Toronto Raptors draft: Canadian players Raptors may target in 2021

2 of 8

Jules Bernard #1 of the UCLA Bruins and Bennedict Mathurin #0 of the Arizona Wildcats chase down a loose ball (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Toronto Raptors draft target: Bennedict Mathurin, SG, Arizona

The biggest name of the Canadian prospect lot is Mathurin. He’s a player we profiled two months ago on Raptors Rapture. This Haitian-Canadian born in Montreal chose to play for Arizona under the tutelage of coach Sean Miller after coming out from NBA Acadamy Latin America in Mexico.

The 6-7 guard averaged 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He also shot an impressive 41.8-percent from 3-point range. Not only does Mathurin dazzle with his perimeter shooting, but he also shows off his athleticism on the court, completing highlight-level plays and acrobatic dunks.

Mathurin’s ability to rip balls from opponents was a major plus. He had only two multi-steal games on the campaign, averaging 0.8 steals per game. Mathurin is still a raw talent and will require further development, especially learning how to use his body and be more physical.

Toronto Raptors draft: Bennedict Mathurin has a high ceiling.

Should he declare for this year’s draft, Mathurin would be an excellent selection for the Raptors. Since their first-round selection should be fairly high, it wouldn’t be used to pick up Mathurin. Instead, Toronto could consider packaging their two second-round picks to get a late first. That may allow the Raptors to get him.

They could also assume that Mathurin is still available when their turn comes around in the second round. It’s also possible that Mathurin chooses not to declare for this year’s draft in hopes to continue his education and further elevate his draft status for 2022.