the Raptors before being sent to the Kings in a three-team trade that brought Rudy Gay to the Raptors, but made a mark with his hustle and passion. The duo joined Jonas Valanciunas to as a rookie trio in the 2012-13 season.

Acy, a second-round pick, was in the crowd with his family when the selection was made:

An interview with Ross following his selection captured the emotion not only for Ross, but for his family as well:

5 - After going without a pick in 2013 as a result of the trade that sent Kyle Lowry to Toronto, the Raptors were back on the board in 2014 with the 20th pick. The team shocked everyone when they selected little known forward Bruno Caboclo from Brazil because of a tremendous amount of upside. Though Caboclo did not attend the draft, he has one of the best draft night stories, finding out he had been selected while in the backseat of a New York City cab as his agent scrolled through Twitter:

6 - The 2015 Draft was a win for seniors. In the first round, Toronto selected Delon Wright, a senior point guard out of Utah. After a draft night trade that sent Greivis Vasquez to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bucks selected four-year senior Norman Powell out of UCLA with the 46th pick for Toronto.

Rather than being in New York for the draft, Wright attended a party hosted by his family, including his older brother, former NBAer Dorell Wright:

Dorell's former teammate, Dwyane Wade tweeted and posted a photo of Delon from draft night and Gabrielle Union tweeted shortly before he was picked.

Like Wright, Powell spent the night with his family. Heading into the draft, Powell worked out for the Raptors and impressed everyone in attendance. He spoke with the media about his pre-draft experience following the workout where he made his mark on the Raptors front office and coaching staff:

Following Toronto's selection, Powell quickly took to Twitter to express his happiness over his dream coming true:

7 - In 2016, Toronto drafted a pair of rookies with both upside and the ability to contribute almost immediately. With their lottery pick, the team selected Jakob Poeltl ninth overall, making him the first Austrian player to be selected in the draft. Poeltl was drafted out of Utah, where he was a sophomore, and had played with Wright before the team selected Wright a year earlier.

With the team's second pick, also in the first round at 27th overall, the team selected Pascal Siakam out of New Mexico State where he was a 22-year-old sophomore:

Siakam opened the season starting for the Raptors after Jared Sullinger underwent offseason surgery before eventually moving back to the bench. Both he and Poeltl worked their way into the rotation at various times of the season, a testament to both their work ethic and coach ability.

Siakam's tweet following the selection was short and sweet:

With the 20th pick in this year's draft, what the Raptors do will be largely dependent upon what happens before it's their time to pick Masai Ujiri spoke with Toronto media on Tuesday morning, saying that the team will concentrate on finding the best possible player available at 23 when the Raptors make their selection. The most exciting part of draft night is that no one knows who that will be until the team is on the clock.

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A Look Back at the Raptors Draft History

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Delon Wright and his family were running through the 6 on zero sleep. The newest Raptor arrived in Toronto on Friday morning with his parents, Stacy and Ray, after taking a red-eye flight from Los Angeles at 1 A.M. last night.

Meeting with the Toronto media for the first time, the 22-year-old hadn't slept, aside from a few restless hours on the flight, since he woke up at 9 A.M. on draft day ready for his life to change.

“A shock went through my body,” Wright said. “I think my brother [NBA veteran Dorell Wright] jumped up before me so I didn’t even make it up. I saw him jumping up and it was like ‘Damn, I got my name called.’ It was a fun thing.”

Wright spent the night with his family at a draft party with a couple hundred members of his closest friends and family. His mother, Stacy Adams Wright, almost missed the moment because she was tending to party guests.

“Of course, I was running late a little bit so when I get there I was trying to greet everybody. They had a reserved section for me on the couch and they kept saying to me, ‘Mom, can you sit on the couch? Mom could you just sit on the couch?’” Adams Wright said. “It was very exciting and like Delon mentioned, he thinks Dorell jumped up before him. I was sitting right next to Delon. It was special.”

It was something that had almost happened a year before.

"To be honest, I told my coach I was leaving [last season],” Wright said. “He was out of town and he told me to wait before submitting my papers and meet with him. We talked for about two hours, him and our assistant coach. He told me the pros and cons of making that decision and I believed him, that I could come back and have a better year. My parents, my brother told me I needed to come back too and I didn’t want to go against all those decisions. I wanted to come back and get my degree.”

Wright’s parents reflected on the situation and admitted it was a long week for the family who only wanted what was best for him longterm.

