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Raptors Notes: Lineup, Mogbo, Barnes, Trade Candidates

December 20th, 2024 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors deployed their youngest starting lineup in franchise history in Thursday’s game vs. Brooklyn, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who notes that the average age of Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, and returning star Scottie Barnes was 22 years and 187 days. Agbaji, who is 24, called it “crazy” that he was the oldest starter in the lineup.

Missing reliable regulars like Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley, the Raptors lost a winnable game to the Nets by a score of 101-94, but there were some intriguing takeaways, including the use of Mogbo as a switchable small-ball five, Murphy writes.

Toronto has been better defensively with Mogbo on the court this season and the rookie has provided some reasons for optimism with his play on the offensive end of the floor too, according to Murphy, though he’s still in the early stages of his NBA development.

“There is a lot, for sure, for him. He is learning a lot and every time,” head coach Darko Rajakovic said of Mogbo prior to the loss. “When you learn different positions that he’s played lately, different matchups, at some point it comes to you slowing down a little bit with your aggressiveness. But we are working through that, and we want him to be aggressive, we want him to be forceful and when he does that, he’s the player that we like.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • The Raptors haven’t had much good fortune so far this season, but the team caught a break with Barnes’ speedy return from his ankle injury, notes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link). The All-Star forward was originally projected to miss “several weeks” due to the sprain, but ended up missing just two games and returning to action 10 days after sustaining the injury. He had 16 points and six assists in 36 minutes on Thursday in his first game back.
  • Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks down the Raptors’ roster into “trade tiers,” evaluating which players are the most and least likely to be on the move at this season’s deadline. Koreen classifies veteran swingman Bruce Brown, who is on a $23MM expiring contract, as Toronto’s most likely player to be traded, and suggests Chris Boucher, Bruno Fernando, Davion Mitchell, Kelly Olynyk, and Garrett Temple are the other top candidates to be moved.
  • Within the same story, Koreen says he views Barnes as essentially untouchable, with Barrett, Quickley, Dick, Agbaji, Mogbo, Walter, and Jamal Shead also unlikely to be dealt. That leaves Poeltl, who probably won’t be untouchable but also likely won’t go anywhere unless Toronto gets a very strong offer, Koreen says.
  • In case you missed it, the Raptors remained in the top 10 in Sportico’s latest NBA franchise valuations, coming in at $4.66 billion.
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Atlantic Injury Notes: Achiuwa, Sharpe, Nets, Raptors

December 1st, 2024 at 10:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Knicks forward/center Precious Achiuwa has yet to make his 2024/25 debut as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. He told Stefan Bondy of The New York Post that he’s been a full participant in practices and is day-to-day, but he’s not sure when he’ll be able to return.

“I need to get to that point where I’m able to build confidence with myself again,” Achiuwa said. “I’m an explosive player. For me to be able to explode, I’m going to have to build that confidence. … Once I get to that point where I feel like I’m optimal to play, I’ll be out there playing.”

Achiuwa, who will hit free agency again next summer after re-signing with New York on a one-year deal, thinks he’ll give the Knicks a defensive boost once he’s back.

“I think one of my biggest gifts is defensive versatility, being able to guard multiple positions, one through five,” Achiuwa said. “For me, coming back, we’re already probably the best offense in the league right now. So how can I add onto the team on the defensive end and being able to make us elite on that side? I think we do have the potential to be elite defensively.”

