The Toronto Raptors had a clear strategy in mind for their roster after their NBA championship win. Loading up on big, athletic wings, Toronto wanted to build a switch-heavy team from top to bottom. However, that identity hasn’t given the Raptors the success the front office was hoping for.
As a result, parting ways with OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam landed them the likes of RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram on the roster. But to take that next step forward alongside those two and Scottie Barnes, one analyst wants Toronto to lean further into the mold with its pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Toronto Raptors Predicted To Add an Elite-Shooting Wing
Last season, the Raptors were in the bottom 10 of the league when it came to their 3-point shooting in both efficiency (23rd) and volume (third-worst). Even with the addition of Ingram to the roster, those numbers might not get a significant upgrade.
Instead, a change in that category could come through the draft. The latest mock draft from PFSN has Toronto adding 6-foot-7 guard Kon Knueppel out of Duke. Already fitting the long wing archetype that is popular with the Raptors, Knueppel offers them the shooting they desperately need.
“Kon Knueppel won’t turn 20 years old until August, but the Duke wing has one of the clearer projections of any prospect this year. Knueppel should provide excellent 3-point shooting right away, giving him an avenue to immediate playing time,” Sterling Xie of PFSN wrote.
“During his freshman season, Knueppel shot 40.6% from 3 and 91.4% from the free-throw line. He profiles as a player who could threaten the 50/40/90 club during his career, and his 6’7” frame made him harder to attack on defense than many expected,” Xie further added.
Knueppel’s shooting, combined with Barnes’ continued growth and the self-creation ability of Ingram and Barrett, should give Toronto an uplift on the offensive end as a whole. Last year, they finished as a bottom-10 scoring team, directly leading to a 30-52 finish.
After missing the playoffs in three consecutive years, the Raptors need a spark plug to alter their downward trajectory. Two blockbuster trades were the first step toward that change, but Knueppel could surprisingly be the player to kick it into fifth gear.
At Duke, he averaged 14.4 points as a freshman on the aforementioned elite efficiency. Add in the ability to branch out into a three-level scorer with his size and frame, and Toronto could walk away with a sleeper hit.
whos gonna protect the rim ?