Ranking 2025 NBA draft prospects for the Raptors based on fit

When you’re drafting in the lottery, drafting based on fit is a fool’s errand. There are some exceptions to that rule, but for the most part, a team drafting in the top 10 should select the best player available and move on.

The Toronto Raptors are in a unique position in the 2025 NBA draft. One could argue that while they should (and probably will) make the most of their 9th overall pick by selecting the player they view as “the best” available, they can also afford to be a little pickier about what they need positionally.

I can argue myself in circles around this idea. It’s no secret that the Raptors desperately need a backup big. But when you think about it, they also need point-of-attack defense, size, versatility, and shooting. They could use more ball-handling and creation, and well… you’re right back at square one: a team that should just take the best player available.

But maybe there’s a way to strike gold and do both—a player who fits well and has boatloads of upside and potential.

As I’ve started exploring the Raptors’ options with the 9th overall pick, I’ve fallen in love with a bunch of prospects. (And by “in love,” I mean a lot of my comparisons are Hall of Famers, so just keep that in mind.) In a deep and somewhat flat draft, the Raptors can take many, many directions, and I imagine they will explore all possibilities.

I chose 15 prospects to rank for the Raptors in an effort to achieve draft euphoria—drafting for fit and need at the same time.

Note: I am a novice compared to other draft people. While I have done my research, my opinion is just that—an opinion. These players can and will probably prove me wrong as they embark on their professional careers. You can find plenty of other draft work at Raptors Republic here.

Another note: I excluded Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and VJ Edgecombe because they are the assumed top-four picks in this draft. After that, let the fun begin.

Questionable Fit, Questionable Upside

15. Kasparas Jakučionis – G, Illinois

Dummy Comparison: Bogdan Bogdanovic with Vasilije Micić’s passing ability

Sales Pitch: A big floor general with a streaky jumpshot.

The Fit: On the surface, Jakucionis fits some of the things the Raptors would like from a lead guard. He’s big, can see over the top of defenses, and routinely sets up his teammates because of it. While he shot just 31.8 percent from three in his freshman year at Illinois, he shot 42 percent in his first 15 games. He was also much better on catch-and-shoot jumpers, although he didn’t take nearly as many as he did off the bounce with the ball in his hands. I believe in the jumpshot, which will become a healthy part of his game in the NBA. The reason I’m lower on him than the consensus is that I’m not sure his playmaking or scoring will translate as well as most think. Jakucionis averaged 3.7 turnovers per game, leading Illinois, and a lot of those turnovers were when he was overpowered, trapped, or outmatched athletically. He could struggle to create separation and advantages.

14. Egor Demin – G/F, BYU

Dummy Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu without the jump shot

Sales Pitch: A 6’9 playmaker who loves to operate in the pick-and-roll.

The Fit: Similar to Jakucinois, Demin is a big (albeit bigger) playmaker who loves to have the ball in his hands. He was more efficient in the pick-and-roll and a less turnover-prone player than Jakucionis, but is also much more risk-averse in his decision-making. At this point in their careers, Demin is a worse shooter than Jaku, knocking down just 27.3 percent of his threes. His size makes him a more intriguing player, and he’ll be able to provide more pop defensively because of it, but like Jaku, I am curious to see how he creates separation and deals with the speed of the NBA.

Questionable Fit, Intriguing Upside

13. Asa Newell – F/C, Georgia

Dummy Comparison: Brandon Clarke with a potential jumpshot

Sales Pitch: A big with great physical tools who is likely to become a power forward.

The Fit: Newell isn’t getting as much love as the other bigs in this range, but I’m a big fan of what he can bring to the NBA. His motor is insane and is a dominant interior finisher at 6-foot-11. He loves to crash the offensive glass, which bodes well for what the Raptors like from their bigs. The promise here is that he’s shown a willingness to shoot and was a good free-throw shooter (75 percent) at Georgia, which could indicate that he could be a decent perimeter shooter. The question I have with Newell is his positioning and overall feel for the game. Can he be a full-time center? Is he poised to be a tweener? Can he make decisions with the ball in his hands? We’ll see!

12. Noa Essengue – F, Ratiopharm Ulm

Dummy Comparison: Dalano Banton and Jaden McDaniels hybrid

Sales Pitch: A do-it-all forward whose stride length has some making Giannis comparisons.

