7 Best Draft Picks in Toronto Raptors History, Ranked

Of players drafted by the Toronto Raptors, the top two in VORP played a combined five seasons in Toronto. Evaluating the best draft picks in Raptors history isn’t about career achievements or being a basketball betting favourite for NBA MVP at the online sportsbook. 

It’s a judgment on a player’s importance to the franchise and how much value the player provided relative to their draft position. 

Top Toronto Raptors Draft Picks of All Time

1. Chris Bosh (2003)

Chris Bosh, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, ranks second to DeMar DeRozan in win shares among Raptors draftees. Bosh played more than 150 fewer games than DeRozan and had a higher ceiling as a Raptor, earning an All-Star nod in five of his seven seasons with the team.

Averaging 22.8 points per game across his final five campaigns with the Raptors, Bosh was a highly efficient scorer and averaged a double-double in three separate seasons. 

2. DeMar DeRozan (2009)

The franchise leader in games played and points, DeRozan was a four-time All-Star as a Raptor and earned two All-NBA selections. He was the first option on offence when Toronto was contending during the 2010s, but could never get the Raptors past LeBron James. 

Forming one of the NBA’s best backcourts with Kyle Lowry, DeRozan unfortunately missed the Raptors’ title win as he was sent to the San Antonio Spurs in the deal that brought Kawhi Leonard north of the border. 

3. Scottie Barnes (2021)

Scottie Barnes is in the top 10 in franchise history in points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and steals per game. Tracy McGrady is the only Raptors draftee with a better BPM.

Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, Barnes has backed that up with a pair of All-Star selections and finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2025-26. 

4. Pascal Siakam (2016)

Most Improved Player in the Raptors’ triumphant 2018-19 season, Pascal Siakam was the second-highest scorer in the title-winning playoff run. He led the team in win shares in 2021-22 and 2022-23. 

Drafted 27th overall in 2016, Siakam’s development was a credit to Toronto’s coaching staff. Before the end of the decade, he was one of the best two-way forwards in the league. 

5. OG Anunoby (2017)

Selected 23rd overall in 2017, injury kept OG Anunoby on the sidelines for the Raptors’ playoff run in 2019, but Anunoby was soon seen among the league’s elite 3-and-D players. 

Boasting great size and defensive instincts, he demonstrated an ability to guard one through five and quickly developed into an accomplished offensive player. The London-born forward averaged 16.6 points per game across his final three full seasons as a Raptor.

6. Jonas Valančiūnas (2011)

Jonas Valančiūnas leads all Raptors draftees in career win shares. His rebounding percentage is far clear of any other Raptor, and his bruising screens made life considerably easier for Lowry and DeRozan in the second half of the 2010s. 

Unfortunately, Valančiūnas’ time in Toronto ended a few months before the title win. He was traded for Marc Gasol before the 2019 trade deadline, a pivotal moment in the Raptors’ history. 

7. Morris Peterson (2000)

Lowry and DeRozan are the only players to have played more games for the Raptors than Morris Peterson. Beloved by fans, Peterson was a key player alongside Vince Carter in the early 2000s and a veteran presence alongside Chris Bosh in the second half of the decade. 

Seventh in scoring and fourth in minutes, it is impossible to tell the story of the Raptors without Peterson, even though he never made an All-Star team.