5 times the Raptors whiffed by not drafting future All-Stars
The Toronto Raptors have made many great draft picks in their history, but they’ve also whiffed on several occasions.
Everyone could tell you what a great selection Scottie Barnes was at fourth overall in 2021 or how lucky Toronto was to land Pascal Siakam at 27th overall in 2016, but there have been more than a few misses in the team’s history as well.
For the purposes of this article, we’re going to take a look a future All-Stars that Toronto could’ve taken in the draft, who were taken within five picks after Toronto’s selection.
Here are five of the worst draft whiffs of all time for the Raptors:
Ray Allen, 1996
Who Toronto took: Marcus Camby, second overall
Where Allen went: Fifth overall, Minnesota (traded immediately to Milwaukee)
Had Toronto opted to take future 10-time All-Star Ray Allen in the 1996 NBA Draft, it would’ve likely altered the course of NBA history.
When he retired, Allen was the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers and a key member of two championship teams with the 2008 Boston Celtics and the 2013 Miami Heat, the latter of which he hit one of the most iconic shots in league history during an epic Game 6 comeback in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
Camby himself had a 17-year career in the NBA, though just 126 games across two seasons came with Toronto before he was traded to the New York Knicks for Sean Marks, Charles Oakley and cash.
Kobe Bryant, Peja Stojakovic, and Steve Nash were all taken from 13th to 15th overall, but given that 10 other franchises passed on these guys, it’s hard to give Toronto the gears for passing on them too.
Andre Iguodala, 2004
Who Toronto took: Rafael Araujo, eighth overall
Where Iguodala went: Ninth overall, to Philadelphia
Andre Iguodala made just one NBA All-Star game in his career, but he’s had quite the impact on the sport over the past two decades in his time with Philadelphia, Miami, Golden State, and a brief stop in Denver.
Iguodala did play many minutes in some of the most important games in Raptors history, but it was on the other sideline: he averaged 9.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in six games in the 2019 NBA Finals for the Warriors.
LaMarcus Aldridge, 2006
Who Toronto took: Andrea Bargnani, 1st overall
Where Aldridge went: Second overall, to Chicago (immediately traded to Portland)
Perhaps the most infamous draft pick in Toronto history, the Raptors used their only-ever first-overall pick on a player in Andrea Bargnani, who never quite lived up to his potential after a promising rookie season.
In Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge made five consecutive All-Star teams before making two more after joining the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
Interestingly, Kyle Lowry went 24th to Houston in the same draft. Maybe Toronto could’ve just sped up history a bit had they decided to take Lowry first overall.
Nikola Jokic, 2014
Who Toronto took: Bruno Caboclo, 20th overall; DeAndre Daniels, 37th overall
Where Jokic went: 41st overall, to Denver
Look, if every NBA team knew that Nikola Jokic would develop into a three-time NBA MVP, Finals MVP and league champion, he would’ve been drafted 40 slots higher.
It’s hard to sting the Raptors too hard for this one, given that even the Nuggets passed on Jokic once in the draft. But had Toronto opted to scout the Serbian market a little more closely, perhaps there would be a dynasty north of the border right now.
Domantas Sabonis, 2016
Who Toronto took: Jakob Poeltl, 9th overall
Where Sabonis went: 11th overall, to Orlando (traded to Oklahoma City)
The Raptors had their head in the right place when they opted for a big man in the first round of the 2016 draft. They just probably picked the wrong one.
Now a three-time All-Star on his third NBA team, Domantas Sabonis has led the league in rebounds in the last two seasons.
Interestingly, though, this draft might not be one Toronto would want to do over again, given that they traded Poeltl away (before bringing him back in 2023) as part of the package that brought Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, directly influencing their 2019 NBA championship as one of the most impactful trades in league history.
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