In basketball, everyone has their typical favorites that fit the prototypical star archetype. I mean, it makes sense—most fans tend to lean toward the superstars of any sport as their go-to guys. But just as much as there's admiration for the household names, there are also those glue guys—the hard-nosed role players—who deserve just as much love.
I’ve always had the utmost respect for guys of that nature, and in the current day, one of my top favorite non-Raptors players who fits that role is Portland Trail Blazers defensive stalwart, Toumani Camara.
Casual fans might not be familiar with Camara’s game, but for those who tune in to watch his tremendous efforts, they can recognize the dramatic impact he has by doing all the small things —sometimes stuff you can’t necessarily see on the stat sheet.
Well, wouldn’t you know it? The highly intriguing draft prospect in focus for this article just so happened to mention Camara among the list of NBA pros he tries to model his game after.
Let me go ahead and introduce said prospect, none other than Arizona freshman wing Carter Bryant.
Arizona draft prospect Carter Bryant fits the Raptors' archetype
As you all know, the Toronto Raptors hold the 9th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, having slipped in the surprising draft lottery last week. With June 25 approaching, it's fitting to analyze potential fits for each possible draft prospect who might fall into Masai Ujiri’s hands.
Personally, I am absolutely enamored with Bryant’s intangibles and his potential at the next level.
With an athletic yet lanky 6-foot-8 frame, Bryant has all the tools to become the prototypical modern NBA forward. Bryant can definitely finish at the rim with force, whether he's receiving a lob or running down the court for an emphatic dunk.
He doesn’t blow you away with a natural scoring ability, but in the manner of players like Toumani Camara and Jaden McDaniels before him, the 19-year-old can easily blossom into the defensive anchor of whichever team drafts him.
To play devil's advocate, however, consider all the other upside 3-and-D draft wings from previous years who didn't make the leap to the next level. I immediately think of players like Kevin Knox, Josh Jackson, and Stanley Johnson. This presents a somewhat pessimistic outlook on what might happen in Bryant's NBA career.
And while Bryant is not a lights-out shooter by any means, he certainly has the upside to develop into a very polished weapon from beyond the arc. In his lone season at Arizona, Bryant’s shot has not been shaky by any means, averaging an efficient 46% from the field and 37.1% from three on an average of 1.1 to 2.8 attempts per game.
On the season as a whole, Bryant’s freshman stats at Arizona are as follows: 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and close to a steal per game (0.9), in an average of 19.3 minutes of playing time across 37 appearances, with five starts.
Sure, the numbers don’t quite paint Bryant as a star in the making, but as mentioned earlier with the Camara comparison, every team could use a player to fill that much-needed roster element.
Judging by Bryant’s character, it’s clear he already possesses a winning basketball mentality, even if his time at Arizona didn’t produce collegiate championship success. While Bryant is likely a fan of some of the bigger names, highlighting players like Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White shows he has a knack for recognizing the game’s unsung heroes, if you will.
Bryant checks many of the boxes that a typical Raptors favorite would have: a tall, athletically gifted wing who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective and impactful. Toronto has a history of not tolerating prima donnas or selfish players; that kind of character simply doesn’t fit here. For that reason, I have high faith in Carter Bryant to develop into a very successful Raptors player.
Is he a perfect prospect? Far from it, but then again, who really is? Everyone has flaws.
Bryant is as much a work in progress as anyone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if teams closer to the draft start to focus on him as a marquee target. If that happens, it’s up to the Raptors to keep him on their radar and consider where he might fit into this young, retooling roster that aims to make noise as soon as next season.