Raptors 2026 NBA Draft grades for every pick

Jun 27, 2026 - 16:00
Raptors 2026 NBA Draft grades for every pick

After a so-so finish to their 2025-26 season, the Toronto Raptors are looking to regroup and reload their roster. The 2026 NBA Draft is the perfect opportunity for this team to reload and improve its roster. The Raptors had just two picks in this year’s draft, one in the first round and one in the second round.

Toronto’s drafting philosophy has always been a tad bit unorthodox. They stuck to their philosophy in the first round, drafting forward Allen Graves with the 19th pick. They then decided to take guard Jaden Bradley in the second round, rounding out their draft. Let’s grade these picks and see how the Raptors did.

Allen Graves

Surprise, surprise: the Toronto Raptors drafted a 6’7 – 6’9 forward. It’s kind of a running joke at this point that Toronto loves these long, athletic forwards who can do it all. This trend can be traced all the way back to the mid-2010s, when they drafted players like Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.

The Raptors already have their forward with guard-like qualities in Scottie Barnes. The fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, Barnes has become the do-it-all forward that the team has craved since forever. That being said, this year’s playoff run showed that the Raptors still need to get more players with shooting prowess to surround Barnes.

Graves has the potential to be that player for Toronto, while still fitting the physical archetype that the team has been searching for. For one, he profiles as a defensive-minded forward who can guard multiple positions and use his length to disrupt opposing offenses. That’s the perfect Raptors player in their system.

On the other hand, Graves also shot 41.3% from three-point range, and looked like he has the potential to be an elite floor-spacer in the NBA. His rebounding is also impressive: the new Raptors forward has an uncanny sense when it comes to offensive rebounding despite being undersized as a big.

Could the Raptors have gotten someone else in the draft? Maybe. A big man would have been nice, especially after Poeltl’s disappointing season. However, there were no more bigs left on the board, and the Raptors weren’t really that impressed with the guards. Allen should be a solid fit for the team moving forward.

Grade: A-

Jaden Bradley

Above all else, the Raptors have valued defensive prowess over anything else over the last few years. Since their first championship, Toronto’s identity has always been their tough defense. From Nick Nurse to Darko Rajakovic, this mantra has held true.

It’s no surprise, then, that the Raptors took yet another defensive-minded guard in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. Jaden Bradley is one of the older prospects in this year’s class, hence why he fell that low. That being said, his potentially higher floor has enticed Toronto, who’s likely gunning for a playoff spot once again.

Just like Graves, Bradley’s calling card is his defense. Playing for Arizona last season, the guard was one of the most tenacious defenders in the league. He’s strong for his position and displayed great toughness on that end of the floor. He also brings some juice on the offensive end, particularly as a distributor in the pick-and-roll and as a spot-up shooter.

Bradley won’t be your lead scoring guard, but he doesn’t need to be that for the Raptors. He’ll presumably have players like Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and Brandon Ingram setting the table for him. That will allow him to focus on what he does best: pestering opposing guards and serving as a release valve for the offense when needed.

Grade: B+

The post Raptors 2026 NBA Draft grades for every pick appeared first on ClutchPoints.

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