Mock Draft Roundup: Which wings are the Raptors drafting?
The crew at No Ceilings is unique in mocking California wing Jaylon Tyson to the Raptors with the 19th pick. The 6'7" junior operated on-ball with the Golden Bears and has some real playmaking and ball-handling chops, and on defense is a great athlete with a tall and long frame. Toronto loves adding wings with size and athleticism and Tyson fits that perfectly.
There are a number of wings and forwards who are in the mix starting at the middle of the first round but could go in nearly any order, inevitably pushing some of their number down and potentially all the way to the 31st pick. In his 2-round mock Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has the Raptors taking Bobi Klintman, a Swedish 6'8" forward who played in Australia's NBL this past season. He is a great athlete with defensive tools and some untapped offensive skill, but he projects as something of a project at the next level.
Another of those forwards is Virginia's Ryan Dunn, who could go off of the board anywhere from the middle of the first round to the middle of the second. One of the best defensive players in the nation last year (and probably the best in this draft class) Dunn can defend multiple positions and execute multiple schemes.
The concern is his offense, and in particular a 3-point shot that causes physical pain to anyone watching him shoot it. Dunn has intriguing upside but his shot has to be brought into the passable range for him to have a shot at a long career. ESPN's mock draft has the Raptors taking the chance with Dunn at pick No. 31, as do No Ceilings' team of draft analysts and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
One of the most surprising pairings for the Raptors came from Fansided's own Christopher Kline, who mocked French wing Pacome Dadiet to Toronto with the 19th pick. The 6'8" teenager has a strong frame and grew as a scorer this past year, and while he has a long ways to go he brings real upside at a valuable position. Toronto has historically loved to gamble on this type of player profile.
The Raptors are a rebuilding team with only a couple of entrenched players, so they still have a lot of needs to fill and therefore many different paths to take in the 2024 NBA Draft.