Toronto Raptors: A Review Of 4 Draft Day Trades

June 30, 1999

On this day, the Raptors drafted Jonathan Bender with the fifth pick. The 6’11” small forward out of Picayune Memorial, a high school in Mississippi, was raw, lanky, and full of potential. But just over a month later, Bender was dealt to Indiana for Antonio Davis.

This was now the second year in a row that the Raptors had parted ways with a young talent, opting to exchange youth for experience.

The acquisitions of Oakley and subsequently Davis proved fruitful for the Raptors as they quickly became a playoff team.

In six seasons manning the middle for the Raptors, Davis averaged 12.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Davis’ tenure in Toronto was highlighted by his All-Star campaign of 2000-01. That season he averaged 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds – the only time in his 15 seasons that he averaged a double-double.

As for Bender, he struggled mightily due to injuries, appearing in just 262 games over eight seasons. Bender actually announced his retirement in February 2006 at the age of 25 because of a medical condition in his knees. He attempted a brief comeback with the Knicks in the 2009-10 season before shutting it down for good.

Even now, Bender is only 34 years old. He posted career averages of 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds.