Toronto Raptors: 3 things to love about first-round pick Malachi Flynn

For a contender like the Toronto Raptors, Malachi Flynn will prove NBA-ready

There’s a reason you see so many contending teams sell off or trade their first-round draft picks, sometimes even on the night of, for win-now talent. In this year’s draft alone, we saw all of the Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Portland Trail Blazers do the very same.

The NBA Draft is one of the few things that collectively places contending teams at a crossroads.

Typically the selections sit within the bottom eight, where prospects are considered more hit or miss. So top teams are faced with a decision: take a swing on talent that will take potentially years to develop, or draft a prospect who can make an immediate contribution in one specific area.

In Malachi Flynn, the Toronto Raptors have found a  shooter who’s just as comfortable on the defensive side of the ball. In other words: he’s about as NBA ready as a prospect can be.

Flynn’s transition to the NBA should be seamless, in part due to his own talent, but also due to his destination in Toronto. There’s a culture in place and a reigning Coach of the Year in Nick Nurse.

As the Toronto Raptors look to continue their streak of five consecutive seasons with 50 or more regular season wins, they’ll have a ready contributor in this year’s first-round pick.