Raptors 905 select Antwaine Wiggins, 4 others in D-League Draft

Raptors 905 fleshed out the bulk of their likely training camp roster on Sunday, making five selections in the 2016 D-League Draft.

The 905 entered the day a little light on early picks, having dealt multiple selections during the course of their 12-month existence. Given that not one of their selections a year ago finished the season on the roster, that’s probably an intelligent recognition of the limited utility of these picks. Still, the exercise is important, and if even one of their selections from Sunday’s proceedings winds up on the roster, the day can be considered a success.

2nd round, 43rd overall – Antwaine Wiggins
Their first pick didn’t come until 43rd overall, the second-last pick of the second round, when they selected Antwaine Wiggins, a wing out of Charleston.

“Draft day, A. Wiggins”

With the 43rd pick the Raptors 905 select Antwaine Wiggins from Charleston #DLeagueDraft

— Raptors 905 (@Raptors905) October 30, 2016

After averaging 15.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists as a fifth-year senior, earning All-SoCon Team and NABC All-District Second Team honors, Wiggins went undrafted and headed to Brazil, spending a pair of seasons with Palmeiras. He spent last year playing with Club Athletico Platense Florida, a team in Argentina, where he averaged 18 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 60.9 percent from the floor. There’s a year missing in between those stints that I can’t find information for, which is pretty standard in South American leagues.

During his time at Charleston, Wiggins was lauded for his defense, even earning a reputation as The Curry Stopper after holding Steph Curry to a 5-of-20 shooting night and blocking a game-winning attempt. That’s probably what the 905 see in him, a lanky, 6-foot-7 wing stopper, as he hasn’t shown to be much of an outside shooter and he’s likely to play in a supporting role if he makes the team.

And yes, Wiggins might is the cousin of Andrew Wiggins, according to his player profile from his time at Charleston. While the 27-year-old is from Greeneville, Tennessee, Andrew’s father Mitch is listed as his cousin, which would make Antwaine and Andrew cousins, too. I’m sure the 905 will confirm when a press release comes out. The 905 acquired Nick Wiggins last season, but he lasted only a few games before the two sides agreed on a release.

Raptors 905 also made the following selections:

4th round, 74th overall – J.T. Terrell
The 24-year-old Terrell split his college years between Wake Forest, Peninsula College, and USC before going undrafted in 2014. He was hit with a DWI while at Wake and at once point ruled academically ineligible at USC, and his once-lofty stock dropped off. In his final season at USC, he averaged 9.8 points on 36.4 percent shooting. Once heralded as “the most exciting shooting guard in the country,” Terrell hasn’t really been heard from since graduating, and I can’t even find information on where he played the last two years, if he played professionally at all.

4th round, 75th overall – Ethan O’Day
Undrafted out of Vermont this summer, the 6-foot-9 forward could bring some size and rim-protection. As a senior, he averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 54.7 percent from the floor. And hey, I foundf this video of him and Andre Drummond from AAU Nationals back in 2011.

4th round, 76th overall – Kendall Williams
A selection from the Canadian NBL league, the 25-year-old  Williams won’t have to travel far for camp. Coming out of Nex Mexico, Williams was regarded highly enough to earn an invite to the NBA Draft Combine in 2014 but ultimately went undrafted. The 2013 MWC Player of the Year and an honorable-mention All-American that same year, Williams averaged 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals over his four seasons with the Lobos, even hitting 38 percent of his threes.

After failing to catch on with the Bulls in Summer League, Williams took to Italy for a season, averaging 6.7 points and 3.5 assists but seeing his shooting percentages crater. He played a handfulsof games in Germany, France, and Puerto Rico last season before transitioning to the NBL with London, where he’ll likely head if he can’t crack the 905.

5th round, 98th overall – Evrik Gary
The 25-yer-old spent his season with BC Beroe Stara Zagora last year, so I’m going to call this particular American the Bulgarian Brute Evrik, machka. A 6-foot-3 guard originally undrafted out of Francis Marion in 2014, Gary raised eyerbows by averaging 20.7 points and shooting 46.9 percent on a high volume of threes as a senior. That marksmanship has continued overseas, where he shot 41.9 percent in Luxembourg and than 42.9 percent in Bulgaria. The former Peach Belt All-First Team player could help out a 905 team that lacked for offense at the point guard position last year, at lease when no Raptors were on assignment.

6th round, 120th overall – Declined
The 905 opted not to use their final selection, likely because their camp roster is already close to filled out. This, despite me still sitting in the green room waiting to hear m name called.

Each of these names could now fight for a spot on the opening-night roster. They’ll be flown in to Toronto over the course of Sunday and Monday, with training camp set to officially open on Tuesday. Teams have to trim their roster to 12 by Nov. 10, not including any potential NBA assignments. The season officially gets underway Nov. 11, when the parent club can begin assigning players, but the 905 don’t tip of their regular-season schedule until Nov. 18.

Here’s how the 905 camp roster looks at present:

Among the tryout invites, I’d expect Negus Webster-Chan and Greg Morrow and one or two others to get the nod. The status of James Siakam, older brother of Pascal Siakam, is still unclear.