The Toronto Raptors enter the 2024 NBA Draft with plenty of options ahead of them.
They may have lost the No. 8 pick to the San Antonio Spurs from the Jakob Poeltl deal, but they got back into the first round with Indiana's pick from the Pascal Siakam deal and added the 31st pick in the OG Anunoby trade.
The Raptors aren't locked into those places, either. There are a number of trade rumors swirling around the Raptors and a variety of trade candidates, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Raptors trade Bruce Brown or Poeltl to another team and move back up into the lottery. They could also trade down, adding extra assets in the process.
That's what the Raptors, like every team in the NBA, needs to have a fully built-out big board for the 2024 NBA Draft. If the Raptors find themselves in a position to move up, or a prospect they thought out of reach plummets down the board, they need to be informed and ready to make a move. Teams in last year's draft may have passed on VIllanova forward Cam Whitmore when he fell because they never expected to have a shot at drafting him. It pays to be informed.
To that end, here is a full 31-player 2024 Big Board for the Toronto Raptors, a ranking of enough players for them to make both of their selections as currently in place. Will they be in a position to draft Alex Sarr? Probably not, but it may pay off now or in a few years to have done the work on him or any other prospect.
The 2024 NBA Draft is considered to be a flat draft, which means each team will value players differently and the actual selections on draft night could be wildly unpredictable. Who should the Raptors go after? Let's rank the first 31 prospects for the 2024 Draft.
No. 1: Alex Sarr, Big, France
Alex Sarr is not good enough to be the No. 1 prospect in a normal draft, but he ends up at the top of the list in this draft. A seven-footer who can do it all defensively, Sarr allows an NBA team to run any defensive scheme and plus him into it, either as a rim protector or a switch big onto the perimeter. On offense he is more raw but is certainly skilled and driven, and if he settles in as a consistent 3-point shooter the court will open right up.
No. 2: Reed Sheppard, Guard, Kentucky
Although he is a tough on the small side and at times was susceptible to blow-bys in isolation defense, Reed Sheppard is the best pure shooter in the draft and could be truly special as a pull-up shooter, giving him the space he needs to succeed as a point guard in the NBA. On defense he has work to do in 1-on-1 situations but his block percentage as a small guard is insane and he generates steals and deflections at an inhuman rate.
The Toronto Raptors have their point guard of the future in Immanuel Quickley, but what they don't have is a lot of defensive playmaking on the perimeter. Sheppard would bring that in droves, and his shooting at the least will be a weapon as a movement shooter in the mold of Luke Kennard or JJ Redick and at best will be at Damian Lillard or Steve Nash levels.
No. 3: Ron Holland, Wing, G League Ignite
Ron Holland is an incredibly polarizing prospect heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, with analysts all over the place with their rankings and teams likely just as split. The 6'7" wing is a plus athlete with an incredible motor and a questionable jumpshot, and he is ranked everywhere from first overall to the mid-teens depending on who you ask. That should lead to a wide range on draft night.
The league is built on athletic wings, and Holland took on a massive scoring and creation load on a terrible G League Ignite team last season and wasn't completely overwhelmed. The shot is certainly a swing factor, but he brings a lot else to the table as a defender, rebounder and transition threat. Even on a team that seemed to lose every game by 20 he played hard every minute he was in the game. If the shot comes around, he would be an ideal companion to Scottie Barnes in the frontcourt.
No. 4: Donovan Clingan, Big, UConn
The draft's best interior defender, Donovan Clingan was dominant for the national champion UConn Huskies and looks to be a highly-coveted prospect in this year's draft, with multiple teams considering trades up to select him. He is something of a Brook Lopez disciple on defense, a massive mountain in the middle who is best deployed in a drop coverage. The offense needs work, but he rebounds well and should eat on a few putbacks each game. For the Raptors he could be the long-term replacement for Jakob Poeltl.
No. 5: Zaccharie Risacher, Forward, France
Zaccharie Risacher has risen up draft boards less for what he can do and more for what he can't; that is, essentially nothing. He is capable of handling the ball, creating a shot, shooting, finishing, rebounding and defending. He is not elite in any one of those areas, but he has continued to grow as a player the past few years and could step onto nearly any roster and be a useful player. If his shot becomes an elite weapon his value will only skyrocket.
No. 6: Stephon Castle, Guard, UConn
If you want a large guard or wing who can plug in and play tough isolation defense, with quick hands for steals and excellent anticipation of opponent moves, Stephon Castle is your man. The freshman at UConn plays hard and works on his game, but the biggest question mark is his shooting. All signs other than his work ethic point to a broken jumper but he has faith in himself; perhaps he is the right kind of prospect to bet on developing a jumpshot.
