The Toronto Raptors enter the 2026 NBA Draft with the 19th overall pick and a great opportunity to address some major areas of need with this roster. If one thing was made clear to fans from the way the Raptors exited the postseason, it was that their two biggest roster needs are size and three-point shooting.Â
So why not kill two birds with one stone and draft University of North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar?
The only thing really preventing Toronto from selecting the UNC product is that he is projected to go well after the Raptors' selection at No. 19.
Most outlets have Veesaar going in the 25-to-40 range in June’s draft. It’s also worth noting that history suggests the Raptors have never let a projected draft range prevent them from ‘reaching’ on a prospect that they like and feel can address some needs.
My argument for reaching on Veesaar is that his skill set suggests taking him with a pick before No. 20 is even a reach for a team with a major need at five. It’s so rare to see someone who measured 6-foot-11.25 (barefoot) with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach be the type of floor spacing threat Veesaar was this past season.Â
The Raptors can justify reaching on Veesaar
In his junior year, Veesaar averaged 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60.8 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from three on 3.0 attempts. He also checks some boxes as a rim protector, with a good read on blocking shots, averaging 1.2 blocks per game. There are question marks about his thinner 227-pound frame and whether he can hold his own in the post against bigger bigs, but his wingspan suggests he can make up for it.
When you look at how effective Sandro Mamukelashvili was for the Raptors in the 2025-26 season as a floor spacing five-man, imagine how great having Veesaar in that role would be. When you look at Mamu’s shortcomings in the postseason, it was his defense, rebounding, and him just being too undersized. Now replace that with someone who projects to stretch the floor at the same level, is way bigger, protects the rim, and is a beast on the glass.Â
What's the argument against drafting that type of player at No. 19?Â
What Veesaar also has in his bag that can’t be overlooked is his passing ability in the short roll, specifically. Don’t get me wrong, Caleb Wilson was phenomenal this season on his own, but a good amount of his clean looks at the rim came from Veesaar hitting him in the big-to-big two-man game. He could replicate that same type of action with both Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles in Toronto, if Bobby Webster drafted him at No. 19.
We’ve seen the Raptors reach on players like Alijah Martin (No. 39 in 2025), Jonathan Mogbo (No. 31 in 2024), and Christian Koloko (No. 33 in 2022), just to name some recent ones. So who’s to say that Veesaar's unique combination of size, shooting, passing, and efficiency makes him an incredible, intriguing potential ‘reach’ for the Raptors at No. 19.
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