Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles Make Appearances in Five-Year NBA Redraft

A fun topic of conversation every summer for NBA fans is redrafting past classes based on how the players have developed since their introduction to the league. The Toronto Raptors have done an excellent job drafting in recent years, finding immense value at the picks they have had. 

Specifically, players like Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9 in 2025) and Ja’Kobe Walter (No. 19 in 2024) have risen to the tops of their respective classes because of their dynamic abilities to play their roles and contribute to winning. The pick No. 19 in this year’s draft, Allen Graves, is hoping he can follow suit after a big showing in the Summer League. 

Although he was selected with the No. 4 pick in 2021, franchise cornerstone Scottie Barnes has solidified himself as a top-two player in his class next to high school teammate and No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham. Toronto received lots of criticism (which seems like a yearly repetition at this point) for selecting Barnes so highly, but his development as an all-around player offensively has boosted him into a star. That is, of course, coupled with his Defensive Player of the Year-caliber play on the other end. 

Bleacher Report assembled a list of the top-60 candidates for a redraft of the last five seasons. Composed based on both contribution and potential, Barnes appeared at No. 5 and Murray-Boyles was “selected” with the No. 29 pick to round out the first round. 

Making up the top three picks are players who were all the top pick in their respective drafts: Victor Wembanyama, Cooper Flagg, and Cunningham. There’s no arguing these three superstars over Barnes, but the fourth pick is where questions arise. Ahead of Barnes is the No. 2 pick from 2025, Dylan Harper. In a rookie season in which he didn’t win Rookie of the Year (mainly because of Flagg’s incredible contributions), he stole the hearts of several fans throughout the San Antonio Spurs’ path to the NBA Finals. 

Coming off the bench, Harper proved that he may be destined for superstardom if given a larger role. Currently behind two-time All-Star De’Aaron Fox, the former Rutgers Scarlet Knight displayed his effortless ability to score the ball at all three levels, and he looked like a future 30 point per game scorer. The issue is that at this point he is still only a sixth man, meaning his high placement is practically entirely made up of potential. Many may not take exception to this, but putting a bench player ahead of a bona fide star after one season feels criminal.

As for Murray-Boyles, being taken at the end of the first round feels justified. In his rookie year, he showed that he could be a pivotal role player for the Raptors’ future, exemplified by his “untouchable” tag in all trade talks for other superstars. He showed enough promise to be a dominant defender along with a capable rebounder and interior scorer for the foreseeable future. If he can continue to improve his outside shooting, he could rapidly change the narrative from outstanding role player to rising star.