/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49893957/usa-today-9225586.0.jpg)
Despite being only a few days away, the Raptors are still holding workouts to decide who they should take in the 2016 NBA Draft. Toronto is sitting on picks number nine and 27 this year, which presents them with a lot of options. The permutations on the various scenarios run high -- will they keep both picks? trade one? both? which players will they take? etc.
But today, we've got some names. See here:
Name |
Position |
Height |
College |
Trey Freeman |
Guard |
6-2 |
Old Dominion |
Fred VanVleet |
Guard |
6-0 |
Wichita State |
Malachi Richardson |
Guard-Forward |
6-6 |
Syracuse |
Dorian Finney-Smith |
Forward |
6-8 |
Florida |
Tyler Harris |
Forward |
6-9 |
Auburn |
Venky Jois |
Forward |
6-8 |
Eastern Washington |
According to Draft Express, the workout list for today is split 50-50. There are three ranked players involved starting with Malachi Richardson at 37, Dorian Finney-Smith at 58 and Fred VanVleet at 85. The other half are three players that barely have a scouting bio written about them. Sorry, Venky Jois, we hardly knew ye.
In their latest mock draft, DX actually has Richardson (with an all-time great first name, by the way) going in the first round at number 17 -- between Deyonta Davis and Cheick Diallo -- to Memphis. This puts it within the realm of possibility that the Raptors could have a look at the Syracuse freshman at 27.
Still, Richardson is another mid-sized wing player, with an admittedly huge wingspan, who needs the ball in his hands and shoots a low percentage from inside the three point arc. (Stop me if you've heard this before.) On a team like Memphis, for example, Richardson's three point shooting ability (35 percent last year) would be valuable enough to overlook the flaws in his game, but I'm not sure the Raptors want another wing player in this mould.
As for Finney-Smith and VanVleet, they're both seniors who could presumably slot into roles on a team, but I get the sense they do not project to be rotation players. Basically, we're getting down to the end of the draft workout season.
Anything to add here?