Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Report: Raptors Have Met With Lottery-Bound Draft Prospect Dyson Daniels
The Toronto Raptors appear to be casting a wide net ahead of next month's NBA Draft.
The team has reportedly met with G League Ignite prospect Dyson Daniels, a 6-foot-8 wing who is widely expected to be among the top picks in the upcoming draft, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
The Raptors currently sit without a first-round pick, having traded the No. 20 pick to the San Antonio Spurs along with Goran Dragic for Thad Young and the No. 33 pick in the draft. That makes it highly unlikely Daniels, considered a top 10 prospect in the draft, is available when Toronto's first selection is made.
That being said, the Raptors aren't going to shy away from an opportunity to meet with a player that piques their interest. These pre-draft conversations can be helpful scouting opportunities for the organization should Daniels ever become available down the road. He, like so many Raptors players, is a versatile wing who can do a little bit of everything on the court.
"Daniels boasts one of the most versatile skill sets in the draft and should enter the NBA well-prepared to play a role immediately," wrote Sports Illustrated's draft analyst Jeremy Woo. "While not flashy or a big-time scorer, he specializes in a valuable combination of things that impact winning, made more impressive by the fact he recently turned 19. He’s an excellent passer, rebounder and team defender who can play point guard, but will benefit from a more secondary playmaking role in the NBA. He has the size and smarts to defend a range of positions, and his offensive value will stem from his understanding of how to move the ball, pick his spots and make teammates better. Daniels has to keep working on his jumper, but it’s not broken. Simply hitting open threes consistently will open up a lot for him. There are a lot of pathways for him to be successful in the long run: there aren’t many players at any level who can plausibly spend time at four positions on either side of the ball."
Daniels averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game in 14 G League appearances this past year while shooting 44.9% from the floor and 25.5% from behind the arc.
"I feel like in today's NBA there are a lot of versatile players and the teams that are succeeding are the teams that have two-way players on their roster," he told reporters at the NBA Combine in Chicago. "I feel like in today's NBA teams are looking for that I feel like that's the skills I can bring."
It would take a lot for the Raptors to trade up into the lottery and select Daniels, but he projects as a Raptors-type player and someone Toronto will certainly keep tabs on throughout his NBA career.
Further Reading
Can Toronto's unusual roster succeed in the playoffs? Take a look at the NBA's conference finalists
