3 first-round picks from 2020 class Raptors could trade for

The Toronto Raptors are trying to break their championship window open after an impressive 2021-22 season, but that doesn’t mean that Masai Ujiri will altogether forgo building the team with cheap, young talent. The 2020 NBA Draft could be a very fertile ground to plunder.

After drafting Malachi Flynn No. 29 overall and acquiring No. 20 overall pick Precious Achiuwa thanks to a trade, it seems like Ujiri clearly has some admiration for the recent crop of young players that came into the NBA. This could influence his trade strategy in the 2022 offseason.

Toronto has been more than willing to bring on former first-round picks and give them the change of scenery they need to further their careers. This philosophy has worked in the past, and it could be just the ticket when it comes to replenishing the bench with a young standout.

These three 2020 draftees could join Flynn and Achiuwa in Toronto if Ujiri and Nick nurse play their cards right. Doing so could help Toronto’s bench get even stronger while giving them even more young talent to mold and shape in the same way they improved Achiuwa.

3 2020 NBA Draft prospects the Toronto Raptors could trade for.

3. Kira Lewis Jr., New Orleans Pelicans

Lewis was picked No. 13 overall to be the Pelicans’ point guard of the future, but he may already be on his way out of town. The three-headed monster of New Orleans ending up with the No. 8 overall pick, the emergence of Jose Alvarado as a backup, and CJ McCollum’s arrival have made life difficult for Lewis.

Lewis, who averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 assists per game with the Pelicans in his two-year career, is coming off a torn ACL sustained in December. Lewis is a significant injury risk who hadn’t had fantastic production, but Toronto could be the best place for him to rejuvenate his career.

Kira Lewis Jr. could be an interesting Toronto Raptors backup.

Lewis’ speed and finishing ability at the rim could make him a better offensive player than Flynn if he stays healthy. That explosion and peskiness on defense made him a valued prospect at Alabama, and they might be the meal ticket that helps him get his NBA career back on track.

Lewis’ value has never been lower, making him a very interesting buy for a Raptors team that needs more production out of their backup point guard spot. Ujiri should try to pilfer him from New Orleans if he believes in Lewis’ speed post-injury.