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Atlantic Notes: Barrett, Quickley, Towns, Butler

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Raptors‘ anticipated starting five heading into the 2024/25 season has yet to play a game together. According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), forward RJ Barrett was originally listed as questionable to suit up against the Magic on Friday due to an illness — had he played, it would have marked the first time Toronto’s starters were all available.

Barrett was eventually ruled out against Orlando, per Murphy (via Twitter). Ochai Agbaji started in his stead, scoring 15 points in the 106-97 loss. The team fell to 8-27 on the season and dropped its ninth game among its last 10.

The next opportunity for the Raptors to field all of their first five will be in a Monday matchup with the 17-15 Bucks.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

On New Year’s Day against the Nets, Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley made his first return to action after a 22-game absence. His comeback from a partially torn UCL in his left elbow could open up the offense of All-Star forward Scottie Barnes, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who opines that Quickley’s abilities as a play-maker and distributor should help Barnes as a scorer. “It was amazing,” Barnes said of Quickley’s return. “ Something that we really missed, and we needed. His play-making ability, his ability to get to the paint, his shooting, all that, we needed it.”
Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns is thriving during his second stint with head coach Tom Thibodeau. Towns believes the two-time Coach of the Year has greatly altered his approach in New York, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Towns notes that Thibodeau is now “a different man” and far more mellow. “I like this version going into 2025,” Towns said. Thibodeau previously coached Towns from 2016-19 on the Timberwolves. Towns and fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson have clicked incredibly well together on offense, a new point of emphasis for Thibodeau. All told, New York is 24-11 on the year, good for the East’s No. 3 seed. “I’ve grown since the time when we were together in Minnesota,” Towns said of Thibodeau. “He’s grown. I think that we’re just, in this game of life, we’re just finding ourselves and getting better all the time.”
The Sixers explored a potential trade to reacquire embattled Heat All-Star forward Jimmy Butler during this past offseason, notes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Seven-time All-Star Philadelphia center Joel Embiid had been pushing for a reunion with Butler, alongside whom he played for part of the 2018/19 season. The five-time All-NBA swingman departed for Miami in free agency. Prior to the team’s signing of Paul George, Butler had been known to be on the Sixers’ list of potential summer targets, but the Heat weren’t really considering moving him during the offseason. Now, Butler’s relationship with Miami has soured to the point that the Heat have suspended him for seven games and have indicated they are amenable to a trade.

Raptors Notes: Record-Setting Loss, Shead, Rajakovic, Barnes, Brown

December 31st, 2024 at 9:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors closed out their worst calendar year ever with the largest loss in franchise history, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Toronto lost by 54 points on Tuesday afternoon in Boston, wrapping up a week filled with historic misery. Grange notes that the Raptors gave up a team-record 155 points Thursday in Memphis and set a franchise mark for turnovers in a home game by committing 31 in Sunday’s loss to Atlanta.

The latest defeat wraps up a forgettable 12 months for the Raptors, who were in contention for a play-in spot when 2024 began. Their 20-63 mark since January 1 goes into the record books as the most losses the franchise has suffered in a single year.

Although things look bleak for Toronto, which dropped into 14th place in the East at 7-26, Grange tries to find a few positives for the franchise going into 2025. One of them is the play of rookie guard Jamal Shead, who appears to be a steal with the 45th pick in this year’s draft. Shead combines physical defense with an ability to get into the paint and make quick decisions. His three-point shooting has been a pleasant surprise, as he came into today’s game connecting at 46.7% from beyond the arc.

There’s more from Toronto:

Head coach Darko Rajakovic has done an admirable job of keeping the team together despite its current 11-game losing streak, Grange adds in the same piece. He has focused on improving his young talent, and management appears to be patient even though the Raptors haven’t won much since he took over. “It’s a roller-coaster season, and that’s what we’re going to understand,” Rajakovic said before Tuesday’s game. “There’s going to be ups and downs, and also improvement. Progress is never linear … at some point you get tired, you get bumped, you gotta learn how to bounce back. There is a lot of adversity, and we’re feeling that adversity, and it’s good. We’re gonna use that adversity to our advantage, to get information that we need to improve, to focus on the most important things, and to see the growth. That’s what this whole season is about, and to also learn who can rise to challenge and who cannot.”
Rajakovic told reporters that Scottie Barnes has been dealing with numerous physical ailments over the past 10 days, including ankle and knee soreness and tightness in his core (Twitter link from Grange). He added that Barnes is starting to feel better, saying, “I’m expecting him to make strides.”
One bright spot this week was the return of Bruce Brown, who made his season debut on Sunday following offseason knee surgery, Grange states in a separate story. The versatile swingman, who’s considered to be one of Toronto’s most valuable trade pieces, scored 12 points in 19 minutes. “I felt like myself again,” he said.

Atlantic Notes: C. Johnson, Raptors, Barnes, Embiid, Maxey

December 23rd, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Arthur Hill

As Nets forward Cameron Johnson waits to see if he’ll be traded, he’s finding himself at the top of opposing teams’ game plans, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. A string of injuries, along with last week’s trade of Dennis Schröder to Golden State, has forced Johnson to take on a larger role in Brooklyn’s offense. Utah was the latest team to adjust its defensive approach, trapping Johnson repeatedly on Saturday while forcing him into six turnovers and a 2-0f-9 shooting night from three-point range.

“The one thing — obviously good job on them for blitzing CJ — but six turnovers to five assists, it’s not good enough,” coach Jordi Fernandez said. “The intentions were good, he was throwing the pass to the short roll. It was just the execution was not good. For the most part, he knew what we’re supposed to do, he’s just never been in that position. Every time Cam Thomas has been blitzed, we’ve got a clean execution out of it. If you turn it over every time, or a lot of times you got blitzed [it’s bad]. In the second half, he was better, but those turnovers, for sure we paid for it.”

