No. 13: Toronto Raptors select Cam Whitmore
Original pick: Gradey Dick
Toronto Raptors' Gradey Dick had a rookie season pretty on par with the expectations of a late lottery pick, averaging 8.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 43/37/86 shooting splits. The Kansas sharpshooter wasn't a bad pick by any means, and he could eventually develop into a starting guard due to his efficient three-point shooting and positional size at 6-foot-6.
However, if the Raptors had a do-over, they'd go with Cam Whitmore in this scenario. The Villanova forward had the most surprising fall on draft day. When entering the draft, Whitmore was even in consideration for a top-five selection after Wembanyama, Miller, and Henderson were off the board. At the very least, many expected him to be a lottery pick.
Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, two Top-10, some may say Top-5 prospects, and Houston did not have to trade a single pick.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 23, 2023
The Houston Rockets have won this draft so far.
Instead, teams were reportedly concerned about his medical evaluations and uninspiring pre-draft process, specifically his workouts and interviews. As a result, Whitmore fell all the way to the Rockets at No. 20, which looks like a steal a year later.
Whitmore has tremendous athleticism and positional size at 6-foot-7. For the Raptors, the potential wing pairing of Scottie Barnes and Whitmore would be intriguing, as their games complement each other well. Offensively, Whitmore is primarily a scorer with his shot-creating and slashing ability. Meanwhile, Barnes is great at getting teammates involved, which Whitmore would benefit from.