The Toronto Raptors have had a strong track record when it comes to identifying and drafting talent outside of the lottery.
Obviously, with every hit comes a few misses, and one pick that appeared to be a massive swing-and-miss was drafting Jonathan Mogbo from the University of San Francisco at No. 31 in 2024. Mogbo was a prospect that wasn’t projected in that early second-round range, but you know the way the Raptors draft. They love to go against the norm. Going against the norm in that situation looked like a flop and resulted in the Raptors cutting ties with Scottie Barnes' close friend after just 103 NBA games.
Since then, Mogbo has fought hard to stay in the league, was a standout player for the Sacramento Kings in summer league, and has started this season on a two-way deal with them. The Kings, as currently constructed, are in the midst of a long, full-scale rebuild, putting Mogbo in a position where development takes priority over the results. Where this comes back to the Raptors is that in the Kings' third game of the season, Mogbo came in and provided instant energy and impact as a backup big.
For a Raptors team that is really lacking frontcourt depth right now, having Mogbo around may not have been the worst thing. Especially when you consider that all of a sudden he looks way less like a project player than he did in Toronto.
Did the Raptors quit on Mogbo too soon?
On Sunday night against the Grizzlies, Memphis was holding a solid lead late in the third quarter when Mogbo checked in and immediately got my attention. He just had an energy about him that shifted the game.
Shortly after checking in, Malik Monk stole a pass after Mogbo and Precious Achiuwa pressed the handler, and then Monk rewarded Mogbo with a lob on the other end. Defensively, he was active in the paint, snatching rebounds and helping Achiuwa protect the rim. But what really stood out defensively was that he switched everything in ball screens and showed the ability to handle his own when guarding players like Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward, and Cam Spencer, all in a seven-minute span during the third quarter.
He even drilled a corner three in the third quarter, finishing with seven points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal on 3-of-4 shooting while being second on the Kings in plus-minus. The energy Mogbo and rookie guard Emmanuel Sharp brought was super fun and, from a Kings perspective, looks like a long-term starting point for their bench.
Mogbo has always been a super high-motor player who can affect the game in several different categories, which is why the Raptors were drawn to him as a prospect back in 2024. But as he continues to develop, that motor only shines more as he becomes better at finishing plays and doing more than simply playing with high energy.
I’m not going to sit here and talk about Mogbo like he would be some game-changing player for the Raptors who could better position them to win an NBA championship. Because that’s simply not the case.
However, I'll point out that cutting ties with him so early may have been a misstep by Bobby Webster. The Raptors need frontcourt depth. They need the ability to throw out a third big to give the team a different look than flipping between Collin Murray-Boyles and Jakob Poeltl. Mogbo could’ve been that. Instead, he’s getting a fresh start in Sacramento and is already making a great impression.
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