Toronto Raptors currently have very good odds of top-five NBA draft pick
With the way the Toronto Raptors have been playing in December, some fans may already be writing their holiday wish lists for next season.
The last time the Raptors won a game was three-and-a-half weeks ago, when they defeated the Indiana Pacers 122-111 way back on December 3.
But for some fans, the numbers in the W and L columns aren’t too much of a concern. Given Toronto’s stretch of injuries in the first half of the season and the team’s desire to hopefully land a high draft pick next June, a little nine-game slide midseason isn’t all that much to get fussed over.
With a record of 7-24, Toronto currently sits six games back of the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. Given that they’ve won just seven games on the year so far, it’s hard to find the belief that the franchise will suddenly turn things on over the second half of the year, even if a full healthy contingent of players returns at some point.
As things currently stand, Toronto would be able to draft no later than seventh overall if the draft lottery were to be held today, with a 7% chance of that happening.
Tankathon’s odds place the Raptors with a 66.9% odds of landing a top-five pick in next June’s draft, which should have a plethora of decent prospects to choose from. Duke’s Cooper Flagg heads most mock drafts, with the Rutgers duo of Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper slotting in interchangeably at the 2-3 spots for most rankings right now.
Toronto would be guaranteed a top-five pick should they finish with the NBA’s worst record, as teams can drop no more than four spots under current lottery rules.
They’ve got a 14% shot at the first overall pick, 13.4% at the second, 12.7% at the third, 12% at the fourth, and a 14.8% shot at the fifth pick. Interestingly enough, Toronto is most likely to draft at sixth overall out of any one specific position, with a 26% shot at that slot.
While there’s still more than half the season to play, it sure looks like Toronto will have a high pick once it’s all said and done.