Raptors at NBA Draft: A Zach Edey homecoming and 5 other bigs who could come to Toronto

Christian Koloko had a nice rookie year.

He wasn’t making a huge difference in 2022-23, but he held his own in most of his 802 minutes. The Raptors outscored their opponents by nine points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor, one of the telltale signs they needed an experienced centre to help them flourish. (Look how good, the thinking went, they were doing with an inexperienced one who at least looked the part.) Koloko’s offensive game hardly existed, and he fouled too often, but he was projected to be a part of the Raptors rotation in 2023-24.

He never played for the team again. The Raptors waived him in January of this year because of a career-threatening blood clot issue. He must be medically cleared by the league to become eligible to sign with a team. It was terrible news for Koloko, who had already worked so hard and sacrificed so much (along with his family), to make it to the league.

It also left the Raptors with a long-term issue: They needed a viable backup behind Jakob Poeltl, the centre they traded for to complement the team in 2023. Precious Achiuwa went to the New York Knicks in the OG Anunoby trade, Jontay Porter … didn’t work out, and Kelly Olynyk, for all his gifts, is out of his depth when trying to defend the rim as a centre.

With that in mind, the Raptors could take a big man with either the 19th or 31st pick in this week’s NBA Draft. Here are the six most likely to be available in that range. Once again, thank you to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, whose comprehensive draft guide helped me with this list, as well as my previous Raptors-specific analysis of guards and wings. Good news. You can now read it!

Zach Edey | Purdue | 22 years old
7-foot-4 | 299 pounds | Senior
25.2 points per game | 12.2 rebounds per game | 2.2 blocks per game

If you’re reading this, you know who Edey is: The reigning two-time Naismith Player of the Year is from Toronto, and he was the most dominant player in the NCAA by quite a bit. His bullying of other collegiate big men recalls Hakeem Olajuwon, in production if not style, before he added the “H.”

He is not made for the pace-and-space NBA, but he has done as much as possible — for now — to make his framework for him. He moves well for his size, runs the floor excellently and has kept his conditioning in check. That has allowed him to dominate in the post, on the glass and as a paint-bound defender. It is hard to avoid multiple uses of “dominate” when describing Edey’s Purdue career.

His ability to transition as a defender far outpaces questions about whether he can develop a jumper as his defining concern in the NBA. He eats up a ton of space, but he can play only in drop coverages, and most teams prize defensive versatility — even the ones that generally play lots of drop. Any team that drafts him will have to make some stylistic concessions on that end to give him a chance to contribute.

Raptors fit: I started not loving the potential fit of Edey in Toronto. I still don’t love the idea of any rookie, especially one who will attract so much attention, trying to start his career in his hometown. I don’t think that’s usually in the prospect’s best interests.

From a team perspective, though, you make it work if the player is good enough. Edey isn’t perfect, as will be true for any player picked here, but he is a hard worker who can fill a specific role. Having Olynyk at centre is not ideal for this team’s defensive backbone, and the Raptors might want the freedom to trade Poeltl at some point in the next two seasons while maintaining a rim-defending presence. Edey isn’t a sure thing, but he is imposing, diligent and motivated. I don’t think it’s the best swing the Raptors can take, but I’m more open to it than I was earlier in draft season.

Kyle Filipowski | Duke | 20
6-11 | 245 lbs. | Sophomore
16.4 PPG | 8.3 RPG | 2.8 assists per game

Filipowski might be the most polished offensive big in the draft. He’s not out here slinging dimes like Nikola Jokić, but he can shoot, score in the post and pass credibly. He scans as an intelligent player, someone who allows for offensive diversity within a team.

He works very much like a modern big in that he can be a hub for dribble-handoffs and attack any big man who is trying to recover to him in pick-and-pop coverage, with a bevy of moves off the dribble. He was Duke’s most important player offensively this year, involved nearly every time down the floor.

He isn’t big for a centre, which will make his defensive role difficult to peg. He is not a rim-protector but also figures to have trouble closing out to shooting forwards who can attack mismatches.

Raptors fit: Rule of thumb: Don’t let a player in his 30s dissuade you from taking a player who just turned 20. With that in mind, Olynyk is one of Filipowski’s most common NBA comparisons. On one hand, that means it could be hard to find minutes for him. On the other hand, Fliipowski would have a great player to learn from.

I’m going back and forth on Flipowski’s fit. Like Olynyk, he would make sense in coach Darko Rajaković’s offensive system. He might take so much away on the other end that it isn’t worth it. After years of prizing defensive versatility, the Raptors have swung to offence-first players in the last calendar year. If they pick a big man, I think he needs to have the potential to be a defensive anchor. I don’t think Flipowski is that guy.