Here are a few more injury notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez said on Sunday that Day’Ron Sharpe is close to making his season debut, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “We could see him at some point this week,” Fernandez said. “Right now he’s going through the process of going through contact drills, then see how he feels after that and take the next step. So, that’s as much as I can tell you.” A fourth-year center who is recovering from a left hamstring strain, Sharpe will be a restricted free agent in 2025.
  • Two Nets were injured in Sunday’s loss to Orlando, according to Lewis (Twitter links). Ben Simmons sustained a left knee contusion and was ruled out for the remainder of the game after playing about 12 minutes, and forward Cameron Johnson, who was already dealing with a right ankle sprain, tweaked his left ankle. However, Johnson plans to do everything he can to suit up for Monday’s back-to-back in Chicago. “It’s the opposite. I’m even now, so I’ll be alright,” Johnson said.
  • Raptors guard Gradey Dick is making progress from his left calf injury, head coach Darko Rajakovic said ahead of Sunday’s win over Miami (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). Dick is day-to-day and the team hopes he’ll be able to practice this week. Bruce Brown (knee) and Kelly Olynyk (back) remain in reconditioning programs, with no set timelines for their returns, per Lewenberg. Both veterans have yet to suit up this season.
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Injury Notes: Monk, Sixers, Hayes, Dick, Hornets, Ball

November 25th, 2024 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings guard Malik Monk has been unavailable since November 10 due to a right ankle sprain, but it sounds like he could be back in action on Monday. Sources tell NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link) that Monk will go through pre-game warm-ups with the intention of playing vs. Oklahoma City.

Monk has officially been listed as questionable to suit up, notes Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 in Sacramento (Twitter link).

It would provide the Kings’ offense with a much-needed jolt if Monk is able to return. The team, which had a 115.2 offensive rating (ninth in the NBA) and a 6-4 record through its first 10 games, has posted a 111.9 mark (18th) and gone 2-5 with Monk inactive.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

  • Paul George (knee bone bruise) did some on-court work over the weekend and the swelling has gone down in Joel Embiid‘s left knee, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters on Sunday (Twitter link via Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports). While Nurse said both stars are making progress, it remains to be seen whether either will be available on Wednesday vs. Houston.
  • Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, who has been on the shelf since November 10 due to a left ankle sprain, has been listed as probable to play on Tuesday vs. Phoenix and said he “definitely” expects to suit up, according to Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group (Twitter links).
  • Second-year wing Gradey Dick had appeared in the Raptors‘ first 17 games this season, emerging as one of their go-to scoring options, but he’ll be sidelined on Monday vs. Detroit due to a left calf strain, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. It’s unclear how much time Dick might miss beyond Monday as a result of the injury.
  • The Hornets assigned injured centers Mark Williams (left foot tendon strain) and Nick Richards (rib fracture) to the G League to practice with the Greensboro Swarm on Monday, according to the team (Twitter link). That’s a sign that both big men are getting close to returning. Williams has yet to make his season debut, while Richards has been out since November 1.
  • Bulls guard Lonzo Ball has been upgraded to doubtful for Tuesday’s contest vs. the Wizards, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). That’s the first time Ball has been listed as anything besides “out” since spraining his right wrist on October 28, so it appears his return isn’t far off.
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Raptors Notes: Barnes, Brown, Walter, Olynyk, Poeltl, More

November 20th, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors star Scottie Barnes, who has been out since October due to an orbital bone fracture, appears to be nearing a return. The All-Star forward has been cleared for contact and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), who says it sounds like Barnes will be listed as questionable to play vs. Minnesota on Thursday.

Although Barnes’ right eye is still red, he told reporters that he’s no longer feeling pain in the eye like he was in the days after the injury. His plan is to wear protective goggles as a precaution, which he admitted is “going to take some getting used to” (Twitter link via Lewenberg).

Two more injured Raptors players fully participated in practice on Wednesday too, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link), though he says Bruce Brown (knee) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) will require longer ramp-up periods than Barnes. That’s especially true for Brown, who has been on the shelf since undergoing knee surgery in September.

Kelly Olynyk (back) and Immanuel Quickley (elbow) remain sidelined for Toronto, but Olynyk was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Lewenberg adds.