“I think the extra year did him a lot [of good],” Ray said. ”I think last year, he was saying he wanted to get into the draft and I told him I thought it was a bad decision. [I said], ‘I think you should wait, finish your school. If you leave the year before you’re like a year away from your degree, you might not go back to school [to get your degree], you know what I mean? You’re there, just finish it. Wait till next year. I don't think this is your time, last year. This year, this is your time.’ You see where we’re at right now.”

The defensive-minded point guard has had an eventful, unorthodox journey to becoming a first-round pick. His path has taken him from Los Angeles where he left high school without a diploma, to a short-lived prep-school experience in Philadelphia, to two years at San Francisco City College before his final two seasons at Utah where he developed into the player that the Raptors had at the top of their draft board.

As Wright held up his #55 Raptors jersey, his parents stood behind the assembled media and watched their son begin the next step in his career. 

“He did it and he has his degree and he’s here,” Ray said. “He did what he was supposed to do.”

With the draft in the rearview mirror, Wright is aware the real work begins now.

“To finally make it, it's just crazy, honestly,” Wright said. “I've dreamed of this but I didn't know how it would happen. I'm ready to get it started.”

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Toronto Welcomes Delon Wright

The Toronto Raptors made defence a priority on draft night, selecting Utah’s Delon Wright with the 20th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6, 181-pound senior is a versatile point guard with strong defensive skills who left Utah third-all time in steals despite playing just two seasons with the school.

“We’re excited to get him,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s one of the guys that has tremendous upside as a point guard in the NBA. [He] reminds me a lot of Nate McMillan, as far as big and long point guard we had in Seattle. [He] can defend multiple positions so he really fits well in what we’re trying to do. It goes right into the plan with our young group to grow.”

Wright is a Los Angeles native, and the younger brother of 11-year NBA veteran Dorell Wright.

“He’s grown up around the NBA,” Casey said. “He’s been to numerous NBA games, worked out with NBA players. He’s not going to come in shellshocked to go against guys in practice.”

Although the team was looking at a few prospects with the 20th pick, Casey said Wright was the unanimous pick in the team’s war room when they were on the clock.

“As the week went on and [we] studied more film, more film, more film, it became clear to us, as far as what we needed defensively,” Casey said. “Your defence starts on the ball, coming up the court in the pick and roll, you’ve got to have guys to be able to defend the pick and roll and he’s a good start for us.”

Wright averaged 14.5 points,4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals in 33 minutes per game for Utah last season. He shot 51 percent from the floor and 84 percent from the free throw line. During his senior year at Utah, Wright won the Cousy Award (given to the nation’s top point guard), and was a finalist for the John Wooden Award and James Naismith Award (both given to the nation’s top player). Prior to playing at Utah, Wright spent two seasons at City College of San Francisco.

Casey praised Wright’s defensive abilities numerous times and said the team will begin training camp focusing on the defensive end of the floor.

“He defends, [and he] can run the pick-and-roll very well,” Casey said. “Great kid, good character, good team guy and a really excellent ball mover and passer in the pick-and-roll game.”

Wright worked out for the Raptors in Toronto, but had to finish his workout early after getting kneed in the groin. Casey was able to speak with him when he was in town and spoke with him again shortly after he was selected by the team.        

“[A] tremendous young man, a man of character, a team guy,” Casey said. “Chemistry is an important thing that you also look for and he fits into that mold also.”

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Defence A Priority In Selecting Delon Wright At #20

After years of preparation and countless hours spent in various gyms across the world, 60 prospects will accomplish the ultimate goal on Thursday night. Before the evening is over there's sure to be trades, surprises and plenty of memorable fashion moments. With the 2015 NBA Draft taking place at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, here's a look at a handful of prospects that could hear their names called when the Toronto Raptors make the 20th pick.

[[{"fid":"36011","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Kevon Looney","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Kevon Looney"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Kevon Looney","title":"Kevon Looney","style":"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]PF, UCLA freshman

Looney is a long and athletic player with lots of potential and raw ability. He's got great length with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and has the tools to be a good defender. He's a solid rebounder as well, an area of concern for the Raptors this season. While Looney didn't put up big numbers offensively in his freshman season at UCLA, he played the role assigned to him.

[[{"fid":"36013","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Rondae Hollis-Jefferson","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Rondae Hollis-Jefferson"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Rondae Hollis-Jefferson","title":"Rondae Hollis-Jefferson","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]SF, Arizona sophomore

A small forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Hollis-Jefferson finds a way to be everywhere on the court and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time. He is athletic and explosive, plays with lots of energy and gets to the line often. While his shot and handle will need to improve, Hollis-Jefferson already boasts the defensive skills that Dwane Casey is looking for.

