Draft Outlook
After seven straight seasons as a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference (and earning a championship in 2019), the Raptors took a tumble. Dealing with a myriad of injuries and absences, they didn’t even qualify for the Play-In. And now, franchise cornerstone Kyle Lowry (who was almost traded at the deadline) is a free agent. But the Raptors were better than their record (they had awful late-game luck), they still have three excellent and experienced players — OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet — under contract for at least two more seasons, and they have a top-five pick for the first time in 10 years.
A Stat That Matters
7.3 — The Raptors’ defense allowed 7.3 more points per 100 possessions in 2020-21 (112.0, 15th) than it did in 2019-20 (104.7, second). That was the league’s second biggest jump.
The Way To Go
If they were to keep Lowry and make an upgrade on their frontline, the Raptors can be right back in the mix for a top-five seed in the Eastern Conference next season. But there’s no need to draft for “need” with the No. 4 pick. Their three core guys under contract have versatility and we shouldn’t necessarily expect a rookie to be a real contributor right away. Whomever they select, the Raptors can be confident in a player development system that has made starters out of one guy who went undrafted (VanVleet) and two that were picked in the 20s (Anunoby and Siakam).
Under Contract
G: Malachi Flynn
G: Fred VanVleet
G: Paul Watson
G/F: DeAndre’ Bembry
G/F: Rodney Hood
G/F: Yuta Watanabe
F: OG Anunoby
F: Freddie Gillespie
F: Pascal Siakam
F/C: Aron Baynes
F/C: Chris Boucher
Free Agents
G: Jalen Harris (restricted)
G: Kyle Lowry (unrestricted)
G/F: Gary Trent Jr. (restricted)
F/G: Stanley Johnson (unrestricted)
C: Khem Birch (unrestricted)
> 2021 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2020: No selections
— John Schuhmann