Size and a depth guard priorities for Toronto Raptors ahead of NBA Draft

Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden, centre, shoots between Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4), Jamal Shead (23), RJ Barrett (9) and Jakob Poeltl, right, in the first half in Game 7 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Sunday, May 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

TORONTO — Even as the Toronto Raptors pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in their first-round playoff series, general manager Bobby Webster and head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke throughout the post-season and afterwards about an ongoing rebuild.

That youth movement will continue in the NBA draft on Tuesday and Wednesday, as Toronto holds a pick in the first and second rounds. Assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said in a news conference on June 16 that the Raptors intend to take the best available players with the 19th and 50th overall picks, but that doesn’t mean Toronto isn’t looking for particular attributes.

Specifically, they need a true centre and more depth at point guard.

Seven-foot centre Jakob Poeltl was the only player on the Raptors last season over six-foot-nine and, at 31, was also the second oldest player behind 40-year-old Garrett Temple. The difference between Poeltl and Temple, however, is that Poeltl was a starter and Temple was the last off the bench, if he entered games at all.

Poeltl missed 36 games last season due to injury, averaging 10.7 points, seven rebounds and two assists over that stretch. Although he was cleared to play in Toronto’s post-season series versus Cleveland, he often had his minutes limited, forcing Rajakovic to put out a smaller lineup against the Cavaliers’ dominant bigs Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

It’s a situation potentially made worse if six-foot-nine backup centre Sandro Mamukelashvili decides to exercise the player option on his contract this summer. If he decides to leave the Raptors, he could command significantly more than the $2.8 million Toronto is set to pay him if he stays.

Some draft options around the 19th pick that could add some size include six-foot-eight power forward Allen Graves (Santa Clara), six-foot-11 power forward/centre Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston), or six-foot-11 centre Henri Veesaar (North Carolina).

Predicting who will be available around the 50th pick is harder with more variables, but six-foot-11 centre Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia), six-foot-eight forward Tobe Awaka (Arizona) and six-foot-eight forward Tobi Lawal (Virginia) could all be available.

Immanuel Quickley is a lock to return as Toronto’s starting point guard next season, but the 27-year-old missed most of the Raptors playoff run and his absence was keenly felt. All-star forward Scottie Barnes shouldered most of the playmaking responsibilities, with second-year guards Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead taking turns stepping into the starting rotation with mixed results.

Christian Anderson (Texas Tech), Bennett Stirtz (Iowa), Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama) could all be taken around the 19th pick, with Tre Donaldson (PG), Milos Uzan (Houston), and Noam Yaacov (Oostende, Denmark) all possibilities around the 50th selection.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press