3. Toronto Raptors (via Portland Trail Blazers)* – Scoot Henderson
(*Predicted trade)
With the way the first couple of picks have gone, there’s not really any other move that the Toronto Raptors can make with this pick. As they lean into a retooling around Scottie Barnes, it would be wise to find a playmaking guard that could fit and develop next to him. That could end up being Scoot Henderson, who has the talent to develop into a superstar over the next few years.
Scoot is a great playmaker, a better shooter than he gets credit for, and one of the better athletes in this year’s draft class. If he can put it all together in Toronto, which happens to have one of the NBA’s best developmental systems, there’s no reason to think that he can’t emerge as the second-best player in this draft class. He’s that talented.
This big move by the Raptors could end up being just the start of a busy offseason for the franchise. Even with this move, they have to make decisions regarding free agents Gary Trent Jr. and Fred VanVleet.
They could also turn around and move OG Anunoby if they wanted to add another asset or two as well.