ALTHOUGH there is every chance their standing will change given their openness about wanting to improve their roster through trading, the Toronto Raptors are still strongly placed heading into the 2025 NBA Draft.

In their 30th season in the NBA, the Raptors were unable to truly make a splash in the Eastern Conference, despite the inclusion of Brandon Ingram alongside Scottie Barnes and RJ Barrett as the team’s big three.

Early in April, the Raptors were eliminated from playoff contention, and finished 11th in their conference, which saw them slide into the lottery with the chance to add another exciting piece, although they have been public about wanting to acquire top end talent with smart trading.

Regardless, Toronto is well placed to add to its core with another top 10 selection in the coming week, and will be able to address a key need on the roster if it uses this pick wisely in a loaded draft class.

Toronto Raptors

Draft Selections

9, 39

Contracted Players

Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Jakob Poetl, Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick (team option), Ochai Agbaji (team option), Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, Jamison Battle (non-guaranteed), Colin Castleton, A.J. Lawson (team option)

The Raptors are certainly going to be looking to compete in the coming years given Ingram, Quickley, Barrett and Barnes are all either in or about to enter their prime, so they will be eager to make the most out of the roster.

With Quickley and Dick set to occupy the backcourt in the coming years, the Raptors may look to address other key needs, including on the wings and in the frontcourt, where they have been exposed in recent campaigns.

If the Raptors were to be looking to boost their wing stocks, Cedric Coward could be an option given he looms likely to impact at NBA level right away. The 22-year-old has all the tools the Raptors will be looking for in a forward, and could slot into the rotation early in his career.

An excellent three-point shooter who also plays with plenty of effort on the defensive end, Coward has high potential if he can get some early minutes, and with plenty of upside as a passer, could become even more damaging.

If the Raptors look to add to their frontcourt stocks, Collin Murray-Boyles could be a viable selection given the amount of hustle he plays with, which fits in with the Raptors’ culture and style of play very nicely.

Although he is yet to develop a long-range shot, Murray-Boyles’ defensive work is simply masterful, and the way he can anchor a team on that end of the floor is incredibly appealing to NBA sides, so the Raptors could be drawn to that side of his game.

Finally, Toronto may even just look towards Noa Essengue with its first selection of the 2025 draft, another big man who has improved his offensive production over the past 12 months, which has put him in top 10 calculations as a result.

The Frenchman is super athletic, and can play well in the open floor, which may benefit from the Raptors’ run and gun style that was on display at stages throughout last season, and if he can improve his shooting, his shot creation should thrive too.