Tyler Smith | G League Ignite | 19
6-9 | 225 lbs.
13.7 PPG | 5.1 RPG | 36.0 3P%

G League Ignite was a mess this year, so it is hard to judge much of what happened with the team. Saying that, Smith was one of the better players on the team, using his shooting and speed up and down the floor to make a difference. He will represent an upside play for the team that drafts him.

He shot 36 percent from 3 and better than 71 percent from the free-throw line, great starting points for a big. He played against adults in what is generally considered a guard’s league. Amongst the chaos, he found a way to show his potential.

Alas, that potential remains entirely speculative defensively. He is not big enough to be a true centre, and he looked far away from understanding pro-level concepts in the G League. Getting bigger will help him, which should be doable, given he is just 19.

Raptors fit: Smith is a big forward and not a centre. He has a 7-1 wingspan, so if he fills out, he should be able to become a useful defender on the perimeter. It would not be fair to expect him to be the long-term solution in the middle.

As with Filipowski, I don’t think he’s the type of prospect the Raptors need most now. They need more shooting, but their young core needs defensive acumen more. Of Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick, only Barnes is an above-average defender for his position. The idealized version of Smith could at least hang on the perimeter.

Yves Missi | Baylor | 20
6-11 | 230 lbs. | Freshman
10.7 PPG | 5.6 RPG | 1.5 BPG

Missi is what we would have called a modern-style centre prospect five years ago. That is, he can defend the rim, run the floor and catch lobs. That is his game, and there is little evidence he will get beyond that description soon.

That is fine: There is a need for players such as Missi in the NBA. He is nimble enough to survive on the perimeter on switches but should thrive as he tries to defend the cat-and-mouse interplay between an opposing guard, with a defender on his back, and an opposing big, waiting for a lob, that is omnipresent in the NBA.

He is overeager defensively and will have to fix that to become a better rebounder.

Raptors fit: The Raptors would never take a late-to-basketball project from Cameroon. No. Never.

Missi isn’t as big or experienced as Koloko, but they are very similar in terms of play style. They are there to block shots and dunk lobs. Anything else is a bonus.

His lack of offensive polish makes him a questionable fit in the Raptors’ offensive system. Achiuwa was way more skilled than Missi, and he had trouble functioning in Rajaković’s offence. Is there room for a player who can screen, dive and do little else? I genuinely don’t know.

In the past, I would peg Missi for the Raptors. I still think he’s the most likely big for the Raptors to take at 19, but it’s no longer so simple. He has the defensive potential the Raptors could use, though.

Kel’el Ware | Indiana | 20
7-0 | 230 lbs. | Sophomore
15.9 PPG | 9.9 RPG | 1.9 BPG

Ware is a large, athletic man. That alone makes him a fascinating prospect. There are not many players who are this big and can move this fluidly. A few teams are going to fall in love with him.

He is fantastic around the rim and showed hints of perimeter shooting this year. Like Missi, he can go up and catch lobs anywhere in his vicinity. He has a far more diverse skill set than that, with hints of a post game and the ability to get into the air very quickly.

He started his career at Oregon, and the coaches questioned his work ethic. Even if he is bigger than Missi, he doesn’t do what Missi does reliably: run the floor and defend with energy. At least, he doesn’t do those things consistently. You know how coaches love that in their players — especially their young bigs.

Raptors fit: He might be the big with the highest ceiling available to the Raptors. For that reason alone, they must research him intently, because the Raptors need a talent infusion.

It is not as if the Raptors don’t have any veteran bigs to keep an eye out for Ware. This is still a franchise recovering from its culture/chemistry issues from 2022-23, though. Ware fit in well enough for former NBA coach Mike Woodson at Indiana, so he appears to be trending in the right direction. I’d still be surprised if the Raptors took him instead of Missi. Ware and Missi check many of the same skill-set boxes, and I think the Raptors would err on the side of the player who handles the non-negotiables.

DaRon Holmes II | Dayon | 21
6-9 | 236 lbs. | Junior
20.4 PPG | 8.5 RPG | 38.6 3P%

Holmes is a divisive prospect. Some see him as a versatile, skilled forward who can block shots on defence. Others see him as a player without a true defensive position. Regardless, he was one of the most productive players in the NCAA this year.

His 3-point percentage shot up while he was at Dayton. He went from a non-threat to start his career to shooting a very good percentage on 83 attempts this year. He is a gifted screener, with the ability to do plenty off of the catch.

Defence is the biggest worry for Holmes. He is not a good rebounder and would be undersized for a centre. Problematically, he isn’t quick enough to hang on the perimeter with many NBA forwards. In that sense, he is similar to Filipowski.

Raptors fit: Again, Holmes is a player who makes more sense for the Raptors now than he would have a few years back. He is a gifted enough playmaker to work in the team’s pass-heavy offence.

How would they make it work defensively? Well, that will be a question for the next few years. It’s not as big of a deal to not have that answer at 31 as it would be to not have it at 19.

(Top photo: Grace Hollars / IndyStar-USA Today)