Toronto Raptors fielding trade offers for No. 9 pick in NBA Draft
The Toronto Raptors appear to be fielding offers for a big trade ahead of this week’s NBA Draft.
The 2025 NBA Draft is set for June 25 and 26 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with the Raptors having a top-10 pick for the 15th time in franchise history.
Toronto holds the ninth and 39th overall picks in this year’s draft, and is weighing its options for who it’ll draft.
But the team appears to be at least doing its due diligence on possibly parting ways with their top pick.
“It doesn’t seem like there are many options out there, at least, to move up,” Toronto assistant GM Dan Tolzman said in a media availability on Monday. “I think there are a lot of people that have the same feeling as we do that in the top 10, the lottery, whatever [in the top half of the first round], is a pretty good place to be.”
At the top of the draft is the expectation that Duke star Cooper Flagg will head to the Dallas Mavericks at first overall, with Rutgers guard Dylan Harper expected to head second overall to the San Antonio Spurs.
A trade back, Tolzman posited, remains a possibility, particularly with the Raptors having already apparently fielded several offers for trying to get into the top 10.
“There’s definitely interest in people trying to get our pick for the same reason [we’re having trouble moving up]. It’s an interesting group of players around there. I wouldn’t say it’s any percentage chance that we do one or the other, there’s definitely conversations being had of teams trying to get into the top 10 for the same reason as why we like being here right now.”
Tolzman also fielded a question referencing Ace Bailey, a prospect who has generated considerable buzz for his unique pre-draft approach.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported that Bailey “remains the only U.S.-based prospect yet to visit any NBA teams,” while adding he recently cancelled a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the third overall pick.
While he didn’t comment on Bailey directly, Tolzman stated that working out a player or not has never been a disqualifier during his tenure in Toronto’s front office dating back to 2013.
“We did not work out [2024 Raptors first round pick] Ja’Kobe [Walter] last year, we didn’t get him as an interview at the combine last year,” Tolzman said. “There’s a lot of guys that don’t think they’ll be on the board at [ninth overall], and if they happen to be [available], we’re gonna consider them just like we would have, had they been [in Toronto for a workout].”
Tolzman then contrasted the team’s draft strategy in his early days with the franchise — when they were often among the NBA’s top contenders — against their current rebuilding status.
“When you’re in a contending team situation, the guys you’re taking, you’d know you’re going to have the ability to kind of develop them in the background while your your main group is trying to, you know, get as deep in the playoffs as possible,” Tolzman told Offside. “There’s a little more runway with those guys to not be thrown into the mix right away. But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re still looking to draft the same players.”