3 Toronto Raptors who need to watch their back for being replaced in the draft
The Toronto Raptors enter the 2024 NBA Draft with a lot of options on the table before them. They could look at holes on the current roster and try to fill in around them, but that's the type of finishing move generally reserved for contending teams. For a lottery team like the Raptors, the name of the game is usually "best player available" when they make a pick.
The implication of that approach could be that the Raptors end up replacing the long-term replacement for a player currently on the roster. That won't prove true for Scottie Barnes or Immanuel Quickley (barring something truly unexpected), but much of the roster is in the gray area between being a part of the core and being a moveable piece. If the Raptors draft a replacement at their position, that makes such players easier to move in a trade.
Let's look at three players who should be at least a little worried if the Raptors draft their replacement in next week's draft.
No. 3: Ochai Agbaji could be replaced by Kyshawn George, Miami
The Toronto Raptors can and should prioritize shooting as they build the roster around Scottie Barnes, and Miami's Kyshawn George is one player who has been mocked to the Raptors with the 19th pick in the draft. The 6'8" wing had a strong freshman season that has pushed him up draft boards, and he has the size and shooting combination that modern NBA teams covet.
If George were to be drafted and establish himself as a rotation player, that probably would mean stealing Ochai Agbaji's spot. The third-year wing out of Kansas is currently looking at a path to a rotation spot next season if Gary Trent Jr. and Bruce Brown both leave, but that's only if the Raptors don't draft, sign or trade for someone else to either start at the 2 or back up Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett.
Agbaji has had a slow start to his career, and he needs another extended shot at playing time to prove himself and establish a foothold in the league. Drafting Kyshawn George or another player like him could choke out that chance for Agbaji and see him bouncing along to his fourth team.
Other candidates: Baylor Scheierman, Creighton; Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor