Raptors Big Board: Top 10 prospects for Raps no matter where their pick lands

No. 5: Matas Buzelis, Forward, G League Ignite

If this Big Board was built solely on the kind of player the Raptors historically like to draft, Matas Buzelis would be even higher than this. If it was instead built solely on fit with the current roster, he would be toward the back-end of the lottery. That tension results in him landing at No. 5, although he was overall the most difficult player to rank from the Raptors' point of view.

Buzelis is a 6'11" forward who plays the game like a guard, reading the court and knowing exactly where to be and how to manipulate defenses with his movement and passing. He has a loose handle that holds him back from running the offense a la Nikola Jokic, but he can make every pass and his speed in decision-making is impressive.

Buzelis looks the part of a fluid shooter and scorer and is comfortable taking any shot. His 3-pointer looks good, he has a bag of moves to get open for midrange shots and his floater should be a real weapon. He lacks the strength to finish through contact, and there are real questions about whether his frame can add the weight necessary to survive inside.

The Raptors already have a point forward in Scottie Barnes, so Buzelis would need to take a major step forward as a consistent shooter to make the pairing work. The skill and feel for the game that Buzelis has is difficult to teach, if impossible, and that may attract Masai Ujiri and the front office enough to make Buzelis the pick despite the fit concerns.