Toronto Raptors: 3 players to trade up for in NBA Draft second round

The Toronto Raptors will be able to draft a game-changer like Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, but they could add two more contributors in the second round. Even with those assets at their disposal, ditching them both and trying to move up in the round could be the way to go.

The Raptors will have plenty of cap space that they can use to attack their weaknesses with regard to depth. Their main goal in the second round should be finding a prospect that fits what they are looking for from a trait standpoint, and they should feel fine with moving all around the draft order to find that player, or those players.

Toronto could look for an ace shooter, a power forward that could give their frontcourt rotation a bit more teeth on the offensive end, and a two-way center that could eventually make their way into the starting lineup.

These 3 players might be off the board before the middle of the second round, meaning that the Raptors should consider packing their two consecutive picks in order to move up in the order and select one of these 3 studs.

3 players the Toronto Raptors could trade up for in the NBA Draft second round

3. Matthew Hurt, PF, Duke

Hurt didn’t look like the 5-star recruit Duke was promised during his first season in Durham, but he really came on as a sophomore, showing an improved interior game to go along with a 3-point shot that is so lethal that it will get Nick Nurse and the rest of the Raptors to pay attention to him as a prospect.

Hurt averaged 18.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season, but it was his shooting splits that really stood out. Not only did Hurt make 44% of his 3-point attempts, but he converted on an insane 64% of his shots inside the arc. Hurt outscored lottery pick Jalen Johnson last year, proving his offensive quality. 

Matthew Hurt could give the Toronto Raptors some shooting.

Hurt is likely to be available in the second round because of a lack of tremendous athletic ability. In addition to some generally average explosion on the offensive end, his defense was never amazing at Duke, and it likely will not get any better when he goes from playing Boston College to the Boston Celtics.

At the end of the day, Hurt might be the most natural fit in Nurse’s scheme, as the success he has had with Chris Boucher over the course of his career could provide a good template that Hurt could use to project what his NBA career could look like. Hurt might not need as much G League time as some other players in this tier.