Raptors draft: Will Masai Ujiri go back to Indiana for star PG?

The Toronto Raptors traded away their second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in the Jakob Poeltl trade (as well as a protected first-round pick), but they still have sole possession of their first-round pick. After trading their 2022 first to acquire Thad Young, Masai Ujiri needs to hit a home run in 2023.

Toronto made one of the best draft picks in franchise history when they plucked OG Anunoby from Indiana with the No. 23 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. There is a good chance that Ujiri will return to Bloomington as he tries to find a long-term contributor for this team.

With some legitimate concerns about Toronto’s ability to retain Fred VanVleet, Toronto needs to target a guard that can create offense for himself and other. While Baylor’s Keyonte George and Kentucky’s Cason Wallace would be solid options, Toronto could fall in love with another Indiana player if they manage to make it to the play-in tournament range.

6-5 lead guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, in tandem with experienced big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, has helped Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers become the No. 17 ranked team in the country. His tantalizing offensive skillset could be enough for the Raptors to consider him as a potential VanVleet replacement.

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Toronto Raptors draft: Indiana PG Jalen Hood-Schifino is a good fit.

Hood-Schifino is averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.1 points per game. A smooth operator with a great feel for the game and tremendous passing skills that belie his assist numbers, Hood-Schifino has the size Toronto wants with some exemplary offensive tools to build around.

On defense, there may not be a guard in the lottery range with better on-ball potential. With long arms and a tireless work ethic that will get Ujiri interested, adding someone that could immediately be an impact defender will likely be high on the Raptors’ priority list when the offseason comes around.

While this is not a debilitating problem, Hood-Schifino will need to show that he can be an effective shooter at the professional level. While he made six 3-pointers against Ohio State and is making 38% of his 3-pointers on the season, he hasn’t made more than one 3-pointer in a game since January 8 if you remove the Buckeye barrage.

Hood-Schifino is far from a finished product, but so was Anunoby when he left Indiana. With some genuine worry about the status of VanVleet and who his immediate replacement could be, Hood-Schifino will be able to provide a spark on both ends without comprising Ujiri’s positionless vision.