Toronto Raptors: A look back at NBA Draft history before 2017

With less than a month to go before the 2017 NBA Draft, we look back at the Toronto Raptors’ draft history. The franchise is just 22 years old, but it’s had an eventful time in the draft – unexpected superstars, spectacular busts and all.

In terms of acquiring superstars, the Toronto Raptors have a bizarrely excellent draft history. They selected Tracy McGrady in 1997. Then they traded for the draft rights to Vince Carter in 1998. Next came Chris Bosh in 2003. Six years later, Toronto took DeMar DeRozan.

That’s one current Hall-of-Famer, two future Hall-of-Famers, and one three-time All-Star over the course of 13 years. If I told you a franchise would have such a high success rate in the draft, you’d expect one of two things:

1. Two decades of excellence punctuated by multiple NBA championships. So, basically, the San Antonio Spurs.
2. Those stars didn’t stick around, leading to more losing, more high draft picks and more young stars without sidekicks.

I think we all know which scenario describes the Raptors.

McGrady left for Orlando as a 21-year-old – three years after landing in Toronto, two years after teaming up with Carter, and right before he really became T-Mac. I’ll let Bill Simmons take over from here:

"“Even though the Raptors were building something special, McGrady bolted for seemingly greener pastures in Orlando. If 2013’s contract rules existed that summer, T-Mac would have been forced to spend an extra two years in Toronto … and probably would have made the Finals in 2001 or 2002.“But McGrady wanted his own team, wanted to get out of Vince’s shadow, and wanted to play closer to home. In that order.”"

Carter played the next four-and-change years with the Raptors, never finishing a season with more than 47 wins. His trade to New Jersey left a 20-year-old Bosh as Toronto’s only hope. Years later, just as DeRozan was blossoming up North, Bosh was winning his second title in South Beach.

Stars? Check. Role Players? Not So Much

While the Raptors have been mostly excellent at identifying stars, they’ve been consistently inept at finding complementary pieces. In 2004, the Raptors whiffed on Rafael Araujo at No. 8 (Philadelphia selected Andre Iguodala with the very next pick.) And in the early-to-mid 2000s, none of Charlie Villanueva, Joey Graham or Michael Bradley carved out lengthy stints in Toronto.

The Raptors’ greatest misstep, however, came in 2006. That year’s draft class was not terrific, but having won the lottery, the Raptors had their pick of the bunch. They landed on Andrea Bargnani, of course. The Italian – who had no interest in defense, rebounding or winning – is one of the worst No. 1 selections in recent history.

Toronto could’ve had a Bosh-LaMarcus Aldridge frontcourt. Instead, the selection of Bargnani helped book Bosh’s one-way ticket to Miami.

The franchise has had better luck since taking DeRozan in 2009. To start, Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross will be NBA rotation guys for the foreseeable future. Even 2010 pick Ed Davis has at least stuck around in the league. But overall, the 2000s were not kind to the Raptors. Few Toronto draft picks aside from DeRozan and Bosh even approached “decent.”

The Ujiri Era

Since joining the Raptors front office in 2013, general manager Masai Ujiri has selected seven players in the NBA Draft: Bruno Caboclo, DeAndre Daniels, Xavier Thames, Delon Wright, Norman Powell, Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.

Daniels and Thames have never seen NBA action, but both guys were second-round fliers anyway. Caboclo is still languishing in the D-League, although his physical tools remain enticing and he’s still only 21.

For the most part, Ujiri has drafted well. Poeltl, Siakam and Wright all saw time in the Raptors’ rotation this season. Powell, who was taken 45th overall in 2015, is already an excellent backup wing with legitimate starter potential. The players drafted after Powell have combined to score five total points in the NBA. That’s not a typo.

The Raptors (finally) have a front office adept at unearthing role players deep into the draft. Even when he was in Denver, Ujiri selected Kenneth Faried and Evan Fournier outside the lottery.

Ujiri’s precision is needed once again heading into the summer. Given the impending free agency of Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker, and Patrick Patterson, this offseason is a turning point for the franchise. If the Raptors retain Lowry and stay in win-now mode, some unheralded draftee may bring them slightly closer to contention. If they opt for a teardown – or Lowry dashes and gives them no other choice – they’ll need young assets to build around.

This will be the first time in franchise history the Raptors have selected at 23rd overall. Other notable players who were drafted at No. 23 in NBA history include Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Rodney Hood, Nikola Mirotic, Omri Casspi, Kosta Koufos, Wilson Chandler, Tayshaun Prince, Tyronn Lue, Bobby Jackson, Wesley Person, A.C. Green, Alex English and World B. Free.

Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: Post-Lottery edition

This year’s draft, like any other, could have franchise-altering implications for a number of teams. The Raptors should know that as well as any organization in the league.