Grant had a stellar senior season with Notre Dame before getting ousted from the NCAA tournament in an Elite Eight in a thriller against Kentucky. The 22-year-old is an excellent floor general with great court vision and decision-making skills. He's a solid pick and roll player and shot 34.5 percent from beyond the arc in college. Grant's age and maturity are another attractive asset when considering young pieces like Bruno Caboclo and Lucas Nogueira already on Toronto's roster.

Anderson is an athletic wing who will fill the 3-and-D role that is becoming more and more valuable in today's NBA. Explosive and energetic, Anderson can guard multiple positions and upped his three-point percentage to 45 percent in his junior year. For a Raptors team in need of defence and three-point shooting to stretch the floor, Anderson would be natural fit.

[[{"fid":"36019","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Sam Dekker","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Sam Dekker"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Sam Dekker","title":"Sam Dekker","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]SF, Wisconsin junjor

Dekker is a versatile scorer with excellent size on the perimeter. He can score in the open floor as well as in the half court and can play above the rim. His size and speed also allow him to guard multiple positions. Dekker averaged 13.9 points per game in his junior season with a Wisconsin team that lost to Duke in the NCAA Championship game and would provide depth at the small forward position for the Raptors.

[[{"fid":"36021","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"Montrezl Harrell","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":"Montrezl Harrell"},"type":"media","attributes":{"alt":"Montrezl Harrell","title":"Montrezl Harrell","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]PF, Louisville junior

Harrell is an undersized power forward who makes up for his lack of height with a ridiculous 7-foot-4 wingspan. Often compared with Denver's Kenneth Faried due to his energy and athletic ability, Harrell is a strong defender with a limitless motor. Like Faried, he's able to get his hands on rebounds other, taller players cannot because he's outworked and out hustled them.

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Some Key Prospects For The Raptors At #20

With about 48 hours until the 2015 NBA Draft, Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors are narrowing down their list of potential targets. Slotted to pick 20th, the organization has conducted five pre-draft workouts, with Tuesday’s session featuring Kentucky big man Dakari Johnson. Bowling Green’s Richaun Holmes and Stanford’s Stefan Nastic filled out the three-man workout.

Regardless of how much preparation goes into draft night, the only team that can ever truly know what will happen is the one selecting first. While everyone expects the Minnesota Timberwolves to select Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns with the first overall pick, from there, everything gets hazy.

“We feel comfortable we will get a player, but also we might move the pick or we might move up or down,” Ujiri said. “There’s lots of flexibility this year.”

A year after shocking the league by selecting unknown Brazilian forward Bruno Caboclo, it is unlikely that there is another off-the-board player waiting in the wings for the Raptors on Thursday night.

“We are open for business,” Ujiri said. “We believe we have assets. I think our young players are growing. I don’t like to see them as assets but when I say that, we have picks, and we are open with the 20th pick and also comfortable with it.”

Ujiri reflected on last year’s draft and said the franchise went into the night planning to select Caboclo with its 37th pick. After realizing there was a great possibility he would not be available when they were on the clock, they decided to change course and select him 20th.

There have been some fantastic players selected late in the draft in recent years. Recent NBA champion and 35th pick Draymond Green has been making headlines all week. Players like Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic were taken in the 20s, while Wesley Matthews went undrafted. Isaiah Thomas was the 60th pick in 2011. There are gems to be found in every draft, but when you’re projecting based on potential, little is guaranteed.

Much of what the Raptors do with the 20th pick depends on what happens with the 19 picks before they are on the clock. Ujiri said on Tuesday that he and his staff have a list of five to seven names of players they’ve honed in on after taking 19 players off the board.

Understanding that anything can happen on draft night, the Raptors are covering their bases and preparing for every possible outcome. Ujiri said they have been able to see all of the guys they’re interested in, either in pre-draft workout sessions in Toronto, during the season or at the combine. By working out guys projected to go in the second round, the team will have options if things change on the fly.

“You could move up or move back or buy a pick,” Ujiri said. “There are so many ways you have to look at it. It could be based on deals that we have been offered that we like. There might be a workout we might have to do on draft day depending on what other teams offer us or what we feel is on the table.”

It can be difficult to draft for need when need often depends upon the fate of an organization’s free agents. With the draft occurring before free agency and the Raptors having six free agents, there are a lot of moving pieces. While some would consider this a challenge, Ujiri and his team have chosen instead to not get backed into any corner with their pick.

“The strategy now is to pick the best available, pending what deals come to us or what deals we make,” Ujiri said.