No. 7: Nikola Topic, Guard, Serbia
The top pure point guard in the 2024 Draft, Nikola Topic has a tight handle and is both fast enough and shifty enough to get to the rim with ease and pass to the open teammates. As with most players the swing skill is his jumpshot, but he has a strong floor of running the offense. Topic will miss an extended period of time after partially tearing his ACL but a team that can be patient could get a steal.
No. 8: Cody Williams, Forward, Colorado
A versatile forward who has some shot creation ability. An injury-plagued freshman season depressed his draft stock, but the younger brother of Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams is a high-upside swing and either way should be a useful player down the road. His defensive ability is strong and if his scoring and shooting come around he will be a dominant two-way starter for someone.
No. 9: Devin Carter, Guard, Providence
Devin Carter will take on anyone at any time, and the Toronto Raptors could use a player like that on the roster, firing up his teammates and locking up any opposing guard silly enough to try and dribble it up the court against him. Given that Carter also took a huge leap forward as an offensive player this past season and the fact that he is crushing pre-draft workouts suggests the rest of the league is finally catching up.
No. 10: Jared McCain, Guard, Duke
A fearless guard with or without the ball in his hands, Jared McCain is not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the court and is one of the better backcourt rebounders in this class. Drafting McCain would be an instant shot to the team's 3-point shooting, which was genuinely anemic last year. Toronto needs shooters, and McCain is a great one with the potential to be excellent.
No. 11: Matas Buzelis, Forward, G League Ignite
A power forward who is too skinny to defend his position but is an elite weakside shot-blocker, has ball skills like a guard but can't shoot or finish, Matas Buzelis is an enigma. His basketball intelligence, high skill level and physical attributes give him the potential to put it all together and be a plus starter, but it's hard to predict as he is such a unique prospect.
No. 12: Carlton "Bub" Carrington, Guard, Pittsburgh
Individual shot creation is the most valuable single skill in NBA players, and the reason this draft is considered to be such a weak class is that it’s very short on shot creators. That’s why Bub Carrington is flying up draft boards, because the 6’4” guard can score from literally anywhere and is comfortable in his pull-up game and finishing at the rim.
No. 13: Ja'Kobe Walter, Guard, Baylor
Ja’Kobe Walter came into his freshman season at Baylor expecting to prove himself an on-ball star, and he clearly is not. What he may have shown is that his skill set fits well as a 3-and-D wing with some secondary shot creation abilities, a valuable player type if he can commit to the role and something the Toronto Raptors could use next to Immanuel Quickley in the backcourt.
No. 14: Kyle Filipowski, Big, Duke
The ideal center to pair with Scottie Barnes is one who can shoot from outside, making plays with the ball as a passer and scorer, and defend the rim at a competent level. The best version of such a player is VIctor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren, but it’s possible that Kyle Filipowski checks all of those boxes as a starting center and could very well be available for Toronto when they pick at 19.
No. 15: Tidjane Salaun, Forward, France
A late riser up draft boards, Salaun is the third French player in the Top 15, signaling the continued development of basketball talent in that country. A 6'9" forward with a 7'1" wingspan, Salaun has all the talent and physical capability of being a two-way wing who can shoot, score and defend. After players like Aaron Gordon and P.J. Washington were critical to Finals teams the past two years, Salaun may continue to rise into the lottery or beyond.
No. 16: Dalton Knecht, Wing, Tennessee
On the one hand, Dalton Knecht was the best scorer in college basketball last season, with a pure jumper and the utility to score from anywhere on the court. On the other, he is a poor athlete and his complete lack of defensive events puts him in the category of players like Doug McDermott. Could that be where his career is headed?
No. 17: Baylor Scheierman, Wing, Creighton
Baylor Scheierman is an old prospect, entering the league after five full seasons in college, but he didn’t waste his development time. He can shoot confidently and accurately from anywhere on the court, coming off of screens or creating his own shot. He is hardly a pushover defensively, can rebound and make plays with the ball. If he were 19 instead of 23 he would be a Top 10 pick without question.
No. 18: Daron Holmes II, Big, Dayton
Daron Holmes is the best dart throw outside of the lottery on a big man who can be that true unicorn, a fearsome shot blocker inside and a smooth shooter outside the arc. He also moves his feet well and should be able to switch out into space, and on offense he can punish smaller players inside and is a fearsome lob threat. He is also about to turn 22, is a turnover machine and only had one year as a strong shooter, so it’s a risky dart throw, but perhaps one well worth making.
No. 19: Zach Edey, Big, Purdue
The best player in college basketball the last two years, Zach Edey is a polarizing prospect due to his lack of lateral agility that seems like it could kill his defensive impact. He is plenty mobile and big enough to thrive in a drop coverage, however, and his ability to set bone-crushing screens and score around the rim as a lob threat and post-up monster should make him a long-time NBA starter.
