The Toronto Raptors would be the ideal landing spot for Cade Cunningham

The Toronto Raptors are just a day away from finding out just how merciful the basketball Gods will be, as they have the seventh-best odds at landing the top selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. The draft will essentially start at pick No. 2 this year, as it is almost a certainty that the top pick will be Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham. 

Cunningham could seemingly tally 20 points a night in the Big 12 with his eyes closed in college, as a 6-8 point guard with his blend of scoring, basketball IQ, and leadership potential makes him the easy choice for the No. 1 pick this year.

As is usually the case, being picked that high means getting allocated to a team that was such a chaotic mess of a franchise they sunk to the bottom of the standings. However, the Raptors are eyeing a quick turnaround to the playoffs, as their infrastructure around Cunningham could be the best move for him in the short and long term.

The Athletic claimed that the Raptors would be the best potential landing spot for Cunningham, given Nick Nurse’s coaching style, the surrounding talent, and Toronto’s history with regards to building a winner.

The Toronto Raptors would be an ideal situation for Cade Cunningham.

Let’s look at the five teams with the best odds at getting the No. 1 pick and how they compare to Toronto. The Rockets had the worst record in the league last year, an owner that cut costs to save money, and a lack of financial freedom to build around cade due to the John Wall supermax contract.

The Pistons already used a Top 10 pick on a point guard in Killian Hayes, and it will be a while before they come close to turning that thing around. With two point guards in Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony, yet no head coach, the Magic are a chaotic mess at the moment despite their draft capital.

The Cavaliers already have the “Sexland” backcourt, and playing for a defensive-minded coach in JB Bickerstaff who oversaw one of the league’s worst offenses wouldn’t be as exciting a proposition for Cunningham.

The Thunder could be appealing, as Cunningham would stay in Oklahoma, but they have made no secret of their desire to build for the future. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be fun to watch, but he might languish in the lottery for a few more years.

The Athletic listed Toronto and the Golden State Warriors as the two best options, but only Toronto would give him the chance to start right away and take the reins of the franchise.

The Raptors not only have a perfect coach and style of offense for someone like Cunningham, but they will have a rock-solid front office with or without Masai Ujiri. They can be trusted to build a winner around them, while several of these lottery teams with a shot at Cunningham are back here for a reason.

Cunningham will likely not end the draft wearing Raptors red and black, and that could be a tragedy, because he would be the best fit for this club.