The Fit: Before I start, Essengue is a really fun player. I can see why people fall in love with him as they watch and analyze him. He’s finding a way to make impactful, winning players against grown men in Europe, and that is a big win for him as a prospect. I can also see why the Raptors would like him. He’s a wiry wing who makes a killing in transition and has a great feeling and processing speed on the floor. Darko Rajakovic and crew will love to have a player like this who can do a little of everything. Still, he’s a project who’s still trying to fine-tune the offensive side of the ball. But that’s exciting in its own way; he’s a piece of clay that can be molded in any way you’d like. Where my excitement ultimately falls short is that I’m not sure how he’d fit into lineups as another developing shooter on the Raptors. Ultimately, the Raptors have more information at their disposal than I do, so maybe they believe in his offensive upside more than I do.

11. Collin Murray-Boyles – F/C, South Carolina

Dummy Comparison: Draymond Green with Julius Randle’s crossover, or Jonathan Mogbo with better touch

Sales Pitch: He fits the ethos of everything the Raptors want at his position, down to the lack of shooting.

The Fit: Murray-Boyles seems to be the player who’s most likely to land with the Raptors, and it’s for a variety of reasons. For starters, he matches the identity of the players they like. He is a long and strong defender who has an excellent feel for the game offensively as a passer and finisher. His measurements are nearly identical to those of Draymond Green. Murray-Boyles is also a willing and capable finisher around the basket, shooting 67 percent at the rim with the Gamecocks. He’s a willing cutter and roller, and so you can see him using his strength and physicality to be a force offensively, even at his size. Two questions come with Murray-Boyles that make me a bit hesitant about his fit with the Raptors. First: Can he develop his outside shot? Much like Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo, Murray-Boyles was a reluctant three-point shooter in college. Do the Raptors see enough there to believe he’ll develop there? And secondly, Murray-Boyles was predominantly a post-scorer in college. He posted up over 100 times last season at South Carolina, and that play-type won’t come as frequently for the tweener big in the NBA. Can he succeed as purely a play-finisher? Ultimately, I think Murray-Boyles has enough of a well-rounded game to succeed in the NBA. But he’s one of those players who has to go to the right team and the right situation to really flourish. I’m not sure the Raptors are that.

Intriguing Fit, Questionable Upside

10. Nolan Traore – G, Saint-Quentin Basketball

Dummy Comparison: What we thought Markelle Fultz could be

Sales Pitch: A floor-general guard who was once projected to be a top-5 pick with loads of athleticism.

The Fit: It might be a bit of a reach to go for Traore at #9, but he was one of the most highly-touted prospects coming into this cycle, and if the Raptors like him, I can see the vision. Traore is a great athlete who can glide into space, burst into traffic, and find his teammates. He doesn’t let the fact that teams go under on his pick-and-rolls discourage him from using his downhill ability to create openings. That same athleticism and agility bodes well for him defensively, too, where he’s a good help-side defender with active hands and quick feet. The questions with Traore come as a scorer. He’s most recently started shooting the ball well, but he shot just 30 percent from 3 in 30 games with Saint-Quentin, and 45.2 percent on twos. But more recently, he’s shown off what he can do as a scorer when he’s aggressive at hunting his own shots, and is an 18-year-old playing in a pro league in France. The Raptors would probably have to be patient with him, but if he pans out, he could be special.

9. Jase Richardson – G, Michigan State

Dummy Comparison: A hybrid of Delonte West and Mike Conley

Sales Pitch: A small, score-first guard who is a feisty defender. Imagine him and Jamal Shead coming off the bench together.

The Fit: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder here. Do you still believe in small guards? Because Richardson just measured at 6’0 1/2 feet at the combine. Still, there might be more than meets the eye. Richardson’s primary utility is as a scorer. He was excellent in the pick-and-roll, on spot-ups, and in transition, where his points per possession ranked 93rd, 95th, and 86th percentile, respectively, at his position. He shot 41.2 percent from three, and that number will need to hold up in the NBA if he wants to succeed at his size. Richardson is also a feisty defender who can pressure the ball and force turnovers with his length and willingness to use his body. If you trust that all of this will translate in the NBA, he’s worth taking at #9. If not, maybe look elsewhere.

8. Thomas Sorber – C, Georgetown

Dummy Comparison: Somewhere in between Roy Hibbert and Kevon Looney

Sales Pitch: A do-it-all big man who isn’t a vertical threat but makes up for it with his incredible hands and timing.

