Raptors Executive Explains How New Draft Format Could Impact the 31st Pick

Toronto Raptors executive Dan Tolzman says the organization is prepared for plenty of trade calls when the second round of the NBA draft rolls around Thursday

Jun 23, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks before the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors are prepared for everything come Thursday afternoon.

Nobody is exactly sure how the NBA’s new two-day draft format will impact trade conversations surrounding the first pick in the second round this year. It’s been suggested that Toronto is going to receive plenty of trade calls when Wednesday night’s first round wraps up and teams have an opportunity to reassess before Thursday's second round.

Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said the organization is prepared for a flurry of calls if teams are interested in trading up come Thursday afternoon. But how those trade talks unfold isn’t so obvious.

Sometimes extra time isn't such a good thing.

“The heat of the moment leads to a little more frantic decision-making that maybe those offers get a little out of control sometimes because you just get caught up in the moment,” Tolzman said.

Historically, the end of the first round flowed immediately into the second round and if someone wanted the first pick in the second round, they had two minutes to make a deal.

This year, though, there’ll be 20 hours between the start of the first round and the start of the second round and a full night for teams to really decide if they’re making a smart decision.

“It’s going to be a more measured discussion, I think, but there could be more teams that come to the table with that pick in mind,” Tolzman said.

For now, Toronto isn’t going into the draft looking to move that pick. The Raptors have No. 19 and 31 and considering how uncertain this year’s draft is, it’s virtually guaranteed someone with a first-round grade for Toronto will fall to No. 31.

“I think we’re probably leaning to, of course, keeping the pick unless something comes up,” Tolzman said. “But we’re approaching it as if we plan to take that pick and we’ll see what the board looks like, and we can sleep on it.”

The Raptors plan to regroup Wednesday night and meet together early Thursday morning to discuss options heading into the second round at 4 p.m.

How it’ll all play out is anyone’s guess right now.

Toronto and the rest of the league will have to figure out this new draft format as it goes.