Mock Draft: Raptors Take NBA Ready Defensive Guard With 19th Pick

The Toronto Raptors could target Devin Carter with the No. 19 pick if the organization is looking to add an NBA-ready point guard to its ranks

Mar 14, 2024; New York City, NY, USA; Providence Friars guard Devin Carter (22) drives on Creighton / Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

There’s nothing particularly exciting about Providence's Devin Carter.

The 6-foot-2 point guard just wrapped up his third year in college and looks like the typical high-floor, low-ceiling prospect. He’s not some unicorn three-point shooting do-it-all wing with sky-high potential, but what Carter is is reliable.

For the Toronto Raptors, that’s the profile of a player worth taking a look at in the middle of the first round. Toronto has a glaring need for a backup point guard behind Immanuel Quickley and Carter looks like the kind of prospect who could slide in and take the reigns as the Raptors’ second-team guard on Day 1.

“Carter was immense as a breakout junior, marrying up an already-elite defensive package with an unstoppable offensive game and improved 3-point consistency,” wrote CBS’s Kyle Boone who has Carter pegged to Toronto at No. 19.

Carter, the son of former NBA guard Anthony Carter, averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 37.7% from three-point range.

It’s Carter’s three-point stroke that has thrust him into first-round conversation after two seasons in which he shot just 28.8% from behind the arc.

If the shot is real, Carter has a chance to be a very good pro. He’s a high-end defender and impactful rebounder who averaged nearly two steals and a block per game this year. He’s a tough point-of-attack defender and profiles as someone who should be able to hold his own against most other NBA guards.

For a Raptors team that’s in need of better on-ball defense, Carter could be an immediate impact player who isn’t likely to need much developmental time in the G League next year.

It’s unclear if Toronto is trying to contend next season or keep the long-term view a priority, but if the goal is to field the best team possible next year, Carter would certainly help the Raptors do that.