The Fit: Thomas Sorber’s length pops off the screen. He gets his limbs into spaces that are usually impossible for other defenders. He is brilliant at reacting in the pick-and-roll to make a play defensively. He averaged nearly four stocks (steals + blocks) in his 23 games for the Hoyas. The unique thing about Sorber is that while he is long and big, he is not the jump-out-of-the-gym type. He’s more of a ground-bound big, both offensively and defensively, but he’s so positionally aware that he compensates for any lack of vertical spacing. On top of that, he’s a good passer for his position, and that bodes extremely well in the Raptors system, where they put the ball in their bigs’ hands often. Sorber isn’t a shooter, though– and he doesn’t need to be. He’ll be a successful big rolling to the basket, finishing there, and providing utility as a passer on offense. Is there any true star upside? Unlikely. But Sorber will be a good NBA player, probably quickly, for a really long time. Read Brendan Stewart’s piece on Sorber here.

Intriguing Fit, Intriguing Upside

7. Khaman Maluach – C, Duke

Dummy Comparison: Maybe Mo Bamba, Maybe Rudy Gobert meets Myles Turner

Sales Pitch: A gigantic big man who finishes everything he catches within 5 feet of the basket with tons of room for growth on both ends of the floor.

The Fit: If you want upside from the big position, Maluach is your guy. Let’s start with the tangibles. Maluach is an elite vertical threat on day 1. He has measurables comparable to Rudy Gobert, but has much better hands than the four-time Defensive Player of the Year, with a massive catch radius. Duke scored 1.759 PPP when he was the roll-man in the pick-and-roll, ranking in the 99th percentile at his position. The prospect of Scottie Barnes playing with his first-ever true vertical spacer is exciting and provides a layer that the Raptors simply haven’t had in a while, or really ever. Now, to other stuff. I think Maluach’s defensive prowess is more projection than reality at this point. He ranked in the 33rd percentile as a pick-and-roll defender. While he only allowed 45 percent of his shots at the rim, according to Synergy, I think his foot speed and versatility as a big on defense is a little overstated. There is also hope that he can one day stretch the floor consistently, and while there is combine and workout footage of him knocking down catch-and-shoot looks, that’s going to be more of a work in progress. Overall, Maluach started playing basketball later than most prospects. It’s fair to assume he’ll be a project. That in itself can be exciting for a Raptors team that has Jakob Poeltl in the fold, who Maluach can learn from, and Darko Rajakovic there to squeeze every ounce of juice possible out of his potential. But there’s also a version of reality where he doesn’t pan out: high risk, high reward.

Read Brendan Stewart’s piece on Maluach here.

6. Kon Knueppel – G, Duke

Dummy Comparison: Maybe Desmond Bane, Maybe Corey Kispert

Sales Pitch: A dead-eye shooter with an ability to create off the bounce.

The Fit: Knueppel fits the archetype that the Raptors have sought out the last couple of years on the wings. An elite movement shooter with the potential to make plays off the bounce, and has shown a knack for scoring in various ways. The fit in many ways is straightforward. Knueppel would be added to the Raptors wing trio of Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter and Ochai Agbaji and makes it a “Crabs in the barrel” type of situation. Fight for your minutes, fellas! I’m very tempted to throw Knueppel in the next tier of players, but I ultimately think there’s too much duplication on the roster of sharpshooting wings with defensive questions.

The Perfect World

5. Rasheer Fleming – F, Saint Joseph’s

Dummy Comparison: A fusion of OG Anunoby and Aaron Gordon

Sales Pitch: The Raptors need all the rangy defenders they can get, and this one can shoot and jump out of the gym.

The Fit: They say be bold with your draft takes. Well, here I go. Fleming is my favourite defender in the draft. I love guys who can cover ground in the way he does, and he erases and nullifies actions both at the point-of-attack and as a help-side rim protector. He’s 6-foot-8 with a gigantic, 7-foot-5 wingspan that allows him to be a multi-position defender who can scale up and down positionally, averaging over three stocks a game. To compare, Sorber, who is 3 inches taller, has just one inch on him as far as wingspan goes. I’m curious about his ability to defend quicker players in space at the professional level, but how he weaponizes his length will be the intriguing part.

Offensively, he uses that length well, is a good cutter and roll-man, and understands how to move into open space. Fleming has also shown some flash as a passer and decision-maker in his three years at Saint Joseph’s, and I think he’d fit in instantly on both ends for the Raptors. The cherry on top? He shot 39 percent on nearly five attempts last season, almost entirely off of catch-and-shoot looks. The defensive versatility and his athleticism will help him get minutes on day 1, and while the shooting will be his swing skill, it’s worth betting on. I get it, he’s older, and he’s going to be 21 when his rookie season starts. But I still think there’s upside here for a player who’s improved every year he’s been in college. Fleming is an excellent option to trade back for, but I’ve become increasingly comfortable taking him at nine as I’ve watched more. Unless the guys I’m about to name are still available.

