OverDrive - Lewenberg on the Raptors' draft approach, the best fits for the team and Toronto looking for a big splash

Episode Date: June 25, 2025

TSN Raptors Reporter Josh Lewenberg joined OverDrive to discuss the Raptors' approach at the NBA Draft, the direction with the ninth pick and the best fits with the team, Noa Essengue's ties in the draft, Toronto seeking to land a big splash, Jakob Poeltl's impending contract and more.

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the scene on the draft tonight. Jay Lew, which way are you leaning here? Do you think the Raptors keep the pick at nine or do you think they could flip it between now and then? Yeah, I think they keep it. I mean, look, if you've been taking in trade rumors over the last few weeks, you've definitely heard the Raptors name come up. And I mean, even just talking to people around the league, they confirm what's been widely reported in that the ninth overall pick is believed to be available the Raptors are keeping their options open they could move up they could move down they could move out of the draft or

out of the first round altogether for the right package but for what it's worth I mean that's kind of the mentality that they have at this time every year and in 12 years at the helm Masai Ujiri has never traded a first-round pick between the end of the season and the draft and I mean look he's a scout at heart that's how he got his start in the league and this is the time of the year that really excites him and it should I mean the Raptors have a great track record in the draft so i don't expect them to move it in less

are really interesting opportunity opens up i think they use it and i think they use it on a big i mean that's their biggest area of need right now and their draft philosophy is always drop the best player available but would it be the perfect storm at the guy that happens to be at the top of the board at nine also happens to address their biggest need? You mentioned the draft landscape. It's a much better draft than last year. I think a lot of that has to do with the strength of prospect at the top, but I do think there

is a level of depth in this draft that we didn't see last year, and so much of that is these really quality quality interesting bigs that are available in the mid to late lottery. So I think there's a number of different directions the Raptors could go with a big assuming they go down that route and it'll be interesting to see like what's their what's the risk tolerance and how much patience do they have because I look at a few of these guys we could talk about names there are a few specifically that jump out to me that are more NBA ready guys that can maybe step in and contribute right away,

but we also know that Masai, I mean, he's been pining for the Giannis player, the dice roll, the guy that either works out or he doesn't. Obviously they ended up on the wrong side of that with Bruno Caboclo back a decade ago, but there are a few of those dice rolls, a few of those high risk, a few of those high risk high reward bigs that are out there as well.

And I'd be interesting to see like, are they willing to take a shot at one of those guys? Jaylou, I saw a tweet and I don't know if it was from you, but I just want to know what the, is it just phishing from executives? It was like teams sniffing around the wraps picket nine. Like what the hell does that even mean yeah so i think it goes back to i was saying earlier where like it because the time of year where there's a lot of noise and at the time of the year where we've gotten used to hearing the raptors

it almost everything i feel that the jays right like always a bright they never a brighter in on everything they never they never get anybody but i think there's a couple things to it. One is that they've got this reputation around the league because they're generally in the mix whenever these star players become available. They're an easy team to use as leverage. And I think we saw a lot of that with Phoenix

as they were trying to squeeze more out of Houston for Durant. Yeah, I mean, the Raptors are interested. The Raptors are willing to give up this and that, and all of a sudden Houston's willing to offer a little bit more, so I think there's that, but where there's smoke, there's also fire, and the Raptors, like, they, the sense is they want to do something, right? Like they, they're clearly highly motivated to turn this thing around quickly, they're clearly highly motivated to get back into the playoffs

and they clearly sense a window of opportunity in this wide open eastern conference that continues to take hits right like atatum goes down and then Lillard goes down and Halliburton goes down so they want to do something i think part of them is kind of just telling themselves oh they've already got this big addition that they're going to add to the core this year when Ingram comes back. And I mean that's why they made the move when they did is to get ahead of the chaos that is the NBA offseason. And if he's healthy and if he plays and if he plays well, then that will be an addition of sorts. But I think they are active in terms of looking around

and trying to figure out how they can upgrade this roster from here because they do want to make a big jump this year with josh luenberg ahead of the nba draft tonight rappers picking ninth and you know the rumors you're right the rappers seemingly are connected to to all of them and i've seen today and i'm sure you've seen you know the the boston celtics are open for business and the Raptors are connected to Jalen Brown and connected to Derek White. Could you picture that being the scenario like a trade within the division? Could Messiah kick tires on on the Celtics and if so

you know which of those two players would make more sense? I think Boston was open for business. I think they're done like the the only reason they were looking to make moves, and this was gonna happen even before the Tatum injury, is I mean this new CBA has kind of put the clamps on a lot of teams that are hovering around or over the second apron. They needed to get under it and they've already done that now with the traits for setting out Drew Holliday and Chris Dapp's Poor Zingus. I don't think it's something that they wanted to do, but it's something they had to do,

and they feel like they've done a fairly good job in doing it, but I think they're done. I think they're looking ahead to, Tatum gets back in a year from now or whatever it is, and they still need their core pieces, and I think white and brown are young enough and good enough to be their core pieces. So I don't think that that's the next

guy, the next big fish that everyone's going to be talking about in the league. I mean surely teams are calling asking but I'm not sure who that guy is to be honest now that Durant is off the board and well I think the Giannis pipe dream is still kind of alive in the minds of a lot of people and a lot of teams I mean we've seen and heard nothing to believe that he's actually out there So, I don't know who is it like at one point it seemed like Trey young Okay, maybe Atlanta makes him available But they just traded for perzingis and like a lot of teams that I've just been in the Raptors being one of them

