Toronto Raptors hold meetings with top NBA Draft prospects

The Toronto Raptors are in the “due diligence” phase of the NBA Draft process.

Toronto got the news earlier this week that they’d be picking ninth overall in next month’s draft, falling from their initial slot of seventh in the draft lottery that took place in Chicago on Monday night.

It’s far from a major slide, but it’s a bit of a gut-punch from a franchise hoping for more after a 30-win season.

Trying to figure out who Toronto will be selecting is a bit of a guessing game, with five of the different mock drafts from major outlets picking five different players to come to the Raptors.

Following the draft lottery on Monday, Raptors representatives remained in Chicago to chat with the prospects participating in the annual NBA combine. The combine is where prospects showcase their raw skills in drills and have official measurements taken by the league.

So far, the Raptors have met with Maryland forward Derik Queen and South Carolina forward Collin Murray-Boyles, per The Toronto Star’s Libaan Osman. (Coincidentally, both players have been selected in mock drafts to land in Toronto by USA Today and ESPN, respectively.)

Sportsnet’s Michael Grange shared a few more details about the Raptors, noting that neither Duke’s Kon Knueppel and Khaman Malauch nor Illinois’ Will Riley shared news of meeting with the team. Unlike his two peers, Malauch was not willing to share which teams he had met with.

In June, the Raptors will host a series of prospects for in-person workouts, bringing the prospects to Canada to work out in a mix of individual and team settings. Occasionally, the Raptors have also run workouts in the United States for prospects who may not have the proper visa status to come to Canada prior to turning professional, which is often the case for international players from outside of North America who may have been on student visa in the U.S.

The NBA Draft is just over a month away. It will take place on June 25 at the Barclays Center in New York City.

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