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Toronto Raptors mock draft: Masai Ujiri lands Davion Mitchell at No. 7

ByMike Luciano|
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 05: Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 05: Davion Mitchell #45 of the Baylor Bears (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Toronto Raptors mock draft season is really starting to kick into high gear now that the season is over, and this unlucky campaign has left them with the seventh-best odds of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. They might miss out on some of the top prospects, but players like Florida State’s Scottie Barnes or Baylor’s Davion Mitchell remain in play.

Mitchell should be of particular interest to the Raptors, as he is fresh off winning a national championship alongside teammate Jared Butler for the Bears. His blend of feisty defense, quality shooting, and playmaking ability rightly have teams salivating.

The Raptors could be on the verge of losing star point guard Kyle Lowry to free agency, and ESPN seems to think that Masai Ujiri is in a perfect position to replace him with someone like Mitchell early in the draft.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (subscription required) had the Raptors taking Mitchell with the No. 7 pick in the draft. With Toronto’s two second-round picks, he had them taking Villanova power forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Pepperdine wing Kessler Edwards. Mitchell is the prize of this class, and he looks like a great fit.

Toronto Raptors mock draft. Would Davion Mitchell fit?

The Raptors have Fred VanVleet and Malachi Flynn on the roster already, but VanVleet could be better suited to the off-ball role and Flynn is nowhere near ready to step in and replace Lowry. Mitchell, on the other hand, is more suited to hit the ground running in the pros due to his offensive potential.

Mitchell improved on the offensive side of the ball every season at Baylor, and it came to a crescendo last year when he dominated against a very tough Houston backcourt before taking down Jalen Suggs and Gonzaga. Mitchell proved his quality several times over in the middle of that one miraculous run.

Robinson-Earl’s 3-point shooting went down the drain last year, but he remains one of the better offensive bigs in this class. The lanky 6-8 Edwards was much too talented for his conference, and his offensive bag of tricks makes him a perfect second-round gamble for the Raptors.

In addition to coming out of this draft with a potential franchise point guard in Mitchell that plays similarly to Lowry, but they will have also added a premium post scorer in Robinson-Earl and a lethal wing in Edwards. All things considered, the Raptors should be excited about this haul.