Toronto Raptors draft: Canadian Marcus Carr could be ideal for the Raptors if he declares for the draft

The Toronto Raptors draft plans for the 2021 NBA Draft, a draft in which the club has three total draft picks, should be used with the intent of restocking the bench depth that they lost over the last few years. Having already added two Canadians in Chris Boucher and Khem Birch, bringing on a third in Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Marcus Carr might be a solid option.

Carr, who hails from Toronto, was the engine that drove Richard Pitino’s Gophers this season, as the Pitt transfer scored 19.4 points per game while compiling 4.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. However, his basketball future remains in serious doubt as of right now.

Carr has entered both the transfer portal and declared for the NBA Draft, as he is keeping his options wide open following Pitino’s firing. Reports seem to hint at the possibility that if Carr doesn’t go pro, he will end up with John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats.

As tempting as that sounds, Carr will have plenty of fans in the NBA, and the Raptors might be able to give him an opportunity to come home and be the offensive sparkplug off of the bench they know he can be.

Toronto Raptors draft: Marcus Carr could be a solid scorer

Carr is more than just a scorer. He can play solid on-ball defense, is adept at creating turnovers, and is actually a good rebounder for someone his size. Carr will not be a liability on the defensive end when he comes into the pros.

Even with all of that, Carr will make noise in the NBA due to his scoring ability. A solid penetrator and playmaker off of the dribble, Carr pairs tremendous playmaking and distribution ability with a quickness in his game that makes him a slightly less efficient version of some of the game’s best offensive point guards.

Carr has some flaws as a prospect that a year in Lexington could help iron out. Shooting 38% from the floor and 31% from 3-point range will not get NBA scouts interested, nor will his puzzling tendency to take games into his own hands and put up some genuinely puzzling shots.

While Kentucky might try to iron out those wrinkles hoping that he lands with a team like Toronto and getting exceptional coaching from Nick Nurse could help him correct those issues instantly.

The Raptors need more bench scoring anyway they can find it, and Carr should be able to pop right into the rotation and make a difference. Potentially improving his stock at Kentucky could be a solid way for Carr to go, but he will have fans in the NBA if he declares, and the league’s only Canadian team might be able to pounce.