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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may not be the first point guard taken in Thursday’s NBA Draft, but there’s no denying he has the potential to end up being the best overall guard to come out of this draft.
Perhaps that’s something the Toronto Raptors believe, as they’re reportedly making a push to move up and select Shai in Thursday’s draft, according to Marc Stein.
Draft scuttle: Hearing Toronto is exploring all of its trade options in hopes of assembling a deal to acquire a draft pick high enough to select Kentucky's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 18, 2018
According to one league source, no one on Toronto's roster is off limits as the Raptors pursue a top-10 pick https://t.co/AZzCv8fPXD
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 18, 2018
Jeremy Woo adds that it’s looking unlikely that Shai falls past the Charlotte Hornets at No. 11. If Shai to land there, he’d team up with former Cats Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Malik Monk.
The Raptors appear to be entering a rebuild phase, or at least want to find a new point guard of the future. Shai is coming off a breakout freshman season in which the Canadian phenom averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Shai was the third-most efficient shooter, shooting at a clip of 48.5 percent from the field. He was also the only player on the team to shoot 40 percent or better from 3-point range.
Most mock drafts have him going to the Los Angeles Clippers, who hold the No. 12 and 13 picks in this year’s draft. However, some projections have Shai sneaking into the top 10, so it may take a lot for Toronto to move up for the UK point guard.
Making matters harder for the Raptors is they don’t have a first-round pick, but it sounds like they’ll make a push to get one and take Shai with it.
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