The Toronto Raptors struggled mightily last season, but the ping pong balls still were not on their side. The Raptors are now staring at the No. 9 overall pick in the NBA Draft despite coming off of a 30-52 season.
There are a lot of different directions that the Raptors can go in with that pick, even though they are going to miss out on the two biggest stars of this class in Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Even the second tier of stars, such as VJ Edgecombe and Tre Johnson, are likely to be well out of reach for Toronto.
Still, the Raptors have options at No. 9. They still need a center, and Duke big man Khaman Maluach is the top big man in the draft. Maluach has a small chance to slide down to No. 9, but the Raptors could also solidify the front court elsewhere if the 7-foot-2 freshman is off the board, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“Duke center Khaman Maluach is largely viewed as the leading center prospect in this class,” Fischer wrote. “And Toronto, sources say, is among the clubs that highly value the 7-foot-2 big man who played for South Sudan’s national team in the 2024 Summer Olympics.
“The Raptors, though, have left various rival teams with the impression that they covet multiple centers at the No. 9 slot … meaning they might have another big man in mind should Maluach come off the board by the time Toronto is on the clock.”
Maluach’s skillset makes him an enticing pick for every team. He has only been playing organized basketball since he was 14 and has already improved a ton in that time. He has shooting touch that he wasn’t asked to use much at Duke, but he is a great two-way player who is an elite lob threat and good shot blocker with swtichability on defense.
Even if Maluach is gone, there are a number of other intriguing center prospects that the Raptors can look at with the No. 9 pick. At the top of that list would be Georgetown center Thomas Sorber, who is a much smaller prospect who plays below the rim but has incredible intangibles and feel for the game for his age.
The Raptors could also look to take a guard with this pick, but there are still options in the front court if they want to go in that direction.
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