The Toronto Raptors are a team that is built through the draft over their franchise history, but not many second-round picks have come to fruition.
Throughout the team's history, three have stood out as the best of the best, each of them making an impact in Toronto, but also in other cities. While some players had some good years with the Raptors, their brief careers knocked them off the list.
Here's a look at the three best second-round picks in Raptors history .
| Player |
Year |
Overall Selection |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 |
No. 35 |
|
| 2015 |
No. 46 |
|
| 2024 |
No. 45 |
PJ Tucker, former player for the Texas Longhorns, is awarded the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor trophy. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's been 20 years since the Raptors selected P.J. Tucker with the 35th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. When the Raptors picked Tucker, he was not quite an NBA product. He only played 17 games in his rookie season for the Raptors before heading overseas.
Tucker grinded for five years in Europe before returning to the NBA in 2012 with the Phoenix Suns . He caught on as a specialist for the Suns in the three-point department, as well as being an undersized forward that could defend at a high level. The Raptors tried to make it right with Tucker by acquiring him in a trade in 2017, hoping for a boost at the deadline.
Tucker played 24 games with Toronto and helped them reach the playoffs, where he made 10 appearances in the postseason. Tucker then went on to play eight more years in the league with the Houston Rockets , Milwaukee Bucks , Miami Heat , Philadelphia 76ers , Los Angeles Clippers , and New York Knicks . He won a championship with the Bucks in 2021, proving that the Raptors had some eye for a winning player when they selected him.
While Tucker didn't have most of his NBA success with the Raptors, he is still one of the best second-round picks in franchise history.
Norman Powell reacts as he makes a three point basket. | USA TODAY Sports
The Raptors traded for the draft rights to Norman Powell, the 46th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, on the night he entered the league. Powell played four years at UCLA, giving him a leg up.
Upon entering the NBA, he immediately made an impact in the Raptors rotation and was a mainstay for six seasons. He was part of the team's 2019 championship squad, where he averaged 8.6 points per game. The following year, he saw a boost in his role after Kawhi Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. Powell ultimately became a double-digit scorer with the Raptors, and the team was able to get a decent-sized haul for him when it was time to trade him in 2021 for Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood .
Powell inked a five-year, $90 million contract with the Blazers that summer, but was traded just six months later to the Clippers, giving him a chance to reunite with Leonard. Powell was a home for himself in Los Angeles, where he played in college, helping the Clippers reach the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
He was dealt once again to the Miami Heat this past season, where he made 58 appearances and averaged 21.7 points per game. Now he's with the Chicago Bulls on a two-year, $45 million deal and is expected to be their leading scorer for the upcoming season.
The way Powell's career has ascended is a credit to Toronto's front office members that saw something special in him over a decade ago.
Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead shoots against the Cleveland Cavaliers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Raptors are still benefiting from trading for the draft rights to Jamal Shead in the 2024 NBA draft. Shead was taken by the Sacramento Kings but was dealt shortly after to the Raptors.
In just two seasons, Shead has already made his mark with the team as the backup point guard. His tenacity on the defensive end of the court makes him extremely important for the team, and he sets the tone on the defensive end. During the playoffs , he stepped in for an injured Immanuel Quickley and made four starts for the team, averaging 9.0 points per game.
Shead is also one of the team's leading playmakers, averaging just over five assists per contest. He helps the second unit get organized, which is exactly how smaller guards like him make a living in the NBA for a long time.
Shead is only 24 years old after celebrating his birthday last month, and there's still a lot of untapped potential that he can tap into during the 2026-27 season. The Raptors should be very excited for what he can bring moving forward, and he has the chance to be the best second-round pick the franchise has ever made.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/raptors/onsi as 3 Best Second Round Draft Picks in Toronto Raptors History .
