The Toronto Raptors have likely been quite pleased with their selection of Collin Murray-Boyles in the 2025 NBA Draft. Looking back, however, what if Murray-Boyles was off the board? Who would the Raptors want instead?
That may seem like a pointless hypothetical, but it matters in the context of evaluating the 2025 draft class. We undertook an exercise over at sister site Hoops Habit to "Re-Draft" the 2025 lottery. Which players would move up, and which would move down?
Collin Murray-Boyles has been strong as a rookie
Murray-Boyles moved up, which should be an encouragement to Toronto fans that he was a great selection with the ninth pick. While many of his compatriots have shown flashes, Murray-Boyles has been immediately good on defense, in a way that suggests he might grow into being truly elite.
The Raptors are 1.7 points per 100 possessions better defensively when Murray-Boyles is on the court, per databallr.com. He is not exceptionally tall at just 6'7" but has exceptional length and leverages it to both disrupt passing lanes and protect the rim. He can switch multiple positions, moving from a smallball 5 to defending wings on the perimeter.
His offensive game is what will take longer to develop, and part of that development has been slowed by a nagging back injury. His 35.4 percent from deep looks average enough until you see he is taking just one 3-pointer per game, a miniscule sample size. He attacks the glass, he can make the open pass, and he finishes strong inside, especially if the court is decently spaced out.
In our re-draft, it is no surprise that Murray-Boyles moved up the draft board. There is a clear Top 4, which matches the first four picks from last June: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe.
From there, the draft opens up, and Murray-Boyles went seventh overall to the New Orleans Pelicans. He gives them a defensive foundation upon which to build moving forward. In actuality, even with a year of insight, the Pelicans' front office likely takes Jeremiah Fears or Derik Queen once again. But if they truly chose the best player on the board, Murray-Boyles would make a lot of sense.
Where does that leave Toronto, then? With Murray-Boyles off the board, who do they pivot to?
The Raptors draft Carter Bryant this time
In this re-draft, the Raptors draft Arizona forward Carter Bryant. He is similarly sized to Murray-Boyles at 6'6" but with a seven-foot wingspan, and is built like a stone pillar through his torso. Bryant originally went 14th to the San Antonio Spurs, so he moves up the draft board as well.
Bryant's upside is as the ideal 3-and-D forward, someone agile enough to defend smaller wings and stout enough to defend bigger wings and forwards. Bryant looks the part, and in limited minutes at the fringes of a packed Spurs rotation, he has shown flashes of being exactly that level of defensive difference-maker.
Bryant's offense is similarly raw as Murray-Boyles overall, but it will grow in a different archetype altogether. Whereas CMB is a playmaker interior finisher, Bryant will need to be a corner 3-point shooter and a transition finisher. While the shooting accuracy isn't there yet, he looks to be on the right path. In two or three years, the Spurs might have a title-winning role player on their hands.
The Raptors get to keep Murray-Boyles in real life, but this alternate timeline is intriguing as well. Would the Raptors be better off in a vacuum with a shot-finishing 3-and-D forward in the rotation alongside Scottie Barnes? Or is the truly elite defensive ability of Murray-Boyles preferred even though he overlaps to heavily with Barnes offensively?
It's a fascinating question, but not one that Toronto has to sweat. Murray-Boyles is their man, and he looks like a strong pick at No. 9 in last year's draft. It's a good thing he can't be stolen in real life.