With their lottery selection falling out of the top-six, the Toronto Raptors tanked for nothing.
The No. 8 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft will instead convey to the San Antonio Spurs, who received it as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade. The Raptors will instead pick 19th, receiving a first round pick from the Indiana Pacers when they traded All-Star forward Pascal Siakam. They’ll also have the No. 31 pick, essentially a late first-rounder. Toronto received that draft pick from the New York Knicks for giving up 3-and-D stud OG Anunoby.
That said, the Raptors have a bit to work with in this draft, but not much.
This isn’t as thorny a situation as it could be; the 2024 NBA Draft class isn’t considered elite. Nonetheless, as they’re now in rebuild mode, acquiring young talent is key. Furthermore, though Poeltl’s a solid player in a vacuum, his position can be upgraded. Toronto ranking 25th in opponent’s points per game (118.8), 23rd in rebounds per game (42.7), and 19th in blocks per game (4.7) in 2023-24 underscores their need for a new man in the middle.
Raptors Workout 2-Time POY Zach Edey
To that end, the Raptors brought in Purdue center Zach Edey for a workout, per Sportnet’s Michael Grange.
The big fella, Zach Edey, at the OVA Athletic Centre Monday for a pre-draft workout along with fellow 🇨🇦 Emanuel Miller (brother of Leonard) and Tyrese Samuel: pic.twitter.com/ABrVp3Nfa4
— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) June 3, 2024
The Toronto native joined a group that included: Washington forward Keion Brooks Jr., Clemson guard Joseph Girard III, TCU forward Emanuel Miller, Florida forward Tyrese Samuel, and Maryland guard Jahmir Young.
At 7-foot-5 and 299 pounds, Edey’s Goliathan size jumps at you, whether in-person or on the screen. Yet, with a 7-foot-11 wingspan and 9-foot-7 standing reach, he doesn’t have to do much jumping to make a difference defensively. All of which makes the fact that he has a 31.5-inch vertical all the more remarkable. For reference, at 7-foot-3 and 282 pounds, UConn center Donovan Clingan has a 29.0-inch max vertical.
Then there’s the production, with Edey averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game in 2023-24. It was his second straight season averaging at least 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, leading to back-to-back AP Player of the Year honors. One of the most accomplished players in NCAA history, the Raptors would be happy if he fell in their laps at pick No. 19.
Zach Edey vs. Donovan Clingan
At 22 years old, he’s slightly older than Clingan (20), which likely plays a part in why Edey’s rated lower on draft boards. This is despite Edey outplaying Clingan in the NCAA Championship Game. Though Edey’s Boilermakers would lose, he tallied 37 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks trying to will them to victory. Clingan finished the contest with 11 points, five rebounds, and one block, overmatched by a bigger center.
It’s also because Edey’s range is more limited. As of now, he’s primarily a post-up scorer, though he can finish his hook shots up to about 10 feet out. Clingan isn’t spacing the floor like Brook Lopez, but scouts think he could. With that said, it wouldn’t hurt if Edey could stretch the floor, as the Raptors’ core players love to score inside. Because of how well he reads the floor out of the post, and the range on his hook shots, he can still create looks for his teammates inside and elsewhere though.