We have more on the Raptors:

  • While Toronto’s decision to trade a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick in a package for Jakob Poeltl at the 2023 deadline looks like a mistake in retrospect, that’s certainly no fault of the veteran center, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Poeltl is averaging career highs in points (17.1) and rebounds (11.9) per game this season and has been more of a threat on offense than he showed in his first eight NBA seasons. “I mean, maybe there’s a little bit of a mindset change with me personally, but I think, more than anything, the reason why I feel like I’m getting more opportunities is just within the flow of our offense, our guys are finding me,” he said. “There are situations when I’m catching in rhythm because I’m getting a couple of easy ones.”
  • Within the same Sportsnet.ca story, Grange notes that Poeltl’s strong play this fall could boost his value as a trade chip, but suggests the Raptors might be better off keeping the big man. As Grange explains, a healthy version of the current roster, perhaps with another prospect added via the 2025 draft lottery, has a chance to be competitive sooner rather than later.
  • Despite their 3-12 start, the Raptors can’t be too upset about how the first month of the season has played out, as Grange and Lewenberg detail in a pair of stories. The vibes in the locker room are still positive, individual players – including 2023 lottery pick Gradey Dick – are making positive strides, the team has been competitive in most of its losses, and they seem to be buying into the way that head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to play.
  • While RJ Barrett‘s shooting percentages are down so far this season (.422 FG%, .338 3PT%), the forward’s passing ability has been a pleasant surprise, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With primary play-makers Quickley and Barnes battling injuries, Barrett is averaging 6.5 assists, well above his career rate coming into this season (2.9 APG).
  • Eugene Omoruyi, who appeared in 87 total NBA games for four teams from 2021-24, has signed a G League contract and has been acquired off waivers by the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets, Omoruyi – who grew up near Toronto – opted to join the G League in the hopes that he could land with his hometown team. The 6’7″ forward has averaged 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game with the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since going undrafted out of Oregon in 2021.
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And-Ones: NBA Academies, Free Agents, M. James, More

November 8th, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA intends to close its Global Academy in Australia and its Latin America Academy in Mexico at the end of their respective seasons, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN. As Givony explains, the league’s intent is to reallocate more resources to “larger, non-traditional basketball countries” that don’t have strong existing infrastructure.

The league will focus on markets that are “deemed most essential for globalizing the NBA,” according to Givony, who points to China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Korea, and Japan as examples. The plan is to open a new Global Academy hub in a more central country relative to those markets, with Asia or the Middle East viewed as the most probable locations, Givony continues.

“Our goal is to grow the game globally, increase the level of play around the world, and help those who need it most,” the NBA’s head of international basketball operations Troy Justice told ESPN. “We want players from 80 countries to be represented on NBA rosters, not 43, like we have now. There’s so much talent out there. We just need to help support their growth.”

As Givony points out, recent lottery picks like Josh Giddey (Australia), Dyson Daniels (Australia), Bennedict Mathurin (Latin America) developed their skills at the two NBA Academies that are shuttering.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report lists five veteran free agents that he believes could help virtually any NBA team right now. Pincus’ list includes Markelle Fultz, Justin Holiday, Robert Covington, and Bismack Biyombo, along with Lonnie Walker, who technically isn’t a free agent but has an NBA opt-out clause in his deal with Zalgiris Kaunas.
  • A longtime star in Europe, veteran guard Mike James has only made 49 career NBA appearances with the Suns, Pelicans, and Nets. The AS Monaco standout and reigning EuroLeague MVP said during a recent appearance on SKWEEK’s Best In Class podcast (hat tip to BasketNews.com) that he thinks NBA teams view him as “a risk” due to his success overseas. “Every time I talk with them – not me personally but my representatives – they kind of feel like, ‘Yeah, but if it doesn’t go well for you, you just get mad and leave and go back to Europe,'” James said. “Everybody just kind of thinks that if I’m not playing as much as I want, I’m going. Everybody kind of considers me like I’ve outgrown the role that they want to put me in, but they need to put me in that role for me to get a bigger role. So, it’s like a give-and-take at some point.”
  • In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo takes a look at some of the early-season standouts among first- and second-year NBA players, highlighting the breakout potential being shown by Raptors guard Gradey Dick and Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly and identifying Grizzlies second-rounder Jaylen Wells as one of the most impressive 2024 draftees so far.
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Atlantic Notes: Kolek, Queta, Dick, Barnes

November 5th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Luke Adams

After playing a rotation role in each of the Knicks‘ first five games, veteran point guard Cameron Payne was unavailable on Monday in Houston due to a hamstring strain. That resulted in rookie guard Tyler Kolek seeing his first meaningful minutes of the season for New York.

Kolek was only on the court for 5:32 and was a minus-four in his limited playing time. Still, he knocked down his only field goal attempt (a three-pointer) and has made a positive impression on a head coach who typically doesn’t make a habit of playing rookies.

“I really like (Kolek) a lot,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. “I think he’s learning like most young guys coming into the league. He’s a gym rat. Works extremely hard. Puts a lot of time into film study. Extra work. Practice. He’s around really good veterans. That helps move it along in terms of how you learn. And then a big part of it is the trial and error of getting out there and doing it. So I think he’s putting everything he has into it. So we’ll see.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Having seen his rotation role increase over the past week, Celtics center Neemias Queta earned his first career start on Monday in Atlanta and delivered with 10 points, seven rebounds, and a plus-31 mark in just 23 minutes. As Brian Robb of MassLive.com writes, Queta’s transformation into a rotation player gives Boston more insurance up front behind veterans Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford. “He’s grown a lot as a player and quite honestly he doesn’t know how good he can be,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said of Queta after Monday’s win. “He’s got a great ceiling and so the standard is very high and I thought he did some great things for us tonight.”
  • Following an up-and-down rookie season, Raptors sharpshooter Gradey Dick is showing early signs of breaking out in his second year, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca, who takes a closer look at how 2023’s No. 13 overall pick is thriving so far this fall. With a 26-point outing on Monday in Denver, Dick is up to 21.6 PPG on .473/.383/.929 shooting in his first eight games as an NBA sophomore.
  • After a meeting with doctors on Monday, the Raptors determined that injured forward Scottie Barnes won’t require surgery to repair the right orbital fracture he suffered last week, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. A surgical procedure likely would’ve extended the recovery timeline for Barnes, who will be reevaluated in about two weeks.
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Raptors Pick Up Options On Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick

October 29th, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have exercised their fourth-year option on shooting guard Ochai Agbaji and their third-year option on shooting guard Gradey Dick, the team announced today in a press release.

Both options are for the 2025/26 season, locking in the duo for at least the next two years. Agbaji’s option will pay him a guaranteed salary of $6,383,525, while Dick’s is worth $4,990,560.

Agbaji has been traded twice since being selected 14th overall in the 2022 draft out of Kansas. He was sent from Cleveland to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster that offseason, then was flipped to Toronto along with Kelly Olynyk at the 2024 trade deadline. The third-year wing is off to a strong start this season, with averages of 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game and a shooting line of .588/.455/.571 through four contests.

Dick, another former Kansas Jayhawk, got off to a slow start last season and spent some time in the G League, then began to find his footing in the second half. Known as a sharpshooter, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft made 36.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc as a rookie and has been part of the Raptors’ starting lineup this fall. He’s averaging 16.0 PPG on .431/.346/1.000 shooting through four games.

Agbaji will now become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2025 offseason. The Raptors will have to make a decision on Dick’s fourth-year option for 2026/27 by October 31, 2025.

We’re tracking all of this year’s rookie scale team option decisions, which are due on Thursday, right here.

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Raptors Notes: Quickley, Mitchell, Dick, Agbaji, Fernando

October 19th, 2024 at 7:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors are counting on Immanuel Quickley to be their starting point guard, but it’s a role he doesn’t have much experience with, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Quickley only made 27 starts during his three-plus seasons in New York, and injuries limited him to 38 games after he was traded to Toronto in late December. Quickley made his preseason debut on Friday night after being sidelined with a sprained thumb since the start of training camp, and he’s confident that he can handle the responsibilities that come with being in the starting lineup.

“Nobody will ever hold me to a higher standard than I hold myself,” Quickley said. “There’s always different ways you can find to get better, the best players in the world, they find ways to get better, and I want to be one of those guys.”

