The Toronto Raptors have made up serious ground on the Memphis Grizzlies.
After the Raptors’ latest loss to the Detroit Pistons, Toronto is only a half-game ahead of the Grizzlies for the sixth-worst record overall.
Memphis has played one more game than the Raptors (68), so Toronto is right on the tail of the Grizzlies.
The Raptors had their sights set on the Play-In tournament coming out of the All-Star break as Darko Rajakovic said his team was focused on winning.
However, injuries derailed those plans. Toronto lost Scottie Barnes And Jakob Poeltl both of whom are out indefinitely and have been severely shorthanded ever since.
Toronto has lost 5 games in a row and 7 of its last 8 games. Therefore, with 16 games remaining, the Raptors appear to be going all out in an attempt to hold on to their 2024 first-round pick.
If the Raptors finish the season with sole possession of the sixth-worst record in the NBA, Toronto would have a 45.8 percent chance of retaining its protected top six.
That would represent a 37.2 percent chance of landing a top-four pick and an 8.6 percent chance of landing the No. 6 pick.
If the Raptors and Grizzlies are tied for the sixth-worst record at the end of the season, then a coin toss would decide which team finishes with the sixth-best odds in the lottery.
If the Raptors remain the seventh-worst team in the league, Toronto would only have a 32 percent chance of retaining its pick.
Raptors will eventually have to pay
Toronto owes its protected top-six pick to the San Antonio Spurs in the Jakob Poeltl trade that took place at last year’s trade deadline.
If the pick is not communicated this year, the Raptors will owe a protected top-six pick to the Spurs in 2025 or 2026.
It will be interesting to see how the race for sixth-worst record plays out for Toronto.
