Big man watch at NBA Draft Combine sparks further questions for Raptors

The Raptors now know where they'll be selecting in the 2025 NBA Draft after last night's wild turn of events at the draft lottery: Toronto has been awarded the ninth pick.

As a result, it has made some of their desired draft directions a bit more uncertain than they had hoped. Toronto was originally projected to receive the 7th overall pick, which seemed like a more promising spot to target players like Khaman Maluach and Derik Queen.

Now sitting at ninth, the Raptors might be on the verge of biting their nails, as their top prospects could potentially be gone by then. However, stranger things have happened on draft night, and Toronto can still keep an eye on these bigs, especially as we inch closer to the June 25 deadline.

There’s always a chance that new storylines or developments could emerge, either causing these prospects to fall further in the draft or, against the Raptors' wishes, to rise quickly after impressing greatly and boosting their draft stock.

One event that can always make or break a draft prospect is the annual NBA Draft Combine. At this gathering, scouts and team executives get an additional look at the incoming talents beyond their college tapes. They watch players participate in various drills and scrimmages, while also analyzing measurements like vertical jumps and other physical attributes.

One media member attending the draft combine festivities is Sportsnet Raptors insider Michael Grange, who has been sharing some of his prospect takeaways on X. While keeping an eye on various draft prospects, Grange was also closely watching the Raptors' rumored big man targets, Queen and Maluach, and shared his thoughts on their performances during the combine.

Derik Queen and Khaman Maluach on full display at NBA Draft Combine

Regarding Derik Queen, Grange posted this clip to X, highlighting the Maryland standout's seemingly shaky jumper, despite being touted as an offensive force in the paint.

Looking at the clip, we can see that Queen's shot is a bit arm-heavy and lacks the proper torque from his legs. However, one user on X pointed out that Toronto's coaching staff has a knack for fixing wonky jumpers, much like they did with Ochai Agbaji.

Different mock drafts after the lottery have been all over the place, but one thing I noticed is that Queen's name is appearing closer to the Raptors' ninth pick—or even later than that. While he might be off the board by then, there’s also hope that teams are wary of his question marks, and Queen could end up falling into Toronto’s hands after all (something we've already discussed on Raptors Rapture before).

Now, let's turn our attention to Khaman Maluach, who has been linked to the Raptors for what feels like months, even before March Madness. In contrast to Queen, here is what Grange posted on his X account about the potential of Maluach's shot:

I'm not going to criticize Queen too much here, since Maluach's shot isn't exactly perfect in my eyes either. Be that as it may, I can definitely see the admiration surrounding the South Sudanese big man, which seems to overshadow the much less imposing former Maryland product. The mechanics and athleticism clearly favor Maluach, which only strengthens his supporters' belief that with consistent work on his shot and development, improvements are bound to happen.

However, without getting too caught up in the Maluach hoopla, let's not forget that, for his size, he showed at the college level that rebounding wasn't his strongest suit. This means he's still far from a polished prospect, but one with promise nonetheless.

Unfortunately, to burst the hopeful Raptors fans' bubbles, I highly doubt Maluach will still be available at nine, as he could be taken within the top five or six.

The combine offers only a small glimpse of the potential incoming players for NBA teams across the league, but for the Toronto Raptors, I think they'll be coming out of this experience with more questions than answers, frankly.