Raptors' players, management offer up insight on NBA Draft process
When the Toronto Raptors make their selection in this June’s NBA Draft, they’ll have a shot at picking a franchise-altering player.
Of course, that’s much easier said than done.
The Raptors have just three players on their current roster that they’d initially acquired via the draft since 2016: Jakob Poeltl, Scottie Barnes, and Gradey Dick.
Through a series of trades, health issues, and players who simply didn’t work out, eight of Toronto’s last 11 draft picks have had an expiration date with the franchise.
In Poeltl’s case, he was traded away from Toronto in 2018 and then brought back for a package that could have serious implications for this year’s draft.
Toronto is still awaiting the results of the May 12 draft lottery, in which they’ll find out whether they’ll keep their top-six protected pick or transfer it to San Antonio as the result of a February 2023 trade that brought Poeltl back to Toronto.
Otherwise, they hold onto the Indiana Pacers’ first-round draft pick and a second-round pick that originally belonged to Detroit.
For Raptors president Masai Ujiri, draft selections are the type of decision he’s made many times before in his two-plus decades working for NBA teams.
But it’s safe to say the league — and the players coming into it — have changed drastically since he was first hired by a scout with the Orlando Magic in 2003.
Ujiri, aged 53, is some three decades older than the players he’ll be bringing in this year. But despite the generational divide, Ujiri said the onus is on him to understand the changing world of the NBA and the talent entering the league.
“I think rather than complain about this generation, I think we have to figure out ways to be better at relating to them,” Ujiri said in response to a question asked by Daily Hive at his end-of-season media availability on Wednesday. “We have to be innovating and seeing where the world is going with social media, our phones, all of the things that we feel affect this life now, so is it easier [than when I started in the NBA]? I think there are challenges to it.”
When it comes to the strong connections he’s built, Ujiri shouted out Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin, whom he worked with in the Denver Nuggets front office.
“I still have unbelievable relationships with them,” Ujiri added. “For me, it’s how you relate to them. It’s not all going to be the same. You have to figure out ways to get to people and relate to people. We’ll always try our best to relate to them in the best possible way.”
Dick, who was Toronto’s most recent selection with last year’s 13th overall pick, touched upon the warm welcome he received when being taken by the Raptors.
Shortly after being picked by the team, Barnes himself was on the other side of a FaceTime call, a favour he’s willing to return to Toronto’s draft selections this year.
“I’m all for that,” Dick said. “If they want to FaceTime me, I’ll be right there. Scottie did a great job with that, and I’m excited to see who comes here.”
For Barnes himself, he’s now the clear face of the franchise, and the expectations are high for his development following his first All-Star selection this past season.
And likely expected to be a leader for whoever Toronto ultimately brings in this summer, Barnes offered up some words of wisdom for his prospective incoming teammates.
“We’re gonna work hard; we’re going to try to do everything we can to win. We’re going to be ready to listen, have attention to detail. We’ve got a big summer ahead of us; we’ve just got to be ready to work,” Barnes said of the advice he’ll offer to incoming players. “Listen to every detail that a player has to give, a coach has to give, someone on the staff has to give, and take that a long way.”
The NBA Draft is set for June 26 and 27 in Brooklyn, New York.
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