March Madness is here, and Raptors fans should have plenty of interest in the players involved.
Toronto will have a pick in the late teens via Indiana (currently slated at 16), another at the very beginning of the second round via Detroit (slated at 32) and a chance at a top-six pick in the draft depending on lottery luck.
That represents a ton of opportunity. There are some dynamic options who will be playing in the tournament that could potentially change the fate of the entire franchise.
Here's a guide for Raptors fans on which players to keep an eye on, along with where they rank on our expert Kyle Irving's most recent big board.
MORE: NBA Draft prospects 2024: Ranking top 60 players on big board heading into March Madness
2024 NBA Draft lottery targets for Raptors
Cody Williams
Colorado | Freshman | Wing | Big board: No. 4
The brother of Thunder rising star Jalen Williams, Cody is a bigger forward who, at 6-8 with a long wingspan, projects to be an excellent defender. He's shown some skill in a point-forward role, bringing the ball up and making good reads. He doesn't shoot the ball well yet, but he does everything else at a high level. He's a toolsy prospect with a high ceiling.
Rob Dillingham
Kentucky | Freshman | Point guard | Big board: No. 6
It's no secret that the Raptors could use some more offensive punch. Dillingham is an electric shot creator who is one of the most exciting and high-upside prospects in this draft. He's fun to watch off the dribble, making defenders look bad with his speed and craftiness. And he's a great 3-point shooter, hitting 44.9 percent from deep this season.
The Raptors could be a very nice fit for Dillingham given his lack of size. At 6-3, he would benefit from the length around him to support him on defense.
Reed Sheppard
Kentucky | Freshman | Combo guard | Big board: No. 8
Sheppard forms the other half of Kentucky's dynamic backcourt.
Like Dillingham, Sheppard doesn't have great size for his position at 6-3, but that hasn't stopped him from being one of the better defenders in college basketball and an unbelievably productive player on both ends of the floor. He's got great hands, averaging 2.5 steals per game. When he's able to load up, he's been able to surprise a ton of jump shooters and get a piece of the ball.
Where Sheppard really brings it is as a shooter. He's hit an astounding 52.5 percent of his 3s and is already very comfortable pulling from NBA range. He's been a good finisher at the college level, and he has very high feel. Think of him as a college version of Derrick White.
2024 NBA Draft first-round targets for Raptors
Dalton Knecht
Tennessee | Senior | Wing | Big board: No. 12
Knecht will be 23 at the time of the draft, making him one of the older prospects in the first round. He's a three-level scorer who's hit 38.2 percent of his 3s in his college career and has good athleticism that he uses to throw down some fun dunks. He hasn't been a great defender in college, but he at least has good size at 6-6 to compete on that end of the floor.
Johnny Furphy
Kansas | Freshman | Wing | Big board: No. 16
Furphy has shot up draft boards after earning a starting spot in the middle of Kansas' season due to his combination of shooting (35.4 percent from 3) and size (6-9). He uses his high feel to find open pockets of space to launch his 3s from, and he's a good rebounder who runs the floor hard in transition.
Furphy is a good athlete but hasn't shown a great first step or much self-creation skills yet.
Kevin McCullar Jr.
Kansas | Senior | Wing | Big board: No. 18
McCullar is a high-feel two-way wing prospect. He's a good cutter and passer who could fit in well to what the Raptors are trying to do offensively. He could be a good replacement for Bruce Brown Jr. if they decide to move on from him this summer.
McCullar isn't a great 3-point shooter, hitting just 30.9 percent from deep in his lengthy college career. He has gotten better over time, though, reaching 33.3 percent this season.
Yves Missi
Baylor | Freshman | Big | Big board: No. 22
Kelly Olynyk and Jakob Poeltl aren't going to be around forever. The Raptors could use an athletic big-man prospect to develop on their roster, and Missi could be that player.
Missi is a great rim protector and rebounder who can play above the rim as a lob threat. He moves his feet well defensively, allowing him to play different types of coverages. He's not a great free throw shooter or passer, but he can be a useful role player.
2024 NBA Draft second-round targets for Raptors
D.J. Wagner
Kentucky | Freshman | Combo guard | Big board: No. 26
Wagner certainly has the genes to make it in the NBA. He's the son of Dajuan Wagner, the No. 6 pick in the 2002 draft. D.J. is a tough guard who can put pressure on the rim and set up teammates. He's not a great shooter yet, hitting just 30.4 percent from deep, but he has a ton of potential — he was previously the No. 1 recruit in his high school class.
Justin Edwards
Kentucky | Freshman | Wing | Big board: No. 30
Edwards started the season off slowly but picked it up late. He's got good size on the wing at 6-8, and he's a nice athlete who can throw down impressive dunks, an unselfish passer and a 37.0 percent 3-point shooter. He's not much of a shot creator, his shooting was streaky and he's not an A+ in any one area, but he has a lot of paths to becoming a rotation player.
Zach Edey
Purdue | Senior | Big | Big board: No. 32
Edey is projected somewhere in this range. It would be a great homecoming for the big man out of Toronto. He has great size at 7-4 and 300 pounds. He's been a monster scorer at the college level, averaging 24.4 points and 11.7 rebounds this year. He's got impressive old-school post moves and is a good shot blocker.
There are some concerns about how Edey's game will translate to the NBA. He's not very mobile, limiting his effectiveness defensively. He's also not a stretch option at all. But he'd give the Raptors some plus size and scoring as a backup big man.
Collin Murray-Boyles
South Carolina | Freshman | Wing | Big board: No. 39
Murray-Boyles is one of the more interesting and polarizing prospects in this draft. He's a 6-7, 231-pound athlete with fantastic strength. Those tools make him an elite impact defender who can guard up and down a lineup.
He entered South Carolina's rotation in the middle of their season and became a ridiculously productive player for the No. 6-seeded Gamecocks, averaging 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks on 65.8 percent shooting from the field over their last 12 games.
Murray-Boyles is not much of a shooter — he attempted only five threes this season and made none of them. He also hit only 67.5 percent of his free throws, but he's a great play-finisher and passer for his size who could become the steal of the draft if he ever fixes his jumper.
