Raptors admit they've looked at trading up in 2023 NBA Draft
The Toronto Raptors could have a franchise-altering trade just around the corner.
Speaking with members of the media two days before Thursday’s NBA Draft, Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman admitted the team’s been exploring the options of trading up from their current spot at 13th overall.
“Quite a bit,” Tolzman said of the possibility of moving up. “We’re also really taking a close look at the players in the top five, top 10.”
Toronto’s been closely linked to a possible trade with the second and third picks in the draft, according to multiple reports, held by Charlotte and Portland, respectively.
It’s expected that Alabama’s Brandon Miller and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson will be taken in those spots in some order following San Antonio’s selection of phenom Victor Wembanyama, though it’s still anyone’s best guess which team selects who.
Henderson has been the name that Toronto has most often been linked to, although any trade for a pick likely wouldn’t come down until draft night.
Should Toronto make a move for one of the top three picks, it’d be expected they’d have to part ways with one of O.G. Anunoby or Pascal Siakam, a gut-punch move to fans of the long-time Raptors but a necessity in order to land a highly coveted draft pick spot.
The middle of the first round is relatively unchartered territory for this Toronto front office, which has not selected in the 10-20 range since draft Ed Davis back in 2010. Since 2013, the Raptors have drafted just two players higher than 20th: centre Jakob Poeltl at ninth overall in 2016 and forward Scottie Barnes at fourth overall in 2021.
“You don’t want to be caught off guard just because we focused on [draft pick No. 13] the whole time. How realistic it is that we can move up? I don’t know. But at the same time, you don’t want to not be prepared for it,” Tolzman added.
Toronto is currently waiting to find out the futures of Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl, who the team has public interest in retaining, though both players are set to be unrestricted free agents this summer.
“None of [whether our free agents re-sign] changes what we do in the draft because that’s just one part of the roster-building process,” Tolzman said. “And we’re just going to bring in the best players that we can.”
It’s the second straight season in a row for Toronto with just a single pick in the draft heading into it, after taking Christian Koloko last year at 33rd overall.
The safe option to assume is that Toronto will simply hold onto the pick and draft a player who will see limited NBA action next season, as is typical of most middle-of-the-first-round draftees.
But even the front office seems like they’re still preparing for any possibility.
“Draft night is so crazy,” Tolzman added. “You never really know what comes your way.”
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