The 2024 NBA Draft has arrived, but unfortunately clarity on what is going to happen tonight did not come with it. Who will go No. 1? How many trades will occur? What are the Toronto Raptors going to do with two picks, multiple veterans to trade and holes across the roster?
We rounded up the latest mock drafts from a number of prominent sources, everyone from ESPN to The Athletic and everyone in between. These are draft experts who are plugged in and building a mock draft based on reporting, so they are making informed selections based on what teams may actually do.
And they are all over the place on Toronto's picks! There is a small amount of consensus but no more than two or three draft experts have the Raptors taking the same player. It speaks to the chaos likely to come tonight and the uncertainty of who will be on the board at 19 and 31.
Let's round up some of the predictions, as well as speaking to where we had those players ranked on our final Toronto Raptors Big Board this morning.
The Athletic and The Ringer: Toronto selects Ja’Kobe Walter, Wing, Baylor at No. 19
Sam Vecenie at The Athletic and Kevin O'Connor at The Ringer both see Ja'Kobe Walter landing with the Raptors at 19. Once thought to be a lottery lock, Walter had an inconsistent freshman season and will need to transition to more of an off-ball role in the NBA. His shot looks like it has the functionality to do that, and he has some great defensive tools to be a 3-and-D wing with more shot-creation chops than most such players. The Raptors need shooting and defense on the wing so the fit and value make sense at 19.
Value: Ja'Kobe Walter checks in at No. 13 on our final Raptors Big Board
ESPN: Raptors select Keyshawn George, Wing, Miami at No. 19
The mission this offseason is to surround Scottie Barnes with shooting, and that’s the idea behind ESPN's Jonathan Givony mocking Miami wing Keyshawn George to the Raptors with the 19th pick. George hasn’t been able to find playing time at any level over the past few years, but he has the physical tools to be a good defender and has shot it well in a limited role.
Value: Kyshawn George is ranked No. 29 on our final Raptors Big Board
Yahoo and CBS: Toronto selects Zach Edey, Big, Purdue at No. 19
The Toronto Raptors have a lot of incentive to move off of Jakob Poeltl, be that this offseason or in the near future. That would mean finding and developing a replacement for him to start at center next to Scottie Barnes, which is a theme of many Toronto mock drafts. Zach Edey is a bone-crushing screen setter and highly productive offensive big and the fact that he is a Toronto native makes him a popular player to connect to the Raptors. All three of Krysten Peek at Yahoo, Ricky O'Donnell at SB Nation and Kyle Boone at CBS Sports have Edey landing home in Toronto.
Value: Zach Edey is ranked No. 19 on our final Raptors Big Board
Bleacher Report: Raptors select Kel’el Ware, Big, Indiana at No. 19
The Toronto Raptors would ideally find a center to pair with Scottie Barnes long-term who can scape the floor and protect the rim, a la Brook Lopez or Chet Holmgren. Kel'el Ware nominally has that skillset, but the sliders are pushed really far down and the odds of him putting it together are not great. Jonathan Wasserman at Bleacher Report is right to think Toronto could pursue such a player, but it's a bit of a reach at No. 19 given other bigs likely to be available.
Value: Kel'el Ware is ranked No. 27 on our final Raptors Big Board
The Ringer: Toronto selects Kyle Filipowski, Big, Duke at No. 31
This would be an absolute steal if it comes to pass. Kyle Filipowski is one of the more underrated players in the 2024 Draft, a big man who can dribble, pass and shoot, as well as punish mismatches in the post. His defense is solid enough and he could be something of a “Chet Holmgren lite” for the Raptors. His fit with Scottie Barnes is excellent and he would project to replace Kelly Olynyk over the next couple of seasons. Kevin O'Connor at The Ringer is down on FIlipowski in his personal rankings, and that may be bleeding into this pick; if Filipowski is actually available at 31 the Raptors should sprint the pick to the podium.
Value: Kyle Filipowski is ranked No. 14 on our final Raptors Big Board
ESPN and Bleacher Report: Raptors select Adem Bona, Big, UCLA at No. 31
If the Toronto Raptors take a guard or wing with the 19th pick, it probably makes sense for them to go “best big man available” at 31 to start building some depth behind veterans Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk. Both ESPN and Bleacher Report have that big as Adem Bona out of UCLA. Bona is big and would give them rebounding and defense inside; his offensive skill game still needs a lot of work, which is concerning for a 21-year-old.
Value: Adem Bona would be ranked No. 41 on our final Raptors Big Board
The Athletic: Raptors select Cam Christie, Wing, Minnesota at No. 31
The Raptors need shooting, and Cam Christie is most likely the best shooter the Raptors would have a chance to draft with the 31st pick. His shot motion is pure and he can fire from well behind the 3-point range, and his excellent footwork allows him to transfer that skill to a variety of roles. Sam Vecenie of The Athletic gave the Raptors a pair of shooting 2-guards in his mock draft to juice the floor-spacing around Scottie Barnes.
Value: Cam Christie is ranked No. 28 on our final Raptors Big Board
Yahoo: Toronto selects Ryan Dunn, Forward, Virginia at No. 31
The Toronto Raptors love long, rangy, athletic forwards and always have. Ryan Dunn fits the mold, and he will be a defensive disruptor from day one and may be the best defender in the class. He is also one of the worst offensive players, with a completely broken shot, and is a difficult fit next to Scottie Barnes. At some point, though, the defensive ability makes him worth taking, and Krysten Peek at Yahoo has him landing at 31.
Value: Ryan Dunn is ranked No. 30 on our final Raptors Big Board