Toronto Raptors: 2015 NBA Draft Recap

By Joshua Howe | Jun 27, 2015

Mar 18, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Utah Utes guard Delon Wright (55) shoots the basketball during practice before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Toronto Raptors have kickstarted their offseason in dramatic fashion. The draft order didn’t go quite as most people expected, and there were many options on the table for Toronto when the time came for their pick at No. 20.

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They chose Utah point guard Delon Wright, younger brother of NBA veteran Dorell Wright. Wright was a solid choice. He’s an all-around player who can give you a little bit of everything in every category, though he’s best known for his defensive capabilities — something Dwane Casey and the Raptors as a whole covet very much.

It was a bit strange seeing Toronto take a point guard though (sorry, Cleveland!) until the news came that they had also made a trade. It looked something like this:

Toronto Raptors Receive:

46th pick
2017 First Round Pick

Milwaukee Bucks Receive:

Greivis Vasquez

That’s right, no more General Greivis in Toronto. It was fun while it lasted, and Vasquez was a decent backup point guard, but he didn’t have a great season last year. He’s got size, but it hinders his speed and he’s a poor defender. Even his shooting is often streaky.

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While Wright isn’t much improved in the offensive area (but he can work on that), he’s already a better defender. That should make him a better fit with Lou Williams (if they bring him back) as well, who likes to have the ball most of the time with the second unit.

It was another brilliant move by Masai Ujiri, who was able to get not only the 46th pick in the draft (Norman Powell), but also a first rounder that originally belonged to the Los Angeles Clippers. That’s quite a lot for Vasquez, although with Milwaukee’s offensive woes being a major issue it’s understandable why they’d take him.

Still. Masai does it again! Rejoice, Raptors fans!

Perhaps the best thing that Toronto got out of the trade was that by ridding themselves of Vasquez (who was an expiring contract), they freed up a ton more cap space. Ujiri now has a lot more leeway to run around this summer and make offers to free agents. Basically, it’s now all about trying to get them to buy into what the Raptors are trying to do.

With all that cap space, maybe Ujiri will even try to go after a big fish like DeMarcus Cousins?! … What? Am I dreaming too much? Okay, fine.

Taking Powell at No. 46 was another solid move by Toronto. He’s a shooting guard from UCLA who can finish around the rim, has good instincts and is (surprise!) another above-average defensive player.

He may or may not make the Raptors’ roster this season, and going down to Toronto’s new D-League team is a real possibility. He could very well follow in DeAndre Daniels’ footsteps as well and go overseas for a year.

The Raptors are already beginning to address their current issues while — in typical Ujiri fashion — looking forward to the future as well. Toronto won’t be shy about moving players and potentially tearing last season’s team down this summer.

But after a fine night like draft night, how can anyone be worried? I guess as always, the mantra remains: in Masai we trust.

Next: Are The 2014-15 Golden State Warriors An All-Time Great Team?

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