Man, a year sure does fly by.
It seems like just yesterday Toronto was in the lottery, and we were exploring all the possibilities at that ninth pick spot. A bunch of names floated around, but ultimately, the Raptors settled on Collin Murray-Boyles, who blew all expectations out of the water and emerged as a top prospect from his class.
This year, Toronto has a first-round selection waiting for them just outside of the lottery, at pick No. 19, a spot where they've had recent success finding a gem before in 2024 with Ja'Kobe Walter.
And while the draft offers a unique avenue to acquire new talent, it can just as much be used as a alluring trade chip in the open market. We all know how expensive the Raptors' core group of players is, so it's only fitting that Toronto uses the draft once again to find a winning prospect, that can be molded for the now and still bring potential for tomorrow.
Right?
Well, it seems the Raptors' 19th pick has also caught the reported interest of the Sacramento Kings, per recent insider reports (specifically, The Stein Line's Jake Fischer).
The notable tidbit of the Raptors-Kings connection here goes back to 2026 trade deadline chatter that linked the two teams in a potential Domantas Sabonis trade. If you can still recall, the rumor mill was buzzing about Toronto possibly taking a swing at the three-time All-Star, until those talks stalled as deadline crunch time approached.
Though, as the Fischer report also states, it's relatively unclear if the Raptors are once again in the sweepstakes. Mind you, up-and-coming East rival Charlotte is reportedly in hot pursuit of Sabonis now too. Then again, stranger things have happened.
But this is where I stand on Toronto's handling of their first-round pick.
Regardless of what the Raptors do with pick No. 19, it will be key to their future
The fact they're not in the lottery this year, I think, makes the pick a bit more expendable. Last year, when rumblings in the rumor mill suggested some trade scenarios for Toronto's ninth pick, a sense of caution needed to be had when possibly dealing a high-value asset like that. The Raptors ended up swinging for the fences with Collin Murray-Boyles, and hit that ball out of the park, so good on them for standing pat.
Even with this upcoming 19th pick, I would still exercise some caution around trading it, unless Toronto gets a can't-miss offer on the table. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this piece, the Raptors don't have a ton of financial flexibility to make massive moves, which makes this potential No. 19 selection an important piece for them to leverage.
And even though No. 19 is outside the lottery, that doesn't mean Toronto can't still find a diamond in the rough, or hit on some touted prospects who slide to their range.
If the pick is simply thrown in a Domantas Sabonis package (like the basis of this report revolves around), sure, it gives Toronto a much-needed upgrade at center — but why not just keep the pick (and pick a center there) or tackle the big man issue with cost-efficient free agency moves? Perfect example: Jock Landale, come on down.
I've already had my opinions about the financial strain and questionable fit of Sabonis in Toronto before, and even now, there seems to be more upside in the Raps just betting on another draft gem to reveal itself.
To sum things up, Toronto should consider their best interests with the No. 19 pick. A team like Sacramento can have all the interest they want, but at the end of the day, what do the Raptors have to gain from a potential deal? The ball is in their court and it's up to the Raptors front office to ultimately decide what to do with it.
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