The Raptors hold the eighth overall pick and appear to be open to a number of different possibilities with that pick. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reported yesterday that the team is far more likely to keep its pick than trade it, and clarifies that stance today — according to Wolstat, moving back in the first round to acquire a player is also in play, but trading up or giving up the pick entirely for a player aren't looking like real possibilities (Twitter links). Here are a few more Tuesday morning Raptors items, with a strong focus on the draft….
- GM Bryan Colangelo tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that all the above-mentioned trade scenarios have been discussed with other teams.
- Colangelo on the possibility of moving the No. 8 pick for a player: "A couple of players of interest that I would tell you would join our team and would have an immediate impact, which is intriguing…. The apprehension is you still want to retain a pick in the draft, so maybe moving back would be an option in some scenarios."
- The GM also indicated to Smith that if they keep the pick, the Raptors will be targeting the best player available, even if that creates a logjam on the roster: "Even if there’s a stacking principle, or duplication if you will, assets are important in this business in terms of improving your club. Picking the best talent might yield something to be used down the road in a transaction."
- In a separate piece, Smith suggests that Dion Waiters, Damian Lillard, Austin Rivers, and Jeremy Lamb look like the top candidates for the Raptors at No. 8.
- Whether it comes in the draft or free agency, coach Dwane Casey would like a shooter and a player that can create his own shot, while Colangelo hopes to find the point guard of the future, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
- Ed Stefanski, Toronto's executive VP of basketball operations, suggests to Brotherson that the team is unlikely to use all of its picks on players for next year's squad: "The one issue that we have here is that we have three picks in this draft and we have [Jonas] Valanciunas coming over. No coach wants four rookies on his team so that’s an issue that we have to look at and there are various ways if you move (picks) or make trades that we could reduce that number."
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