NBA DRAFT: Toronto Raptors select Ja’Kobe Walter with the 19th pick

The Toronto Raptors have selected Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor University with the 19th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Ja’Kobe Walter is the newest Toronto Raptors rookie.

The Toronto Raptors selected Ja’Kobe Walter out of Baylor University 19th overall in the NBA Draft on Wednesday, their first and only pick in the first round after losing their original lottery pick (the 8th) to San Antonio Spurs. This 19th pick was traded to Toronto as part of the Pascal Siakam trade from the Indiana Pacers.

The Draft went a little off track from several mock ups, as expected, and several names that were circulating around Toronto for that 19th pick weren’t available by the time the Raptors were on the clock. Zach Edey was drafted 9th overall to Memphis, Devin Carter to Sacramento, and Jared McCain to Philadelphia.

Walter – a 6-foot-4 shooting guard – is described as an elite scorer by scouts, averaging 14.5 points per game during his one year at Baylor. He shot 37.6% from the field and 34.1% from three in the 2023-24 season. He comes to Toronto after winning the Big-12 Freshman of the Year Award.

He fills Toronto’s need for a strong shooter off the bench and will hopefully develop into a solid rotation player behind guards like Quickley. He also has potential to turn into an elite 3-and-D guard — the defence part obviously a big pro with a young player out of the draft.

The Raptors will now pick 31st in tomorrow’s part two of Draft Night when the second round will be drafted. These are the only two picks the Raptors have in this year’s draft.