4. Jeremiah Fears – G, Oklahoma

Dummy Comparison: Monta Ellis with the potential to be Damian Lillard

Sales Pitch: An explosive guard who can get to the paint at will and doesn’t lack confidence.

The Fit: It’s unlikely that Jeremiah Fears is available at 9th overall, but if he is, he’d be a worthy pick for the Raptors to add a guard with boatloads of upside as a scorer. Fears loves to use his burst to get into the teeth of the defense, and while he wasn’t that efficient at finishing at the basket in the half-court, I think the more spread-out NBA game will help him finish there more frequently, even though he only shot 50 percent on twos. The real question for him offensively is how elite he can become as a three-point shooter. He hit just 28.4 percent from three at Oklahoma, but it’s worth noting that he shot 37 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts. He also doesn’t lack confidence in taking these shots and doesn’t have a broken-looking jump shot either. While it’s a swing skill, it’s definitely an area where he’s poised to improve.

Ultimately, the question with Fears is how much he bucks the trend for the Raptors in terms of the type of players they look for. He is a pick-and-roll first guard who commanded a ton of usage as a Sooner. He likes the ball in his hands. With Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Immanuel Quickley likely doing the same, can he be effective off-ball? Can he find ways to attack the basket without a pick? Or, does he provide a worthwhile change-up for the Raptors off the bench?

I think Fears is worth taking the gamble on.

3. Carter Bryant – F, Arizona

Dummy Comparison: OG Anunoby with a little bit of young Jeff Green

Sales Pitch: A highlight reel athlete who makes his living on the defensive end. The prototypical 3-and-D player with the promise of maybe more.

The Fit: Raptors Twitter has fallen in love with Bryant, and I am in the same boat. He’s an elite athlete, a potent shooter, and a heady player who can move without the ball in the Raptors’ offensive system. Defensively, he wore multiple hats for Arizona, being a stop-gap on the ball, nullifying actions with his length and strength, and then in other possessions, providing help on the weak side as a sweeper. He is everything I described with Fleming, but with even more potential. He’s younger and didn’t get a ton of opportunity in college to stretch his legs offensively as a creator, but there is a world where he develops into a guy who can attack closeouts, settle into mid-range jumpers, and make decisions on the move. You’ve probably heard the sales pitch already, and if you haven’t, read Samson Folk’s piece on Bryant here.

2. Derik Queen – F/C, Maryland

Dummy Comparison: Domantas Sabonis with Boris Diaw’s fluidity

Sales Pitch: An energetic big with incredible feel as a passer and scorer.

The Fit: Queen is a very well-known prospect. He’s nimble for his size, can move well offensively, and is probably the best passing big man in the draft. I want to sell you on his fit with the Raptors because I think many people are questioning whether he’ll fit with Scottie Barnes and/or Jakob Poeltl. The shooting is undoubtedly a question for Queen, and he likely never becomes a potent three-point shooter, but his good free-throw shooting (76.5 percent) and the fact that he took a ton of long mid-range jump shots bode well for his chances. Even without a jumpshot, I don’t see there being a problem for Queen to figure out how to play with Barnes, Ingram, and Poeltl.

Defensively, Queen leaves a lot to be desired. But I think the sell here is pretty easy. Barnes is the perfect type of help-side sweeper for Queen to be paired alongside, and Poeltl can more or less be the same. The question is if Queen can use his quick feet on defense and use his active hands to be pesky on the ball, especially when guarding in pick-and-rolls. But there’s definitely a blueprint there for Queen to fit very well on this Raptors team on both ends. Read Brendan Stewart’s piece on Queen here.

1. Tre Johnson – G, Texas

Dummy Comparison: Khris Middleton with Michael Redd’s shooting acumen

Sales Pitch: There isn’t a shot on the floor that he can’t make. A three-level scorer who has All-Star potential.

The Fit: I don’t think Tre Johnson will be available at 9, but if he is, the Raptors have won a different type of lottery. I love the way Johnson can fit on this Raptors team. He is an absurdly talented scorer, both on and off the ball, and his malleability is perfect for a team with many mouths to feed. He was a very good pick-and-roll ballhandler and showed pop as an isolation scorer for the Longhorns as well. He can shoot the leather off the ball, in motion, falling backwards, dribbling into a shot; it just doesn’t matter. There are obvious defensive concerns for a player with a slight frame, but none of that matters when you can get a player of this talent who has this sort of ceiling offensively. Raptors fans should shout and rejoice if he ends up on the team somehow, however unlikely that is.

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