For the Toronto Raptors in the last year, not many things have gone as planned.
With free agency, Fred VanVleet entered. Scottie Barnes suffered a hand fracture. Jakob Poeltl’s finger ligament was torn. Unimaginable family tragedy befell RJ Barrett. Jalen McDaniels lost his shooting technique. There was no value in Bruce Brown at the Trade Deadline. The squad has its worst loss in franchise history after losing 15 straight games. And after 60 years, Jontay Porter became the first NBA player to be suspended for gambling.
In a subdued statement on Monday night, the NBA revealed yet another development that did not go well at all for the Raptors.
For the Raptors, May 12th has always been significant since it will decide whether they keep their own first-round pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. Although they now have the sixth-best odds in the lottery, there is a 50/50 probability that they will retain the protected pick in the Top 6. If not, they will give the San Antonio Spurs the seventh or eighth selection in exchange for the misguided Jakob Poeltl trade.
The Raptors will select again in the first round.
Less widely publicized was the fact that their other first-round selection would also be subject to a random decision. In the Pascal Siakam trade, the Raptors acquired the first round pick of the Indiana Pacers. Siakam had a major role in Indiana’s strong finish, which allowed the Pacers to finish with a 47-35 record, good for sixth place in the Eastern Conference and a full 22 games ahead of the Raptors.
Three other teams—the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Lakers—also concluded with a 47-35 record. There is no supplementary tiebreaker for record in the NBA, unlike postseason rankings, which are determined by a simple coin flip process.
On Monday, the league sorted out those tiebreakers. A few choices were somewhat insignificant; for example, the Raptors’ first-round pick from Oklahoma City Thunder, which they had for a short time before trading it to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kelly Olynyk, ended up finishing 29th rather than 28th. Other significant choices included the 21-61 Portland Trail Blazers dropping to No. 4 and the 21-61 Charlotte Hornets securing the No. 3 pick (prize of the pre-lottery).
That Pacers pick might have come in between the 16th and the 19th pick for the Raptors. Four selection spots determined by a random tiebreaker is a big swing. They received the worst possible result, as every Toronto fan probably anticipated, and will select 19th in the June draft.
Although there are a lot of intriguing players that will move through the first round, including a handful that will be available at selection No. 19, the 2024 NBA Draft class is thought to be poor at the top. It’s not a death sentence; last year, the Golden State Warriors selected guard Brandin Podziemski, an All-Rookie, with the 19th overall choice.
However, in a year full of worst-case scenarios and bitter, disappointing results, Monday’s opportunity for a tiny bit of luck was dashed. It is hardly encouraging for their hopes of retaining their selection in the Draft Lottery in May.