To this point in the NBA pre-draft cycle, there have been plenty of names linked to the Toronto Raptors with the No. 19 pick on June 23.
A new name on this site is Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr., who was mocked to the Dinos in ESPN’s Jeremy Woo’s latest mock draft. Cenac is an intriguing, high-upside big prospect who entered the season as the No. 6-ranked prospect in the class of 2025. He has a unique game that still needs a ton of polishing, but his ability to step outside and hit a jumper at his size and position is his biggest draw.
Drafting Cenac at No. 19 wouldn’t be a bad pick by any means for the Raptors. If developed properly, he has an incredibly high ceiling. However, it would tip off the direction Toronto is planning on taking with Cenac being more of a project than a win-now selection.
Cenac would be upside over impact
This past season for the Cougars, Cenac averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 stocks (steals + blocks) per game while shooting 33.3 percent from three on 2.4 attempts per game. His stats don’t jump out, but his impact as the primary option at center for a high-level Houston program while being one of college basketball's youngest players was impressive.
While Cenac isn’t an incredible shot blocker, he measured with a gigantic 7-foot-5 wingspan, and with development and time, that length could help him improve significantly on that end.
On top of his massive wingspan, he also measured 6-foot-10.25 (barefoot) and had a 9-foot-0.5 standing reach. Cenac dominated the glass with his length and size, and may truly be the best rebounder in the class behind only Washington’s Hannes Steinbach. For a Raptors team that consistently failed to close possessions because of a lack of rebounding presence, Cenac would be a massive addition.
Cenac not being a primary rim protector is part of the reason his fit with the Raptors could be so great. Pairing his size and athleticism with Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles in the frontcourt would be terrifying for opposing players trying to go downhill.
Now, from day one, would Cenac's impact be starter-quality or even strong enough to be a legit weapon off the bench?
Probably not.
But long-term, he could very well be the type of floor spacing shot blocker who slots in perfectly alongside the Raptors frontcourt for the foreseeable future.
The Raptors have been searching for a new long-term answer at the five, as many fans expected them to address that need at No. 9 in the 2025 NBA Draft. Obviously, that didn’t happen as they went with CMB and likely have zero regrets about that, given how impactful he was during the regular season and playoffs.
However, if they do want to swing upside in this summer draft and potentially find their center of the future, they should follow the blueprint Woo laid down and select Chris Cenac Jr.
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