The rise of NIL opportunities in college basketball has altered how NBA teams evaluate the draft, particularly franchises selecting outside the lottery.
For the Toronto Raptors, who own the No. 19 and No. 50 picks this year, finding overlooked talent has become increasingly difficult.
Assistant general manager Dan Tolzman noted that prospects who might have previously entered the draft are now more likely to remain in school because of lucrative NIL opportunities.
“It seemed like (picking) in the 20s range … there was more certainty in terms of being able to find guys for sure that that we really liked back in the day,” Tolzman said.
“…There’s not as much of a chance to, like, have guys kind of fall through the cracks as there used to be.”
As a result, teams drafting later in the first round are often working from a smaller pool of available prospects than in previous years.
Despite those challenges, Toronto remains confident in its scouting process and ability to identify value outside the lottery.
The organization points to its selection of Ja’Kobe Walter with the 19th overall pick in 2024 as an example of finding a promising contributor later in the first round.
With two selections in this year’s draft, the Raptors will look to continue that track record despite a changing draft landscape.
Atlantic Notes: Nets Free Agency, Celtics, Sixers, Raptors Draft https://t.co/N5STjmgJTL
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) June 17, 2026
