Most Toronto Raptors mock draft predictions had to be thrown out as soon as Nick Nurse and the rest of the squad jumped up in the lottery order and ended up with the No. 4 selection in the 2021 NBA Draft. After a season spent in Tampa, the Raptors finally catch a break.
With Cade Cunningham a lock for No. 1 and Evan Mobley unlikely to be passed on three times, the two top candidates with regards to Toronto’s potential plans at No. 4 are G League star Jalen Green and Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs. The former profiles as a game-changing, multi-level scorer, while the latter is a pro-ready point guard who can do it all.
Mobley may fill a need at center, while Green could offer more scoring potential, but Suggs appears to be everything the Raptors could want in a point guard. The mock draft wizards seem to agree, as his combination of finishing, defense, and feel for the game appears to be everything Toronto is looking for in a point guard.
Very few mock drafts across the media landscape have the Raptors taking someone that isn’t Suggs, as one of the few things everyone seems to agree on is that Suggs will be available at this point in the draft and the Raptors will use their first-round pick on him.
Snap mock draft:
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 23, 2021
1 Pistons - Cade Cunningham
2 Rockets - Jalen Green
3 Cavaliers - Evan Mobley
4 Raptors - Jalen Suggs
5 Magic -Jonathan Kuminga
6 Thunder - Scottie Barnes
7 Warriors - Davion Mitchell
8 Magic - Keon Johnson
9 Kings - Franz Wagner
NBA Mock drafts have the Toronto Raptors drafting Jalen Suggs.
ESPN identified Suggs as a potential Kyle Lowry replacement, citing his “defensive versatility, competitiveness and transition scoring prowess.” Yahoo Sports cited Suggs’ pick-and-roll skill as a reason for the Raptors to draft and start him right away, while Bleacher Report citing his exceptional off-ball play on both ends as his biggest strength.
The Ringer is also all aboard the Suggs-to-Toronto-train, calling him the smartest playmaker in the entire draft, which sounds exactly what this front office is looking for. The Athletic is very bullish on Suggs’ potential in Toronto, claiming that he could be a future All-Star if he improves his jump shot.
CBS is one of the few outlets that had the Raptors missing out on Suggs, as he went No. 2 to Houston while Green ended up at No. 4. His “explosive athleticism” could work well next to VanVleet. There is a non-zero chance that a player like Jonathan Kuminga or Scottie Barnes ends up in Toronto, but odds are they will select a guard.
Moving on from Lowry is going to hurt considering what he has done over the years for this franchise. However, if the Raptors replace him like Suggs, they could leap back to the postseason in record time.