The Toronto Raptors could have drafted much better players in the 2024 NBA Draft - a mistake that stings as they look at what could have been. Replacing Jonathan Mogbo and Ja'Kobe Walter with starter-level players would change everything about the Raptors' outlook right now.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Sitting in 2026 and looking back at decisions from 2024 is not the fairest exercise. Every NBA front office would love a time machine to peer into the future and see how draft prospects are going to turn out. That's not how things work in reality, of course.
The Raptors failed in the 2024 Draft
Even still, it's important to evaluate decisions from an informed perspective; NBA teams don't know the future, but it's their job to take the information of the present and project how players will develop down the road. And in 2024, the Toronto Raptors absolutely fumbled the bag.
First, the good: Jamal Shead was taken with the 45th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he has turned into a solid backup point guard and defensive ace. That's a solid return on investment with the 45th pick.
Toronto had two other picks in that draft, however, the 19th and 31st selections. While neither of those draft slots is expected to produce a superstar, the Raptors had the opportunity to add two impact players who could be a part of their core moving forward. They failed to do so.
Ja'Kobe Walter has not panned out
The 19th pick was used on Ja'Kobe Walter, a wing out of Baylor who had all the traits of an elite role palyer but played like an on-ball star in college to middling results. With 114 games under his belt in Toronto, Walter has been mediocre in a limited role as a bench wing for the Raptors. He is shooting a fine 37.3 percent from deep, but not on spectacular volume, and his usage rate has been that of a small role player.
When Walter is on the court for the Raptors, they have been outscored by 2.6 points per 100 possessions in 1,053 competitive minutes (per databallr.com). Take him off the court, and the Raptors improve by 6.4 points per 100, all the way up to +3.9. Walter has decent defensive chops and a shot that isn't broken, but he hasn't proven himself a no-doubt rotation player moving forward.
Taking a shot on a two-way wing is fine with the 19th pick, but it stings that the Raptors could have had so much more at the 19th pick. Just one pick later, Jaylon Tyson went to the Cleveland Cavaliers and has been a better version of Walter in every way: a better shooter, a better playmaker, a better defender. If they had drafted Tyson over Walter, they would have a surefire keeper.
Kyshawn George went to the Washington Wizards five picks later, and he likewise has been a more dynamic on-ball player and has better size than Walter, able to play small forward instead of just shooting guard. Even Baylor Scheierman is breaking out for the Boston Celtics this year. If the Raptors needed a wing, they had better options available.
Drafting Jonathan Mogbo was a disaster
It only gets worse at pick No. 31. At the time, Kyle Filipowski seemed to be the obvious pick, but they instead reached for San Francisco's Jonathan Mogbo, an undersized but skilled big who was drafted for one primary reason: he was good friends with Raptors star Scottie Barnes. It was the Bucks signing Thanasis Antetokounmpo, but less obvious because Barnes and Mogbo didn't share a last name.
Filipowski could be a younger version of what Sandro Mamukelishvili is providing the team this year. They also could have a rising star at guard in Ajay Mitchell, who is dropping 20 points regularly for the first-place Oklahoma City Thunder. Jaylen Wells was First Team All-Rookie last year as a 3-and-D wing with on-ball chops. Cam Spencer is one of the league's best shooters. Pelle Larsson has real juice for the Miami Heat as a combo guard. Oso Ighodaro is a switch big who is in line for a long NBA career.
Mogbo, unfortunately, doesn't look like anything close to an NBA player. It was essentially a wasted pick other than whatever warm and fuzzies it gave Barnes. Mogbo is too small to defend NBA bigs and cannot shoot or score, making it impossible to play him at a forward position. He is the Wal-Mart brand version of Barnes, and that kind of player is not good enough to fit into an NBA rotation.
The Raptors could have two keystone players in place from the 2024 NBA Draft, young players growing into their roles and increasing the brightness on the Raptors' future. Instead, they have an unproven wing and a wasted roster spot. That's not how champions are built.
Toronto is feeling the sting of their mistakes. The bitter reality of what could have been is only going to get worse.