Latest Mock Draft Has Raptors Take 2 Of Classes' Most Highly-Touted Prospects

The Toronto Raptors are expected to draft Matas Buzelis and Isaiah Collier in the first round of the upcoming NBA Draft

As the losing streak drags on for the Toronto Raptors all there is to do is look toward the future.

Toronto continues to sit a full game up on the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the NBA with a 46% chance to keep its top-six protected first-round pick. It’s not a great situation to be in, but a coin flip is essentially the best the Raptors can hope for this season.

With that in mind, here’s who The Ringer thinks the Raptors could be looking at in the 2024 NBA Draft.

No. 6: Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)

The 6-foot-10 Matas Buzelis would offer Toronto the kind of size the organization seems to be lacking these days. He’s a modern lanky forward who can do a little bit of everything at an adequate level.

Offensively, Buzelis can move with or without the ball and looks comfortable scoring around the hoop. His size is a huge advantage against most other wings and he should be able to get floaters and mid-range jumpers off with relative ease.

Further from the hoop, there are some questions. He’s shooting just 26.1% from three-point range with the G League Ignite this season after being a stellar shooter in high school. His 69.6% stroke from the charity stripe is good, but not great and doesn’t necessarily suggest he’s going to be a totally different shooter at the next level.

Defensively, Buzelis can defend on the perimeter in a pinch but will have to add some weight to improve as an on-ball defender. He’s a fantastic off-ball defender, averaging nearly two blocks per game and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue in the NBA.

Toronto would have to keep its pick to land Buzelis as he’s almost a lock to go in the top-six in this year’s draft.

No. 17: Isaiah Collier (USC)

Isaiah Collier was once considered among the most exciting prospects in this class, but an inconsistent freshman season at USC has seen him fall down draft boards.

He’s still a dynamic athlete with explosive ability who can wreak havoc in transition. Off the dribble, he’s tough to stop when he gets going and he can make fantastic kick-out passes when he collapses the defense.

It just never quite came together for the 6-foot-5 point guard who averaged 3.3 turnovers per game and shot just 33.8% from behind the arc this past year for the Trojans. He showed flashes of brilliance, averaging 16.3 points per game, but overall, there was something missing from 19-year-old.

He’s going to have to improve his decision making and work on that three-point stroke if he’s going to make it as a starter in the NBA.

No. 31: Bobi Klintman (Cairns Taipans)

Bobi Klintman has been a little all over the place in terms of draft projections following a season with the Cairns Taipans of Australia’s National Basketball League.

The 6-foot-9 forward has the type of size to excite scouts and would give Toronto another much-needed wing defender next season. He’ll have to put on some weight to really be an above-average on-ball defender, but he offers the potential of being a 3-and-D wing at the next level.

His 35.7% three-point stroke was pretty good and his 79.3% shooting from the line suggests his mechanics are generally sound. He’ll have to work on rounding out the rest of his offense, but the 21-year-old should offer upside to potentially be a first-round pick.