NBA Draft: Each team’s greatest draft pick of all-time

Greatest draft pick in Toronto Raptors history: DeMar DeRozan

When most people think of the Toronto Raptors, they picture Vince Carter skying through the air at the Air Canada Center. While VC’s legacy will certainly live on as a future Hall of Famer, it’s actually DeMar DeRozan who is not only the greatest draft pick in team history but also the best player in the franchise’s tenure as well.

DeRozan came into the NBA a not-so-heralded No. 9 overall pick by Toronto in the 2009 Draft. By his second season, he had developed into an above-average scorer before upping it to above 20 per game in year five, his first season as an NBA All-Star.

From the 2013-14 campaign until he was traded in the summer of 2018, DeRozan was arguably the main catalyst in elevating the relatively young Raptors organization to new heights. They made five consecutive trips to the postseason — a franchise record — as well as their only appearance ever to the conference finals.

He was the face of the only basketball franchise in the country of Canada. DeRozan understood the impact he was having on those up North and wore it like a badge of honor. When it came time to make a free-agency decision in the summer of 2016, he never hesitated to return to the Raptors. It was the only organization he’d ever known, one whose success and failures rested largely on his shoulders.

Whereas DeRozan felt loyal to Toronto through and through, the Raptors clearly didn’t feel the same way this past offseason, shipping him to San Antonio for an upgrade. It was an unfortunate turn of events and an end to a fairly entertaining era. There’s little question, though, that for his efforts, DeRozan’s No. 10 will hang in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena maybe not as the most talented player in franchise history, but certainly the most impactful.