Masai Ujiri needs to nail the draft
By Adam Stocker
In four years, Masai Ujiri is already the best general manager in team history, but his draft record is less than stellar.
Under Masai Ujiri, the Toronto Raptors have experienced the greatest run of success in franchise history. Since being hired in the summer of 2013, Ujiri turned around a struggling franchise that had not made the playoffs since the departure of Chris Bosh to Miami. While Ujiri has proved to be great when negotiating trades, his draft record is far less impressive. If the Raptors are going to improve in 2017, they need nail their first round pick.
In order to improve in 2017, Ujiri needs to nail the team’s first round pick and get a player who can play minutes in the rotation.
2014 NBA Draft
In 2014, Ujiri drafted Bruno Caboclo, DeAndre Daniels, and Xavier Thames. The Raptors traded Thames immediately after drafting him and Daniels never played for the Raptors. After playing a total of 105 minutes in his first three seasons, Caboclo could rival Rafael Araujo as the worst first-round pick in franchise history. While Caboclo has shown improvement last season in the D-League, he still appears to be a work in progress who is not ready to contribute in the NBA.
The 2014 NBA draft could haunt the Raptors. Leading up to the draft, the Raptors were heavily linked to Clint Capela. In the years since the draft, Ujiri has come out and said the original plan was to draft Caboclo at 37 but panicked and drafted him with the 20th pick.
At this point, the 2014 draft is a complete wash for the Raptors. It is unlikely that the Raptors will ever get anything out of Caboclo. Following the season, Ujiri will have a decision to make with Caboclo, who will be a restricted free agent. The Raptors can let him walk away or sign him to an extension.
2015 NBA Draft
The following draft, Ujiri selected Utah point guard Delon Wright 20th overall. Unfortunately for Wright, Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph have blocked him from getting playing time. After injuring his shoulder in summer league, Wright missed the start of his sophomore season after undergoing surgery. While there have been positive signs, it does not appear that Wright will be more than a backup point guard. However, if Wright improves in year three, it would allow Toronto to trade Joseph to create more cap space.
The best pick in the Ujiri tenure technically belongs to the Bucks. The Raptors traded Greivis Vazquez to Milwaukee for the 46th overall pick and a 2017 first-round pick. The Bucks drafted Norman Powell for Ujiri. Powell has been a solid bench contributor for Toronto who is a solid defender who is capable of getting to the basket and hitting the three. However, it is fair to wonder how much higher Powell’s ceiling is. If Powell can continue to improve, the Raptors will have one of the steals of the draft. If Powell’s current level of play is his peak, they will have a nice role player who requires a new contract following the season
Next: Dwane Casey: Time is running out on Raptors coach
2016 NBA Draft
In Ujiri’s first move as Raptors’ general manager, he acquired the ninth overall pick for Andrea Bargnani in a decisively one-sided trade with the New York Knicks. With the pick, Ujiri selected Utah center Jakob Poeltl. During the first half of the season, Poeltl struggled to earn minutes. However, as the season progressed Poeltl improved and gained the trust of Dwane Casey. While Poeltl disappointed at the free throw line and was foul prone on defense, he has shown enough for fans to believe he will be a role player for years to come.
With the 27th overall pick, the Raptors selected New Mexico State forward Pascal Siakam. Unlike Poeltl, Siakam received minutes early in the season. Thanks to an injury to Jared Sullinger, Siakam was inserted as the starting power forward. After starting 38 games, Siakam’s high energy was not enough for Casey who relegated him to the bench for most of the second half of the season. Siakam’s style of play will keep him on an NBA roster for years to come. However, outside of his effort, Siakam does not have any great skills. Unfortunately for Siakam, that will limit his upside moving forward.
After one season, the Raptors appear to have two end of the rotation bench players. If the Raptors re-sign Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka at the beginning of free agency, the Raptors will have no cap space and will need Poeltl and Siakam to have increased roles next season.