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Raptors draft: 1 prospect at every position to target in lottery

By Mike Luciano

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 18: Dereck Lively II #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 18, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. Tennessee won 65-52. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 18: Dereck Lively II #1 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Amway Center on March 18, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. Tennessee won 65-52. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Raptors still have not given off any indication of what direction they will go in during the 2023 NBA Draft. Masai Ujiri and the rest of the front office continue to be incredibly tight-lipped about what positions and players they may target with their lone selection.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that Ujiri and the Raptors could try to fix their lack of terrific shooting by drafting a dynamic guard at No. 13 overall. However, the Raptors could once again choose to eschew all of that in favor of a “Vision 6-9” player that values versatility and defense over offensive skills.

The Raptors could go in one of five different directions, as there is a way to spin the team adding an impact player at all five positions in a positive fashion. A shot-blocker, shooter, and ball-handler are needed on this roster, and No. 13 overall is a perfect spot to add one of them.

Any one of these five players, all of whom play different positions, could make a Year 1 impact while also positioning themselves to be a long-term contributor for Darko Rajakovic and the new-look roster. Will Ujiri pull the trigger on one of these players?

1 Toronto Raptors draft prospect at every position.

Center: Dereck Lively II, Duke

Lively only averaged 5.2 points per game in his freshman season and lacked any sort of offensive creativity outside of the dunker spot. Why on Earth is he a hyped prospect? Well, most agree that his lack of scoring was due to Kyle Filipowski taking shots away from him.

Lively is the best non-Victor Wembanyama shot-blocker in this class, and his mobility for a 7-1 big man is genuinely jaw-dropping at times. The Raptors may have their center spot covered, but if something funny happens with Jakob Poeltl, they could find a replacement in Lively.

Power Forward: Taylor Hendricks, UCF

Hendricks brings scoring (15.1 points per game on 48% shooting from the floor), versatility (6-9, 210-pound forward with solid defensive effort), and 3-point shooting (39.5% from beyond the arc this season) to whoever drafts him. Even with all of the forwards on Toronto’s roster, Hendricks would be a steal if he falls to No. 13.

Hendricks is such a good prospect that it would behoove the Raptors to trade away one of their veteran forwards in order to make a spot for him in the rotation. It’s not unreasonable to say that Hendricks’ offensive ceiling far exceeds that of Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher.