1:37pm: The deadline for Loyd to opt out of his deal with Darussafaka to join an NBA team has passed, and NBA rules don’t allow the Raptors to pay for his release, as David Pick and Murphy note (Twitter links). As such, it will be up to Loyd and his reps to see if they can figure things out with his Turkish club to free him up to head to Toronto.
11:44am: The Raptors are poised to sign guard Jordan Loyd to a two-way contract, reports Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Barring any snags with Loyd’s buyout from Turkish team Darussafaka, he’ll ink a two-year deal with Toronto, according to Murphy.
An undrafted free agent out of Indianapolis, Loyd played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in his first professional season in 2016/17 before heading overseas to play for Hapoel Eilat in Israel last year. The 6’4″ guard averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 49 G League games in ’16/17.
Loyd, who will turn 25 later this month, participated in Summer League action for the Raptors in Las Vegas, posting 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 17.3 minutes per contest. As Murphy notes, the Raps played Loyd primarily at point guard in Vegas, and he adapted well, committing just four turnovers in four games.
Toronto isn’t currently carrying any players on two-way contracts after promoting Lorenzo Brown to the 15-man roster and withdrawing Malcolm Miller‘s qualifying offer, so Loyd is set to occupy the first of those two openings.
I find the Mad Ants offensive to Ants. Not all Ants are mad, some are probably pretty happy.
Of course most ants are happy, getting to work hard to serve their queen. That’s why the madness was specified.
Like the Fighting Quakers!
Those Quakers I tell ya. Fighting to the end!
Too true… :):):):):) HAHAHA