No one was a bigger loser during the 2024 NBA Draft lottery than the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors had the sixth-best odds of landing the first pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Not only did they not get the first pick, they slid down two spots to the eighth pick. Unfortunately for them, that pick was only protected in the top six, so the San Antonio Spurs now hold the No. 8 pick. But Toronto does still have a first in this year's draft. The Raptors could use the 19th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft on players like Kyshawn George, Ryan Dunn, and Isaiah Collier.
A three-and-d wing in Kyshawn George
Toronto acquired the 19th pick as a result of trading Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers. While this year's draft is not known for its star power at the top, it has solid depth in the middle of the first. The Raptors should be able to land a solid prospect with this pick. The player that seems to fit the best with them appears to be Miami's Kyshawn George.
George fits the bill of a potential three-and-d wing. He has ample size at 6-foot-7 and 207 pounds with a 6-foot-10.25 wingspan. He also shot 40.8% from three on 7.3 attempts per 40 minutes. George also posted a 77.8% free throw percentage. In addition to that, he can defend up and down the floor across multiple positions. A solid three-and-d player seems to be his floor as a player.
One potential issue with George was that he wasn't asked to create a ton of offense with the Miami Hurricanes last year. Part of that was because Miami had a ton of guards who were already more than willing to take on that mantle. But George's 17.6% usage rate, 14.2% free throw rate, and 46.7% mark on two-point shots leave room to be desired.
Regardless, he has already proven he can thrive in a role every team wants and needs. Toronto, in particular, really could use a three-and-d wing. After trading OG Anunoby, they don't really have anybody who fits that bill. George would be a great pick for the Raptors at 19 in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Need for defense
There weren't many teams that were worse defensively than Toronto last season. They posted a defensive rating of 118.1, which ranked 26th in the league. Adding George would really help with fixing that end of the floor, but so would going after another player. That player would be Virginia's Ryan Dunn, who may be the best perimeter defender in this year's class.
Virginia was solid at turning teams over despite not playing an aggressive style on that end of the floor. Dunn was a big reason why. He averaged 1.9 steals and 3.3 blocks per 40 minutes this season defending guards like Pittsburgh's Carlton Carrington to bigs like Duke's Kyle Filipowski.
Dunn would be a surefire lottery pick if he could shoot. He shot 23.5% from three in two seasons at Virginia on hardly any volume and 52.5% from the free throw line. Those numbers are bad enough to possibly hold him out of the first. But defenders like him at his size don't grow on trees either. If the Raptors can live with his lack of shooting and develop him into a decent one, he'll be a great pick at 19.
A sliding top prospect
The number one prospect in the 2023 recruiting class was Isaiah Collier, who eventually enrolled at USC. Collier had a nice season despite the Trojans' troubles in 2024. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and two steals per 40 minutes with an effective field goal percentage of 53.3%. Those are very solid numbers.
His play was a bit uneven throughout the year, however, which could slide him down boards. The Raptors would surely welcome a player with his talent at 19. He and Immanuel Quickley could form a potent backcourt with Toronto still maintaining plenty of size in the frontcourt. Losing out on a top-six pick was rough, but Collier would make for a nice consolation prize.
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