Mock Draft: Raptors Select Former No. 1 Prospect With 19th Pick

The Toronto Raptors are projected to take USC's Isaiah Collier with the 19th pick as the organization looks to add a backup point guard in the draft

Feb 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Isaiah Collier (1) | Alex Gallardo-USA TODAY Sports

A year ago at this time Isaiah Collier was a consensus lottery pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

The 6-foot-3 point guard was considered the No. 1 prospect coming out of high school and had everything gone as expected at USC, he would have been among the first few players off the board this June.

But Collier’s freshman season with the Trojans didn’t work out quite as anyone would have hoped and now the 19-year-old point guard is considered a mid-to-late first-round pick, potentially slated to the Toronto Raptors at No. 19, according to Kevin O’Conner of the Ringer.

Collier’s season was plagued by inconsistency and injury on a mediocre Trojans team. At times, he looked like that top pick scouts once viewed him as, but there were stretches of the season where his defense, turnover troubles, and lack of shooting proved problematic.

What’s clear with Collier is he’s an aggressive downhill attacker who can get into the paint, draw fouls, and make smart kick-out passes to shooters. He averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, and nearly six free-throw attempts per game while shooting 49% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point range.

There were a few games where Collier’s ceiling was in full display. He dropped 31 points on 14-for-20 shooting in a seven-point victory over Washington. He got to the free-throw line 16 times in a 20-point showing against California. Against Colorado, he had a nine-assist performance with just one turnover in 42 minutes.

But there were plenty of less than stellar performances too like his six games with five or more turnovers this past year.

For Toronto, Collier would be an upside play for a team in need of a backup point guard. A smaller role would allow Collier to limit his turnover troubles and round out his game with fewer opportunities to make reckless mistakes.

Considering Collier’s physical strength, there’s no reason for him to be such a lackluster point-of-attack defender and the hope is he’ll be able to improve defensively with a lighter offensive workload.

If Collier is on the board at No. 19, it might be tough for Toronto to pass up on. He may never develop into the superstar player prospects once viewed him as, but it’s hard to find players with the kind of pedigree Collier has had in the middle of the first round.