No. 20: Tyler Kolek, Guard, Marquette
Another older prospect in consideration in the first round, it’s hard to balance the historical disappointment of older prospects with the realities of NIL money keeping players in college longer than before. Tyler Kole’s is a good test of this, one of the best players in college basketball last season and a proven scorer and playmaker as a classic point guard who could benefit a lot of teams as their long-term backup, and potentially could develop into a solid starter.
No. 21: Rob Dillingham, Guard, Kentucky
Rob Dillingham is one of the best pure scorers in the draft, a lightning-quick guard who can get to the cup or pull up for a jumper. His passing is good enough that he could develop into a pure point guard and he can thrive on or off-ball as a shooter. The problem is that he is barely six feet tall and is likely to be the kind of defensive liability who just can't start on a good team, relegating him into the range of Bones Hyland at the low end or Lou Williams at the high end.
No. 22: Yves Missi, Big, Baylor
Ordering a big man at IKEA and then assembling him at home could result in something like Yves Missi, a 6’11” high-flying athlete with a 7’2” wingspan and a love for swatting shots away on defense. He is raw, his offensive game is underdeveloped and he fouls a ton, but the potential is there if the right team can mold it.
No. 23: Johnny Furphy, Forward, Kansas
Johnny Furphy is 6’7” with a smooth jump shot and plays hard on defense. On the other hand, he doesn’t know how to do much else on offense, and on defense he was frequently barbecued by opposing players due to a lack of foot speed and strength. He’s a project, and the end result may not be worth the squeeze.
No. 24: Tristan Da Silva, Forward, Colorado
NBA teams love forwards who can dribble, pass and shoot, and Tristan Da Silva is 6’8” with a smooth jumper and excellent feel for the game. He loves to leverage his perimeter gravity to cut hard to the basket and finish inside. He is also 23 years old and a below-average athlete, and he is almost certainly position-locked at power forward where the Raptors have someone entrenched.
No. 25: Isaiah Collier, Guard, USC
Isaiah Collier was once thought to be the No. 1 prospect in this draft class, but small guards in the NBA absolutely have to have one skill to succeed: shooting. Collier has a great handle, is a good passer and can finish inside no matter how crowded it is. He also is a terrible shooter who can’t even sniff 70 percent from the line, and when you add in heaps of turnovers and average athleticism there’s not much hope that it will all come together for him.
No. 26: Jaylon Tyson, Wing, California
An intriguing 3-and-D prospect at Texas Tech two seasons ago, Jaylon Tyson transferred to Cal last year and became a high-usage on-ball dynamo. His role in the NBA is likely more of the former than the latter, but his ability to shine in multiple roles is a good sign, and his excellence on catch-and-shoot triples should bode well for his role adjustment in the NBA.
No. 27: Kel'el Ware, Big, Indiana
Kel’el Ware has all of the skill potential to be a 3-and-D center, with a large wingspan and good shot-blocking instincts and the confidence to take 3-pointers from outside. The problem with Ware is that he is not particularly good at any of those things, and if you ask him to score the basketball inside he is a wreck. He looks like more of a Chris Boucher type of “unicorn” big than someone who can become a starter.
No. 28: Cam Christie, Guard, Minnesota
A 6’4” gunner who is dying to play alongside teammates who can feed him the ball, Cam Christie has a 3-point shot he can uncork from well beyond the arc and the footwork to be dangerous as a pull-up shooter or catch-and-shoot dynamo. He is also a good defender and projects as a 3-and-D shooting guard who brings all of the benefits of a movement shooter but isn’t toast on defense.
No. 29: Kyshawn George, Wing, Miami
Keshawn George is 6’7” with a repeatable, accurate jump shot and great tools on defense. He also barely played in the French B League two years ago, then was merely a role player on a terrible Miami team last year. Is he a diamond in the rough, or is he merely not that great at basketball?
No. 30: Ryan Dunn, Forward, Virginia
The best defender in this draft class may also be its worst offensive player, making Ryan Dunn a fascinating test case wherever he lands. He is a true defensive difference-maker, able to defend multiple positions and comfortable protecting the rim, defending on the perimeter or rotating in help defense. On offense he can’t shoot, can’t pass and seems terrified of doing both, so he will need to take strides in that area to clear an NBA rotation long-term.
No. 31: Tyler Smith, Forward, G League Ignite
While top prospects Ron Holland and Matias Buzelis were disappointing in the G League, stretch big Tyler Smith was outperforming expectations lighting it up from outside. He has good defensive tools but is probably specifically a “stretch 4” without the size to play center nor the speed to play the 3. He needs to develop as a defender to earn a long-term role, but the offensive floor is there if he can.