Raptors cap busy NBA draft with 6 young players through picks, trades; Lakers land Bronny

The Toronto Raptors had two picks heading into the 2024 NBA Draft, one late in the first round and then the first pick in the second.

Somehow, they ended up netting six young players, adding significant depth in a 24-hour span.

“We need to add some more young core pieces,” said Raptors general manager Bobby Webster after the draft was completed. “They’re not all going to hit but we need to start having those in the pipeline.”

Toronto picked Baylor University swingman Ja’Kobe Walter 19th overall in the first round on Wednesday night. With the second round beginning late Thursday afternoon, the Raptors’ front office had nearly 20 hours to plot their next moves.

That deal sent small forward Jalen McDaniels to the Kings for point guard Davion Mitchell and power forward Sasha Vezenkov, the 45th overall pick in this year’s draft and the Portland Trailblazers’ second-round selection in the 2025 draft.

Toronto then took University of Houston guard Jamal Shead with Sacramento’s pick. In the dying minutes of the draft another deal was struck with the Minnesota Timberwolves that allowed the Raptors to take Ulrich Chomche — pronounced shom-SHAY’ — with the 57th overall pick.

“The more picks, the more assets and more flexibility, that’s how you start to restock the cupboard,” said Webster.

Neither deal was official on Thursday, pending trade calls to the NBA’s head office. Those calls would be made on Friday at the earliest.

Because the deals were not finalized, the Kings officially drafted Shead with the understanding he will be sent to the Raptors to complete the deal. The same arrangement was made with the Memphis Grizzlies, through the Timberwolves, for Chomche.

Free-wheeling Webster

It also meant that Webster was unable to comment on any players the Raptors had acquired via trade until the league had approved the deals.

“We made some other moves that we’ll not talk about here, but just the flexibility, I think, helped us out tonight,” said Webster, assessing Toronto’s draft haul.

Mogbo averaged 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game as a centre for the University of San Francisco last season. Raptors all-star forward Scottie Barnes was with Mogbo as he was drafted, posting video of the moment to social media.

“I think around the league guys play with each other and I think those relationships are fun to see from afar but the basketball has to work and you have to like them as a player,” said Webster of the relationship between Barnes and Mogbo. “By doing that, it creates a basis for that relationship to be fun.”

Webster said that drafting Mogbo instead of potentially dealing the 31st overall pick made sense because the six-foot-six 225-pound centre is exactly the type of player the Raptors love.

“Kind of an athletic wing who can do a little bit of everything,” said Webster. “There’s probably some development curve for him shooting-wise but I think physically he has an NBA body, 6-7, 6-8, 220 pounds, can really run, really jump.

“That felt to us like the makings of a two-way Raptor wing.”

A 6-10 centre from Cameroon who played for NBA Academy Africa, Chomche was the youngest player eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.

Chomche only played three games for the NBA Academy Africa during the Basketball Africa League qualifiers. He averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal per game.

McDaniels averaged 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 10.8 minutes of play over 50 games last season.

Mitchell averaged 5.3 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game in 72 appearances last season. Vezenkov averaged 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists over 42 games in Sacramento.

Lakers choose Bronny James with 55th pick

Bronny James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the NBA draft on Thursday, bringing his father LeBron one step closer to fulfilling his long-held dream of playing alongside his son.

Bronny, 19, was taken with the 55th pick of the draft in New York and was informed of the decision with a phone call from Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.

No father-son duo have ever played alongside each other in the league before and while Bronny is not expected to log significant minutes in his rookie season, it will no doubt be a special moment when they appear together for the first time on the NBA hardwood.

The Lakers are waiting for LeBron to decide his plans for next season. James’ deadline to exercise his player option with the Lakers is Saturday. He’s expected to opt out of the deal and enter free agency before signing a short-term deal for his 22nd season.

“Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be,” he said in 2022. “I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”

Represented by Klutch Sports and Rich Paul like his father, the agency made clear prior to the draft that Bronny James and LeBron James are not planning to be a package deal.