Latest Mock Draft Has Raptors Taking Son of Former NBA Guard

The Toronto Raptors are expected to draft Matas Buzelis, Devin Carter, and Ryan Dunn in this year's NBA Draft

The tanking has worked.

Ten straight losses have given the Toronto Raptors a full game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record in the NBA and what would be a 46% to land a top-six pick in June’s NBA Draft.

The chances the Raptors do stay at No. 6 are relatively low. Toronto will have an 8.6% chance to draft sixth if it remains as the sixth-worst team in the league and would have a 37.2% chance to move into the top four. That also means there’s a 54% chance San Antonio gets Toronto’s first-round pick if the Raptors land anywhere after No. 6 on draft lottery night.

But here’s what ESPN thinks Toronto will do in the draft this summer if the organization does keep that pick.

No. 6: Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite)

It’s been a disappointing final season for the G League Ignite this year, but Matas Buzelis continues to turn heads as the draft nears this summer. He’s a versatile 6-foot-11 forward who would add some much-needed size to Toronto’s frontcourt.

His 29.6% three-point stroke has been disappointing after an impressive high school career, but Buzelis boats impressive upside if he can rediscover his shooting stroke at the next level. He’s going to need some work on the defensive end, though his size should make him an adequate help defender near the rim.

For the season, the 19-year-old is averaging 14.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and has shown enough to be selected somewhere in the middle of the lottery come draft night.

No. 16: Devin Carter (Providence)

The 22-year-old Devin Carter is a bit of an older draft prospect and someone who could provide Toronto with some immediate help off the bench as a backup combo guard for the Raptors.

Carter has had a breakout junior season at Providence, averaging 19.7 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting 37.7% from three-point range on nearly seven attempts per game. Before this year, Carter had been a 28.8% three-point shooter through his first two collegiate seasons.

Defensively, there are few questions about the 6-foot-3 guard. He’s tough at the point of attack and earned a spot on the Defensive Player of the Year watchlist ahead of this season. He’s averaging nearly two steals per game this year and would give the Raptors the kind of defense-first guard the organization doesn’t have on the bench right now.

No. 31: Ryan Dunn (Virginia)

Speaking of defense, there isn’t a better wing defender in college basketball right now than Virginia’s Ryan Dunn. The 6-foot-8 forward is a defensive difference-maker and would fill a huge need for Toronto following the loss of OG Anunoby earlier this year.

He’s averaging 1.3 steals and over two blocks per game for the Cavaliers this year and has been the focal point of Virginia’s smothering defense all season.

But for all his defensive prowess, Dunn has glaring issues on the offensive end that’ll have him slide down draft boards. His lack of three-point shooting is going to cause problems for offensive spacing and he provides nothing in terms of on-ball creativity. It’s going to take some serious offensive development to turn Dunn into anything more than an offensive negative for most teams.