Raptors Worked Out French Guard Theo Maledon

When 6-foot-3, French guard Theo Maledon logged on to his NBA Draft Zoom availability Thursday afternoon there was a brief moment of confusion.

These media availabilities are typically pretty vanilla. Media members ask if the team they cover has interviewed or worked out the prospect and then the prospect responds explaining why that team would be a great fit for him. It doesn't matter if it's the Sacramento Kings, the Minnesota Timberwolves, or the Toronto Raptors, the responses are always that of excitement and optimism.

"The Wizards are a great team and a great organization," one prospect said.

It's rare that any sort of strong statement is made.

That's what made Maledon's interview so strange for a moment. When he logged on to the call the words Madison Square Garden were spelled out behind his head.

Theo Maledon: pic.twitter.com/FOz9oyiHMD
— 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 (@AaronBenRose) November 12, 2020

Maledon is certainly one of the prospects on the Raptors radar. Toronto president Masai Ujiri reportedly attended one of Maledon's ASVEL games in January, according to Orazio Francesco Cauchi, and Maledon said the Raptors are one of five teams that he's worked out for during the draft process.

"It went well," Maledon said of his Raptors workout. "I think all my workouts were consistent."

Prior to the 2019-20 season, Maledon was widely considered one of the top prospects in the 2020 draft. He averaged 7.1 points on 40% shooting as an 18-year-old playing in France's highest basketball league. Back then, it would have made sense for the New York Knicks to go after him at the top of the draft. But then came the 2019-20 season in which he averaged 7.4 points on 39% shooting and just 29% 3-point shooting with ASVEL and now he's projected to be more of a late first round draft pick.

The Knicks, however, do have the 27th pick in the draft, and vying to be taken there — just two spots in front of Toronto at number 29 — would certainly make some sense if you're Maledon. But fear not Raptors fans, though Maledon might not be on the board at 29, the MSG background was not a statement, he said. Instead, it was just a decoration at his agent's house where he was conducting his interview.

If Maledon is taken before Toronto though, it might be to one of the other teams that has worked him out. He said he's worked out for the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, San Antonio Spurs, and one other team he said couldn't remember.

"[I] did a good job over there and was able to show how much I’ve improved from just last year," Maledon said of his workouts.

As a prospect, Maledon is considered a combo guard who said he can play both the point or shooting guard role. He's a hard worker who would benefit from some more development and considering he's just 19 years old, there is certainly some upside yet to be untapped.

"I don't think I have any limit," he said.

With Fred VanVleet heading into free agency this offseason, Kyle Lowry entering the final year of his contract, and the team possibly moving on from Terence Davis II after his arrest last month, the Raptors would be wise to draft a guard in the 2020 draft.