Raptors have incredible history with NBA Draft No. 9 pick

Billy Heyen

Raptors have incredible history with NBA Draft No. 9 pick image

The Toronto Raptors love the No. 9 pick.

It's not usually the spot you'd like to be. The higher up the board, the better as far as NBA Draft odds of success are concerned.

But this is a team that nails it in the No. 9 spot.

Toronto, as a franchise, has picked ninth in three drafts. 

The selections:

  • Tracy McGrady (1997)
  • DeMar DeRozan (2009)
  • Jakob Poeltl (2016)

McGrady and DeRozan are two of the greatest scorers ever. 

Poeltl has evolved into a strong NBA center who is so good that he's being kept out of trade discussions this offseason.

It's not clear yet who the Raptors may target at No. 9, but whoever it is has the basketball gods on his side, it seems.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle