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Kelly Olynyk, Raptors Finalize Two-Year Extension

March 4th, 2024 at 4:56pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Raptors center Kelly Olynyk has agreed to a two-year, $26.25MM contract extension with Toronto, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The team has officially announced the deal.

The Raptors acquired Olynyk at the trade deadline alongside Ochai Agbaji in exchange for Otto Porter, Kira Lewis and a late 2024 first-round pick.

As we relayed on Thursday, there was optimism the two sides would be able to reach an agreement on a new contract. As we noted at the time, the lottery-bound Raptors likely wouldn’t have traded first-round capital if they didn’t envision Olynyk being part of their future.

Olynyk, who was on an expiring contract, was eligible to agree to an extension with the Raptors up until June 30 to avoid free agency. The league’s extend-and-trade rules allowed the big man to sign for up to two years, with 5% annual raises, and he’ll receive that maximum amount. After earning $12,195,122 this season, Olynyk will make $12,804,878 in ’24/25 and $13,445,122 in ’25/26.

According to TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (Twitter link), the two sides have been working on the deal since Olynyk was acquired at the deadline.

The 32-year-old Canadian has appeared in nine games with the Raptors since the trade. He’s averaging 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals per night, while shooting 46.0% from the floor and 26.3% from beyond the arc for Toronto. On the season as a whole, spanning 59 appearances with Utah and Toronto, he holds averages of 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists.

Because Olynyk’s new deal doesn’t exceed the extend-and-trade limitations, he’ll remain trade-eligible once the offseason begins, though it seems unlikely that the Raptors will flip him to a new team before the 2024/25 season.

As Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca observes (via Twitter), addressing his contract situation now means that Olynyk won’t have to worry about it if and when he reports to Team Canada’s training camp in late June ahead of the 2024 Olympics.

Raptors Sign Jahmi’us Ramsey To 10-Day Contract

March 4th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Rory Maher

4:54pm: Ramsey has officially signed his 10-day contract, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.

1:48pm: The Raptors intend to sign free agent guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

A former second-round pick (43rd overall in 2020) who played one season of college basketball at Texas Tech, Ramsey spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings prior to being waived in February 2022. He appeared in 32 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.1 PPG in just 7.1 MPG.

Ramsey has spent the past two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate. In 30 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Blue in 2023/24, the 22-year-old shooting guard has averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .531/.406/.699 shooting in 29.5 MPG.

Toronto has an opening on its standard roster and won’t need to release anyone to add Ramsey, who will earn $116,075 over the course of his 10 days with the team.

Pacers, Quenton Jackson Complete Two-Way Deal

March 4th, 2024 at 4:52pm CST by Rory Maher

4:52pm: Jackson’s two-way deal with the Pacers is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

2:05pm: Free agent guard Quenton Jackson is signing a two-way deal with the Pacers, agents Adie Von Gontard and Gino Littles tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Jackson, 25, went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with the Wizards last February, playing in nine NBA games as a rookie and averaging 6.2 points and 1.7 assists in 15.0 minutes per contest.

Washington released Jackson last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. He wound up signing an Exhibit 10 deal with Chicago and has been playing for the G League’s Windy City Bulls during the 2023/24 campaign.

In 38 Showcase Cup and regular season games with Windy City this season, the 6’5″ point guard has averaged 16.0 points, 5.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 32.3 minutes, posting a .478/.221/.768 shooting line.

Indiana had an open two-way spot after promoting Kendall Brown to a three-year standard contract, so no additional transactions are needed to sign Jackson.

Donovan Mitchell Treating Bone Bruise, Out At Least Next Three Games

March 4th, 2024 at 4:22pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Monday to treat a left knee bone bruise that caused him to miss Cleveland’s past two games against Detroit and New York, the team announced (Twitter link).

Mitchell will be listed as out for the Cavs’ next three games, on March 5 against Boston, on March 6 at Atlanta, and March 8 versus Minnesota, according to the release.

His status will be reevaluated over the weekend and will be updated as appropriate.

Mitchell is an integral part of a strong Cavaliers team that ranks third in the Eastern Conference at 39-21. He’s averaging 28.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists while shooting 47.2% from the floor and 37.1% from three.

The All-Star guard being out for games against the top-ranked teams in the East (Boston) and West (Minnesota) obviously isn’t ideal for a club that’s just a half-game behind Milwaukee for second in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs are 3.5 games ahead of the fourth-seeded Knicks.

It’s also worth noting that Mitchell’s injury absence means he’s in danger of falling short of the 65-game minimum to qualify for postseason awards. He has missed 13 games so far this season — that number will increase to at least 16 in the coming days. Eighteen missed contests would render him ineligible for All-NBA consideration.

Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum Named Players Of The Month

March 4th, 2024 at 3:27pm CST by Rory Maher

Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for games played in February, the league announced (Twitter link).

Doncic, the Western Conference’s winner, continues to put up eye-popping statistics in 2023/24, averaging 33.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, 10.3 assists, and 1.8 steals on .517/.398/.787 shooting in 11 games last month (37.2 MPG).

He helped guide Dallas to an 8-3 record in February, though the Mavs have since lost two straight and currently hold a 34-27 record, good for the No. 8 seed in the West.

Tatum, meanwhile, led the way for a Boston team that was 9-1 in February, averaging 27.2 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.7 APG and 1.1 SPG on .480/.351/.887 shooting in 36.0 MPG.

Tatum is the first repeat Player of the Month winner this season, having also earned the honor for October/November. After claiming spots on the All-NBA First Team each of the past two seasons, the 26-year-old appears on track for another all-league spot in 2023/24, with the Celtics currently 48-12, the No. 1 seed in the East (and the NBA).

The other nominees in the West were Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East, per the NBA (Twitter links).

Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller Named Rookies Of The Month

March 4th, 2024 at 2:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Hornets wing Brandon Miller have been named the NBA’s Rookies of the Month for February, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the second straight time both players have won the monthly award for rookies.

Wembanyama, the West’s winner, averaged 21.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists on .474/.413/.831 shooting in 12 games last month (28.9 minutes per contest). The No. 1 overall pick also posted staggering defensive stats in those appearances, averaging 2.0 steals and 3.9 blocks to boost his season-long averages to 1.3 steals and a league-high 3.4 blocks per game.

Miller, the East’s winner, averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals on .448/.374/.882 shooting in 13 February games (34.5 minutes). The former Alabama guard/forward was the No. 2 overall pick.

Per the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Utah’s Keyonte George, Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, and Houston’s Amen Thompson, while Toronto’s Gradey Dick, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez, and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson — Amen’s identical twin brother — were the nominees in the East.

LeBron James, Jaylen Brown Named Players Of The Week

March 4th, 2024 at 2:19pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward LeBron James and Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week, the league announced on Monday (via Twitter).

James, the Western Conference’s winner, helped guide L.A. to a 2-1 record last week, averaging 30.3 points, 8.7 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks with a .569/.500/.600 shooting line in his three appearances (37.6 MPG). The four-time MVP also eclipsed 40,000 career points in Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets, expanding his lead as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Brown, who won for the East, had a strong week as well, averaging 28.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.0 APG and 1.0 SPG on .623/.471/.846 shooting in 29.3 MPG in convincing victories over Philadelphia, Dallas, and Golden State. The Celtics, who have won 11 straight games, hold (by far) the best record in the NBA at 48-12, six games ahead of the Thunder.

According to the NBA, the other nominees in the West were Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Ingram, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, while Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, Evan Mobley, and Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter links).

Raptors Sign Gueye To Two-Way Deal, Waive Nowell

March 4th, 2024 at 1:40pm CST by Arthur Hill

1:40pm: The Raptors have officially signed Gueye to a two-way deal. To create roster space, they waived Nowell.

11:02am: G League forward Mouhamadou Gueye will return to the Raptors on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Gueye, 25, signed a 10-day deal with the team last month and appeared in one game. He was also in training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season.

Gueye has been playing for the Raptors 905, where he’s averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 21 regular season games. This is his second season in the G League after spending last year with the Texas Legends.

After signing D.J. Carton to a two-way deal over the weekend, the Raptors have all three of their two-way slots filled, so another move will have to be made before Gueye’s contract can become official. Markquis Nowell and Jontay Porter are also on two-way contracts and Toronto has an open roster spot, so one of them could be converted to a standard deal.

This is the last day of the season that players can be signed to two-way contracts, so any move will have to be finalized today.

Pacific Notes: Moody, Kings, Nurkic, Stoudemire

March 4th, 2024 at 1:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Moses Moody‘s strong defense on Jalen Brunson was one of the keys to the Warriors‘ victory over the Knicks in New York on Thursday, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The 21-year-old wing has experienced inconsistent playing time throughout his first three NBA seasons, but he had an unusually grounded take on the way his role has fluctuated to this point in his career.

“It’s real life,” Moody said. “Different things happen. You gotta be able to keep your head, control your emotions. All my friends are in that space where they’re leaving college, trying to figure out life. Everybody’s going through different adversities. Who am I to think I should have an easy road to whatever I want? It’s just kind of how it goes.”

The 14th pick of the 2021 draft, Moody will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason. He’s currently starting in place of Andrew Wiggins, who is away from the team for personal reasons.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Prior to Friday’s overtime victory over the Wolves in Minnesota, the Kings held a players-only meeting that lasted about 35 minutes, per Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee. It was the first time the team held such a meeting since Mike Brown became head coach in 2022/23. “We had a team meeting to talk about (how) we have to take this s–t seriously because we got 23 games left now,” Malik Monk said after Friday’s game. “The coaches are going to say what they’re going to say, but we’re out they’re playing. We knew we had to come together and outwork somebody.” Monk finished with a season-high 39 points, including 35 after halftime, and Brown was “thrilled” that the players took accountability for their up-and-down play, Biderman adds.
Suns center Jusuf Nurkic pulled down a career-high 31 rebounds on Sunday vs. Oklahoma City — the most in an NBA game in 13 years and a new franchise record for Phoenix — but he wasn’t in a celebratory mood after the loss, according to a report from ESPN.com. “I don’t know, man, I’m just trying to do my role the best I can. But it’s kind of really messed up when you have 13 offensive rebounds and 16 shots then zero free throws,” Nurkic said. “As hard as I work, and I feel like [I’m] getting fouled as [much as] anybody in the league. And I’m not here saying — we lost the game, it is what it is — [but] it’s just, it’s not really common sense. At least one [free throw]. [To] not even have one? But I know it happens. I ain’t the first one, and I ain’t going to be the last, either, unfortunately.”
On Saturday, former Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire — one of the most electrifying dunkers in league history — was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor. Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports passes along several quotes from the occasion.

Atlantic Notes: Maxey, Sixers, Simmons, Barnes, Agbaji

March 4th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Tyrese Maxey capped a rare weekend at home by leading the Sixers to a win at Dallas on Sunday afternoon, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Garland, Texas, native had a large contingent of family members in the crowd to watch his 24-point performance in a much-needed road victory. He had an injury scare when he was struck in the back of the head late in the third quarter, but he said the presence of his family inspired him to keep playing.

“I will say this, when I did hit my head, I saw my twin nieces,” Maxey said. “They were up, like, ‘Boy, you better get up and you better be OK, or we’re coming down there.’”

Pompey notes that Maxey has been forced to become Philadelphia’s primary scorer in the wake of Joel Embiid‘s meniscus injury. At the beginning of the season, coach Nick Nurse wanted Maxey to focus on running the offense and improving his defense. But the loss of Embiid created a need for Maxey to carry more of the offensive load, and the recent addition of Kyle Lowry has taken away some of his play-making duties.

“He’s clearly our best offensive player, like, clearly, and we need him to shoot a lot,” Nurse said. “And he’s still not quite thinking, ‘I’m coming down, I’m going to shoot it like five times in a row if I make one.’ I’m still pushing the aggressive part of it first and foremost, because it’s really not his total nature yet.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers have won back-to-back games since Nurse inserted Lowry and Mohamed Bamba into the starting lineup, Pompey notes in a separate story. Backup big man Paul Reed is coming off the bench again like he was when Embiid was healthy. “I think he’s comfortable in that role,” Maxey said. “That’s the role he plays when the big fella is here. So I think it just got him going. He was out there playing with a lot more energy. I think he likes the new role.”
Ben Simmons remains on the Nets‘ injury report, although the reason has changed, per Jared Schwartz of The New York Post. Simmons missed the last two games with left leg soreness and sat out the game before that due to rest and maintenance because he hasn’t received medical clearance to play in back-to-backs. He has been ruled out for tonight with a left lower back nerve impingement, a condition that caused him to miss a significant chunk of time earlier this season, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said “nothing is off the table” in terms of treatment for Scottie Barnes, who fractured a bone in his left hand last week, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Barnes’ absence has already created an opportunity for Ochai Agbaji, acquired from Utah at the trade deadline, who made his first start with Toronto Sunday night.