I know it’s only the second week of November, but college basketball is back, so I want to start highlighting potential draft prospects for the Toronto Raptors to target in this 2027 class. Right now, the Raptors have the projected 18th overall pick in June’s draft, but because of the swap between them, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers, they’d end up with pick No. 23.
If you aren’t familiar with the 2027 NBA Draft class, it’s a group many have deemed weak or lacking the top-tier star power most classes have. But what this class may lack in superstar talent, it makes up for in depth. This year's class is a very deep group full of potential high-impact role players. For a Raptors team that needs more contributions outside of Kawhi Leonard and Scottie Barnes, this is huge. What this class also has is a ton of unique center talent, and that’s where we are going to start for the Raptors.
My pick for Toronto at No. 23 would be UConn center Na’jai Hines.
The sophomore big transferred from Seton Hall to Dan Hurley's Huskies this summer after leading the Big East in blocked shots per game. He’s a strong, physical finisher with a real motor and an exciting rim-protecting skill set, and he could project as the Raptors' center of the future at No. 23.
Na'jai Hines could answer some of the Raptors center questions
So often, people are obsessed with finding the next unicorn at the center spot.
Players with giant-like size who can space the floor, have incredible feel, and operate as a hub on offense. Don’t get me wrong, I love the versatility and the upside of those types of bigs, but sometimes you need a traditional, smash-mouth-style five-man, and that’s who Hines is. For the Raptors, that’s perfect. This team doesn’t need anything flashy at the five. They need win-now impact and someone with a portable skill set that can slot into a role anywhere in Darko Rajakovic’s lineup, which Hines can do as a play-finishing rim protector.
Through three games with UConn, Hines has averaged 9.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in 22 minutes per game.
Not super, super eye-catching, but those numbers get the job done. At 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, Hines is the definition of a force at the basket. He’s a physical post player who can overpower other bigs and finish at the rim despite not having a deep bag of tricks or post moves. Defensively, he uses his strength well to defend post-ups before rising up to block shots and has good box-out skills on the defensive glass. An area for Hines to grow is discipline, as he sometimes hunts for blocks or gets into foul trouble.
The big development for Hines coming into the season was losing some weight and improving his conditioning. Through the start of the season, the changes are evident. Hines is getting up the floor much quicker, keeping pace when either team gets out in transition, and looking much lighter on his feet defensively.
Say what you want about Jakob Poeltl’s recent play. But even with him showing signs of life, the Raptors still could use another big in the fold, and Hines fits a profile that would really complete this team with an NBA-ready body and a very traditional skill set. If things continue trending this way for Hines and the Raptors, Bobby Webster, you know what to do.
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