DeAndre

Daniels

He was the 37th pick in the 2014 Draft, but Daniels has spent the last two seasons playing in Australia and the D-League.

Daniels left UCONN after his junior season. Toronto selected him with the 37th overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. However, Daniels was never able to secure a roster spot with the Raps, bouncing around between the D-League and overseas clubs the last few years.

It’s a Jones fracture, which was a problem for Kevin Durant last year. Daniels suffered the injury in practice leading up to summer league. Fifth metatarsal injuries usually require 4-6 months of recovery time, so this could hurt Daniels’ chances to be ready for camp.

James Ennis looked great with Perth last season, so Daniels is likely hoping for similar success. The Raptors are expected to keep Bruno Caboclo on their roster, which makes it almost impossible for Daniels to make the 15-man roster.

Daniels’ draft stock surged during the NCAA tournament, and his outside shooting (41.7 percent from deep as a senior) makes him an intriguing prospect in today’s NBA. He’s also a solid rebounder and shot-blocker, thanks in part to his 7'2" wingspan, but his lousy passing and ball-handling are major hurdles to cracking an NBA rotation. He looks like another late steal.

Daniels likely realized his stock isn’t going to get any higher. He was at his best late in the season, putting 27/10 on Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and 20/10 on Florida in the Final Four. At 6'9/195 with an impressive shooting stroke, he profiles as an athletic wingman with the kind of upside NBA teams love. For now, Daniels is projected as a late first-round pick with room to improve on that stock.

Daniels broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot back in July, so it’s nice to see he’s healthy enough to get back into the mix.

The overseas stint was requested by Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, and Daniels said he’s viewing it as a “long vacation” during which he can “go out there and get better.” The Raptors are coming off a successful season that culminated in a playoff berth and they’re unlikely to have minutes for player development during the regular season.