The Toronto Raptors mock draft prognosticators are going to be fighting for any sort of draft analysis this season, as Masai Ujiri's wheeling and dealing have left the team without a first-round pick in what could be a fairly deep 2024 lottery. The Jakob Poeltl trade is killing their mojo.
Poeltl was acquired in exchange for a first-round pick that is only protected if Toronto ends up in the first six picks. With Toronto likely possessing enough offensive firepower to stay outside of that lackluster group (barring some preposterous lottery luck), the San Antonio Spurs will probably have their first-round pick.
The Raptors may not be utterly devoid of talent, but it remains clear and obvious that this team needs a solid bench scorer who can back up what is once again an overworked starting lineup. Due to this unfortunate incident, San Antonio could steal a player with legitimate All-Star potential right from under Toronto's nose.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has the Spurs, picking 10th overall after the Raptors gave away their first-round pick, selecting Pitt guard Carlton Carrington. After taking USC's Isaiah Collier No. 3 overall in this exercise, Toronto will have gifted the Spurs a new young core alongside Victor Wembanyama.
Strong start to the year for Pittsburgh Panthers freshman guard Carlton "Bub" Carrington
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) November 18, 2023
Continues to impress with his versatility on the court and has started to heat up in the basketball world.
The 6'5" freshman is averaging 18.0 PPG with splits of 54/51/80 is his first 4… pic.twitter.com/dG2UxhcE3a
NBA Mock Draft: Toronto Raptors miss out on Carlton Carrington
Carrington, a 6-5 freshman who has gotten off to a torrid start with the Panthers, is averaging 17.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game while making 51% of his shots and 47% of his 3-pointers. You couldn't create a player in a lab that is a more perfect fit for what Toronto needs.
Wasserman compared Carrington to 76ers star Tyrese Maxey, and it is quite easy to see the similarities. A fluid athlete who is deadly from 3-point range and big enough to man both guard spots, losing a player like Valentine to the Spurs would be tough for Ujiri to watch.
Toronto may end up building a viable bench after all. Unfortunately, many of those bench players will be in San Antonio. Between Malaki Branham going to San Antonio in the now ill-fated Thad Young trade and a player like Carrington also heading down to Texas, Toronto will be kicking themselves due to all of these missed opportunities.
The Raptors not only don't have a first-round pick, but they also moved off their second-round selection years ago. Barring a trade (which Ujiri seems hesitant to do), it looks like Toronto will be shut out in June.