With Quickley unable to play, the Raptors turned to Davion Mitchell, who was acquired from Sacramento this summer. Mitchell handled the job well, according to Grange, averaging six assists and less than one turnover in the games he started while playing high-level defense.

“I think that every year you’re going to have people out,” Mitchell said. “You’re not going to have like 100% of the team every year. So, just learning now in the pre-season with some of the starters is going to help me out a lot, just building that chemistry.”

There’s more from Toronto:

  • Gradey Dick had one of his best performances in this week’s win over the Celtics, Grange adds. The 2023 lottery pick scored 27 points in 25 minutes and displayed an offensive game that’s far ahead of where he was last year. “He ended the season really well last year, and he was playing really great [against Boston], just moving off the ball, cutting, shooting the ball really well,” said Scottie Barnes. “And, you know, we put our trust and faith in that he was going to get better [in the offseason]. He obviously did, just getting better at shooting, making decisions more with the ball off the dribble, getting to his pull-ups and doing things like that.”
  • Dick benefited from spending part of the summer training with Ochai Agbaji, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN. The Kansas alumni worked out near their alma mater while two Raptors assistant coaches supervised. “It was very competitive,” Agbaji said. “We were wearing ourselves out, and that was kinda setting the tone for the whole entire summer and setting the tone for now too.”
  • Training camp was an all-or-nothing proposition for Bruno Fernando, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Fernando wouldn’t have gotten anything if he had been cut, but his $2.4MM salary will now become fully guaranteed after he earned a roster spot for the regular season.
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And-Ones: Top FAs, Under-The-Radar Players, Extensions, Carter-Williams

October 13th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kyrie Irving ranks as the potential top free agent next summer, according to Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype, though there’s no indication he wants to leave Dallas. Irving holds a player option for the 2025/26 season.

Rockets big man Alperen Sengun ranks as the No. 2 free agent, though he’ll be restricted if he doesn’t sign a rookie scale extension this month. At No. 3, Lakers forward LeBron James also has a ’25/26 player option, like Irving.

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram comes in at No. 4 overall on HoopsHype’s top-25 list and is the top-ranked player who will be fully unrestricted, without the fallback of a player option — unless, of course, he signs a contract with New Orleans prior to free agency.

We have more from around the basketball world:

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Raptors Notes: Barnes, Bench, Dick, Carton, Agbaji

October 6th, 2024 at 6:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors star forward Scottie Barnes rejoined the team in Montreal on Saturday, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. He didn’t suit up for their exhibition game against the Wizards on Sunday because they didn’t want to rush him back into action. Barnes, who signed a five-year, maximum-salary extension this offseason, missed most of training camp this week while he attended to a personal matter.

We have more on the Raptors:

  • Expect coach Darko Rajakovic to mix and match and use his bench quite often this season, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. “I think this season, we don’t have a cemented (starting) five. Off the bench, I think pretty much all the roster, going from five to 15, those guys are talented and great players and they’re competing for minutes,” Rajaković said. “They’re competing for a spot. So I can see us being this year much more fluid, and I’m going to be much more experimenting and giving guys opportunities in games just to see their growth and how they can affect the game.”
  • By almost default, Gradey Dick will likely be in the starting five at the beginning of the regular season, Koreen adds in the same story. The other logical options, Bruce Brown and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter, are not participating in training camp due to injuries. Dick is the only other player who can space the floor adequately for Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, Koreen notes.
  • Two-way player D.J. Carton and third-year wing Ochai Agbaji stood out Friday night when the Raptors held an open scrimmage at McGill University, according to Michael Grange of Sportnet. Agbaji was acquired from Utah at last season’s trade deadline and started 18 of 27 games after the deal. “The opportunity and the amount of opportunity that’s out there, you can feel it,” he said. “And obviously everyone that’s going in here and going 110 per cent, it’s just making everybody better.” The Raptors have until Oct. 31 to decide whether to pick up Agbaji’s $6,383,525 option for the 2025/26 season.
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