Waiting for an unsettled draft to play out, the Raptors and their No. 8 selection are creating all kinds of buzz around the league and they could become significant players in how the whole process plays out.

According to several team and league sources, Toronto’s willingness to trade its pick — most likely to move back in the draft but possibly to move entirely out or closer to the top — is a factor in the decisions being faced by a handful of teams.

President and GM Bryan Colangelo has admitted he’s open to listening to any offers; a signal his rivals took to heart. Colangelo and his staff were ensconced in the offices, making and fielding calls, but history would suggest little of import would happen until Thursday morning or just before the draft.

There are a couple of situations that merit keeping an eye on, although both were said to be long shots by league sources on Wednesday.

via Doug Smith of the Toronto Star