1 Prospect to target, 1 to avoid for every Raptors draft pick
The 2024 NBA Draft is quickly approaching, and as it does the draft order is beginning to take some shape. The relative "flatness" of the prospects introduces chaos and haziness to the task of projecting the picks out, but in a general sense, the ranges for players and who might be available at any given pick is coming into focus.
The Toronto Raptors enter the draft with the No. 19 pick, acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the Pascal Siakam trade, and the No. 31 pick they picked up in the OG Anunoby deal. Their own pick landed at No. 8 in the Draft Lottery and so went to the San Antonio Spurs from the Jakob Poeltl deal, while their own second-round pick was originally sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Marc Gasol trade in 2019 and has since changed hands multiple times before ultimately landing with the Pacers.
Which prospects should the Raptors be targeting with the 19th pick from among those players expected to be available in that range? Conversely, who should they avoid? What about at No. 31? Let's look at four players, two on each side of the ledger, as the draft picture begins to gain clarity.
The Raptors should avoid Isaiah Collier with the 19th pick
The Toronto Raptors expect to re-sign Immanuel Quickley this summer, locking down the starting shooting guard position for the foreseeable future. The rest of the perimeter depth on the team is more in question, including a clear need at backup point guard. That could lead the Raptors to look at USC's Isaiah Collier.
On the one hand, Collier was the No. 1 player in his class heading into his freshman season at USC, is confident handling the ball and attacking the basket, and fights defensively despite his 6'2" size.
He is also a streaky shooter with poor shot mechanics, is not composed as a passer and his small size, mediocre wingspan (6'4") and average athleticism mean he will get picked on defensively and can easily be taken out of games offensively if an opponent puts length on him. To become a no-doubt rotation player Collier would need to be a Top 5 percent shot-maker, and that's a longshot that Toronto should avoid taking.