They probably think okay. Well, we've got a real shot in the Eastern Conference now I mean Sacramento is probably open for business, but Damante-Sibonis is a weird fit. The Raptors like Pertle. I've heard they want to extend Pertle this summer. So it's probably not Sibonis. It's probably not Damar de Rosen, as fun as that would be.

I don't know who it is, but it's the NBA, so there's always the next guy. We didn't know that Luca Doncis was available until he was available and traded. I don't think we knew that Desmond Bain was out there until he was out there so I'm sure somebody's gonna pop up and I'll bet the Raptors are one of the three or four names that we hear are in the mix. I just unless it's somebody that really makes sense here are you if you're the Raptors, putting

together a Desmond Bain type package with three, four, five unprotected picks? That's how the last two NBA champions were created. OKC and Boston both built their teams off of another team's desperation in giving up all of those unprotected picks. And I just don't think you want to be on the wrong side of that. So yeah, like they would have loved to have to rent, but at a bargain for pennies on the dollar, they weren't offering anything close

to what it would have taken to get it done. Demar coming back, guys. I love that idea. Demar, bring him back. Let's do it. I mean, why not? Bring Kyle back too, why not? Yeah, another wing kind of mid-range,

him and RJ Barrick can wing kind of mid-range. Him and R.J. Barrick can just kind of live out there and do their thing with Josh Lewenberg. It's interesting, you know, what I guess you're reporting here is that they might be looking at extending Pertle. I'm curious how that matches with what you think they could do with that knife pick. We said you think they're going to go with a big. Does that mean a center in particular?

Front core? Like what are we talking, a power for it a guy that'll play the four, you know Shooting is still a priority. I would think for this team Is it not Jayler like I know Ingram's gonna be a guy that can score But that's been an issue they've had for the last few years like who's gonna shoot Yeah I mean the thing about this draft or drafts in general, especially once you get down to like the mid lottery ranges There are a lot of holes in a lot of these guys drafts in general, especially once you get down to the mid lottery ranges, there are a lot of holes in a lot of these guys' games. I see a lot to like about a lot of them, and

this is what I was saying about Maasai at this time of the year, is you fall in love with these guys, you talk yourself into them, but even just doing some drafts cramming in the last few days and you're looking at all the three point percentages, especially from the bigs, and it's like 15%, 20%, 25%. And yeah, I mean, there aren't a lot of guys that check off all of the boxes. I mean, Danny Wolf is like one of the few bigs in this draft that are very skilled, has the size, can shoot a bit.

And so maybe he's their guy, but what he gives you in size and skill, I think he's probably lacking but what he gives you in size and skill I think he's probably lacking in athleticism and maybe upside and then you look on the other end of the spectrum and like there are these French bigs and I've heard the Raptors tied to Noah Assange quite a bit over the last few days and he's a guy you look at him and he looks like Giannis from 2013, long and gangly, but he also looks like Bruno Caboclo from 2014.

That's kind of how it goes with those types of prospects. Kyra's Kyra Warden, they can't shoot. So I think the reality is like, yes, they need a big, yes, they probably want a big, but they're not drafting anyone at ninth overall, who's certainly not going to replace Pertle, but you might not get anyone at ninth overall that you could even confidently plug into the backup center spot. This might be somebody, especially if it's a Sangay or even Moloch from Duke, a lot of people like him, seven footer, rim protector, and certainly a guy that fits the profile of people that the Raptors have been interested in in the past, but he's 18 years old.

Can you confidently say that he's ready to play 15, 20 minutes a game at the NBA level? You're probably drafting a project here. There are some guys that are a little bit more NBA ready, but I think this is a guy that if you really want to address the center position, you've got to do it in free agency or via trade. This is just going to be another guy at the back end of the roster, maybe the back end of the rotation if you're lucky. Pick nine for the Raptors tonight. We know Dallas and Cooper flag one. We think we know the next two picks and then all hell could

break loose and we got the champs picking multiple times tonight as well. Oklahoma City which is wild. Enjoy it Josh. We'll do it again soon. Thank you for this all right i think that josh luenberg you bring the fire we bring the experience oh she a guy i have a lot in montreal to go

passes to see the killers and so she will be a rodrigo with travel from tripcentral dotca for nights at Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain and $500 spending cash Just listen to I heart new music on the I heart radio app for 10 minutes every day for your chance to win I heart radio experience Oceania