9:45pm: An extension deal is unlikely as the deadline nears, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
8:42pm: The two parties are still in negotiations and it’s 50-50 whether an extension will get done before the deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
MONDAY, 11:27am: The Raptors remain open to giving Terrence Ross an extension by tonight’s 11pm Central deadline, but the team isn’t about to overspend and would prefer to wait to see how he performs this season before signing him, reports Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). That leads Lewenberg to suggest that an extension between the sides is unlikely, even as they reportedly continue to discuss the matter.
Most people around the league, including the Raptors brass, have questioned the motor of the former No. 8 overall pick, according to Lewenberg, and the team is concerned about his consistency, Lewenberg adds. Comments that coach Dwane Casey made this weekend point to Toronto’s worry about Ross’ up-and-down performances. Still, the Raptors are confident that he can thrive in his new sixth-man role, Lewnberg writes, and it’s one that the Aaron Mintz client says he likes.
Ross said this weekend that it would be “an honor” to receive an extension. The Raptors planned in July to pursue the idea, and they began talks over the summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reported. They signed a four-year, $64MM extension deal with Jonas Valanciunas, the team’s other player up for a rookie scale extension, but a deal for Ross has never appeared a likelihood. It appeared a 50-50 proposition as of several days ago, as Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote at that point.
Toronto already has more than $59.9MM in salary committed against a projected $89MM cap for 2016/17, though some executives and agents reportedly think the cap will go up to $95MM. In any case, the total for the Raptors doesn’t include any salary for Ross or for DeMar DeRozan, who can turn down a $10.05MM player option to hit free agency in July.