2020 NBA Draft Open Thread

Howdy everyone! Figured we’d throw up an open thread to let everyone chat about the draft as we get nearer and nearer.

All the Raptors Republic draft content gathered here. First, written:

And video / audio:

I’ll update the thread with rumours and news related to the Raptors, and eventually of course with the real stuff once the draft starts. For now, everything is awfully quiet for the Raptors. In media availabilities in previous days, none of Patrick Engelbrecht, Jama Mahlalela, or Bobby Webster gave away any info as to the Raptors’ specific strategies or targets. But I’ll update as we know more.

Enjoy today! Your updates, as they come in:

12:09 PM: Jalen Harris! Pick 59. Of course, Toronto will be adding some undrafted names to the list in the coming days and hours, but Jalen Harris has the jump on a roster spot. More to come on him, of course.

10:55 PM: Malachi Flynn! He’s the first-round pick. A solid guard strongest as a playmaker and shooter. You can read my initial words on him here. And you can watch Bobby Webster’s full availability here.

10:21 PM: We’re getting close folks. It’s late. Wow I can’t believe I have to do this until pick number 59, but such is life. Some really, really good names still on the board with just a few picks to go until Toronto. Things look very positive.

9:27 PM: Thought I’d check in with another update. Not that there’s anything to say. Obviously Toronto hasn’t leaked a thing. My coffee pot is empty, but my new puppy is asleep, so let’s call it a wash. We’re halfway through the first round, more or less.

7:34 PM: Some news for Toronto! Detroit is absorbing Trevor Ariza into its cap space in exchange for assets, which takes them out of the Fred VanVleet sweepstakes. Phoenix is already out, having traded for Chris Paul. It’s really just down to the New York Knicks who seem able and willing to sign VanVleey away from Toronto. Great news for the Raps, as re-signing VanVleet is their first and most important priority this off-season.

Also: I was wrong – Bogdanovic will be entering restricted free agency. Wow. Rough bounce for the Bucks. In other news: Klay Thompson appears to have another leg injury, with updates coming. And Houston is bottoming out as fast as possible.

5:53 PM: Some action! Not for the Raptors, but still. So the Bucks’ trade for Bogdanovic might be falling through because he never agreed to it? That would be insane – how could you possibly agree to acquire a player with a sign-and-trade and not talk to the guy’s agent? It all feels like a cover-up to avoid any possible tampering charges, but still.

Furthermore, Daryl Morey is on the board in Philadelphia, having traded one of his glut of centers for a guard. And yet, the team is somehow even lighter on creation and initiation ability? Morey traded Al Horford and the 34th pick tonight, as well as a lightly-protect first-rounder in 2025, for Danny Green, per Woj. My first thought is, wow, Sam Presti wins every trade but hasn’t hit on a draft pick since, what, 2009? The guy has a million picks. I can’t believe he sold Schroder for a pick and Green, then turned around and turned Green into multiple picks. He’ll probably play Horford for a year, rehabilitate his value a la Chris Paul, and ship him for a pick or two next off-season. But the Sixers? They’re adding shooting and a champion. Danny Green is awesome, and I will always love him for what he did in Toronto, but he’s not a great creator and initiator. They need that, desperately. So not sure if they’re fixing their problems. The guess is that Morey has more moves left in him tonight.

3:19 PM: All quiet on the Northern front (heh). Nothing so far, at all, for Toronto, not even rumours (of the legitimate kind, that is). The team is, as always, open to improvement. We just haven’t heard anything about it. We’ll see. Plenty of time left before the draft.