The answer to the question, “Do the Raptors have any draft picks in 2021” is here and it’s exciting for fans. The Toronto Raptors jumped pretty big in the draft lottery Tuesday night from 7 to 4. This lottery brought up memories of when the Raptors jumped from 5th to 1st in 2006. So, who are the Raptors predicted upcoming draft picks? We will also dive into some past Raptors draft picks from 2020, 2019 and 2018.
How many draft picks do the Raptors have in the upcoming draft?
The answer is 3 as of today. But as with any professional sport draft, the number of draft picks a team has can change at any time due to trade.
- #4
- #46
- #47
What are the rules around trading draft picks in the NBA before the draft?
Team’s are prohibited from trading between June 30th until noon eastern time on July 6th. This is referred to as the Moratorium Period. Negotiations may happen during that time, but no official trades for players or picks can be made.
Draft picks can be traded up to seven years in advance, but due to the Stepien Rule, teams are not allowed to make any trades that would leave them without a first round draft pick in two consecutive drafts in the future.
Salary caps must also be taken into account when trading draft picks. The player must fit in to that teams budget.
Breaking Down Upcoming Draft Picks For Raptors
Raptors Upcoming Draft Pick – #4
4 is a lucky number for the Raptors (Chris Bosh). With a 31.9% chance of capturing the number 1 draft pick, the Raptors looked to be in the top 4. The lottery landed them on the cusp and awarded them the 4th overall pick.
Raptors GM, Bobby Webster saw this as a “silver lining on a tough season”. He mentioned that although many variables play into what this pick means for them, he’s hopeful that it increases their odds for next season.
So, who could potentially be Toronto’s upcoming draft pick at number 4?
Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green and Johnathan Kuminga are highly predicted to go as the top 5 in the 2021 draft, so the Raptors will most likely acquire one of them. Luckily, each one of them is unique and powerful in their own way, so the Raptors can’t really lose.
Although Suggs is said to go 3rd, we have to take into account what Cleveland (they have the 3rd draft pick) is looking for. With their existing young guards, Green may be more desirable. Meaning, the Raptors could potentially land Suggs. With the uncertainty of Lowry staying, this could be the best option.
Dissecting the needs of the teams with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pick, it looks like Toronto will have Jalen Suggs or Jalen Green in a Raptors jersey next season, with a low chance of Johnathan Kuminga being selected 4th.
Raptors Upcoming Draft Pick – #46
Ariel Hukporti, the 6’11” centre from Germany is predicated by ESPN to go 46th overall. The 19-year-old is currently playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League and utilizes his length and wingspan to showcase his athleticism on the court.
Raptors Upcoming Draft Pick – #47
Duke Universities Matthew Hurt has been predicted by ESPN to go 47th in the 2021 NBA draft. He averaged 18.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in his 2020-2021 season. The 6’9″ forward was named Atlantic Coast Conference’s Most Improved player this past season leading up to the draft.
Recent Raptors Draft History
Raptors draft picks 2020
Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris were the Raptors draft picks in 2020. Flynn was the 29th pick in the draft after putting up a standout season for San Diego State University. He was a player who looked to be strong off the bench as a rookie which was desirable for the Raptors.
Simply one of the highest IQ players in the draft who can either get a shot off for himself or run an offence and involve his teammates.
Draft expert Eric Fawcett
Averaging 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in the 2020-2021 season, Flynn was a great addition to the Raptors.
Harris averages 7.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per game for the Raptors. The Raptors draft picks in 2020 were strategically chosen with development in mind.
Raptors draft picks 2019
Dewan Hernandez was drafted by the Raptors at the 59th in 2019. His shooting range, size and mobility provided the Raptors with some promise, but he was ultimately waved prior to the 2020-2021 NBA season.
The main reason for this seemed to be salary cap as they later acquired Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris in the 2020 draft, as well as some established names; Aron Baynes and Alex Len.
The Raptors draft picks in 2019 didn’t necessarily provide much benefit to long-term success, but every road leads somewhere.
Raptors draft picks 2018
2018 was a major rebuilding year for Toronto and ultimately the Raptors ended up with no draft picks in 2018. They most likely would’ve had to give up Lowry or DeRozan, which wasn’t a priority at the time. They acquired OG Anunoby the year prior who showed much promise for years to come.
The Raptors lost their second round 2018 draft pick in 2017 at the trade deadline when they acquired PJ Tucker from the Suns. Sending DeMarre Caroll to the Nets also contributed to the loss of their first round 2018 pick.
Final Thoughts
We won’t know for sure who the Raptors upcoming draft picks will be, but we predict Jalen Suggs will take the court for the Raptors in the 2021-2022 season.
With Cade Cunningham and Evan Mobley set to go 1st and 2nd and analyzing the needs of Cleveland, it seems like the Raptors will land the Gonzaga point guard, Jalen Suggs. If he shows up in the NBA as he has in college, he will provide the Raptors with his speed, clutch shooting and defensive skills.
