Toronto Raptors: 5 options for pick No. 59 in 2019 NBA Draft

Toronto Raptors fans will have to wait until the penultimate pick of the night to see their team select a prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Don’t expect Toronto Raptors fans to flood Jurassic Park at the start of the 2019 NBA Draft.

The New Orleans Pelicans are almost certain to take Zion Williamson with the first pick of the draft, set to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 20. From there, it becomes a waiting game for the Raptors, who are scheduled to make their only selection at No. 59 — the second-to-last pick of the entire night.

Granted, the late selection is a referendum on just how good the Raptors were during the regular season in 2018-19. Toronto went 58-24, the second-best record in the NBA, trailing only their Eastern Conference Finals opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks.

This will be only the second time the Raptors have drafted as late as pick No. 59; they drafted Xavier Thames with that selection in 2014, only to trade him immediately to the Brooklyn Nets for cash considerations. That pick originated with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first place.

Meanwhile, Toronto’s first round pick in 2019 now belongs to the San Antonio Spurs, a byproduct of the trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to the organization.

There’s not an illustrious history of great players coming from pick No. 59, with the best arguably being the late Pat Cummings (1978). Some recent selections at that pick include Isaiah Cousins (2016), Jaron Blossomgame (2017), and George King (2018).

Toronto could trade up from its spot, but that isn’t the path the organization generally follows.

So who should the Raptors take when No. 59 (finally) rolls around? Here are five viable options for the team’s lone scheduled selection of a pivotal NBA Draft.