It may be a short-term problem, as Johnson is considered likely to be moved before the February 6 trade deadline. The Thunder and Kings are among the teams that have reportedly expressed interest, and Lewis states that Johnson’s production and a contract that takes up just 13% of the cap make him the team’s top trade asset. In the meantime, Fernandez wants his players to do a better job of adjusting to the new defensive looks.

“We should have known how to space the floor versus blitz, especially the middle of the floor,” he said. “For the most part, when we executed right we had the shots that we wanted. Obviously, turning it over is not what we’re supposed to do, and we’ve got to be better.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Late-game execution continued to be a problem for the Raptors in Sunday’s four-point loss to Houston, observes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Toronto led for much of the night, but had too many empty possessions with the game on the line. The team could use Immanuel Quickley, who is recovering from a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament, and Koreen states that he was able to take part in Saturday’s practice, although he wasn’t cleared for contact. Koreen adds that finding a player who can create his own shot should be a priority in the draft, noting that Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper may be more proficient in that area than projected top pick Cooper Flagg.
A lethargic performance from Scottie Barnes could be a cause for concern, contends Michael Grange of Sportsnet, although Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic attributed it to rust from recent injuries. In his second game since returning from a sprained ankle, Barnes had six points on 2-of-15 shooting and launched unsuccessful three-point attempts on his first seven shots. “As you can see, he’s not being himself,” Rajakovic said. “He’s banged up, he got hit in his hip the last game, [there’s] his ankle and there’s been a couple of things bothering him. He’s still not himself, he’ll be better.”
Lack of cohesion has been a big factor in the Sixers‘ slow start, notes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Joel Embiid is expected to play tonight against San Antonio, which would mark just the fifth time this season he’s been on the court alongside Tyrese Maxey and Paul George. Maxey is on the injury report with an illness, but he’s listed as probable to suit up, Pompey tweets.

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.

Injury Notes: Doncic, Mavs, Barnes, Poeltl, Beal, Wizards, Harris

December 19th, 2024 at 7:00am CST by Luke Adams

Luka Doncic (left heel contusion) has been ruled out for the Mavericks‘ game vs. the Clippers on Thursday, while Kyrie Irving (right shoulder soreness) is questionable to play, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (Substack link).

There was some good news on the injury front for Dallas, however, as neither Naji Marshall nor Maxi Kleber is on the injury report for Thursday’s game. Marshall has missed five of the Mavs’ past six games while battling an illness; Kleber was unavailable for the past three due to an illness and a rib injury.

Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was originally expected to miss “several weeks” due to an ankle sprain, but just 10 days after sustaining that injury, he has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game against Brooklyn after fully participating in Wednesday’s practice (Twitter links via Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca). “I’m so happy that it wasn’t as serious as I thought it was going to be,” Barnes said. In other Raptors injury news, starting center Jakob Poeltl is considered day-to-day with a bilateral groin strain and will miss Thursday’s contest.
After missing the Suns‘ past two games with swelling in his right knee, star guard Bradley Beal “did everything” in practice on Wednesday and the team is “hopeful” he’ll be able to play Thursday against Indiana, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer (story via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic). Beal has been listed as probable to suit up.
Wizards guards Malcolm Brogdon, Kyshawn George, and Corey Kispert aren’t on the injury report for Thursday’s game vs. Charlotte and should be available to play, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Brogdon has been out since December 5 due to a hamstring strain, while both George and Kispert have been recovering from left ankle sprains since Dec. 3.
Magic guard Gary Harris, who has been unavailable since November 25 due to a left hamstring strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Thursday’s game vs. Oklahoma City, notes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). Harris has been averaging 17.2 minutes per game in his first 16 outings of the season before suffering that injury in his 17th appearance.

Raptors Notes: Barnes, Poeltl, Boucher, Brown, Barrett, Knicks Dispute

December 17th, 2024 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

After Scottie Barnes went down with an ankle sprain last Monday, a report from ESPN indicated that he was expected to miss several weeks. However, the Raptors forward appears on track to beat that projected timeline, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, who says there’s optimism Barnes could return to action as soon as this week.

Within the same story, Grange explores which Raptors players are and aren’t likely to be in-season trade candidates ahead of the February 6 deadline. Notably, sources who have spoken to Grange believe that starting center Jakob Poeltl will probably stick with the team through the deadline rather than being dangled as a trade chip.

As Grange explains, Toronto would ideally like to just spend one season rebuilding and then begin pushing back toward contention next season in a relatively weak Eastern Conference. Poeltl is under contract for at least 2025/26 (with a player option for ’26/27), so he could be part of the Raptors’ next playoff team. And if the retooling process don’t progress as quickly as hoped, he’d still have trade value in a future transaction window.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Grange identifies big man Chris Boucher and swingman Bruce Brown – both on expiring contracts – as logical trade candidates for Toronto, but notes that the club is unlikely to extract a significant return for either player due to their large cap hits ($10.8MM for Boucher, $23MM for Brown) relative to their production. “If there was big demand, he wouldn’t be on the Raptors,” one Eastern Conference executive said of Boucher.
As for Brown, Grange hears from team sources that the veteran has bought into what the Raptors are trying to build and wouldn’t be opposed to sticking around, meaning it’s not entirely out of the question that he stays in Toronto and re-signs in the summer.
In a separate story for Sportsnet.ca, Grange takes a look at the impressive strides that forward RJ Barrett has made this season as a play-maker and de facto point guard with Immanuel Quickley having missed most of the season due to injuries. The 24-year-old, who never averaged more than 3.0 assists per game with the Knicks, increased that number to 4.1 APG after being traded to the Raptors last season and has bumped it up again to 6.0 APG so far in 2024/25.
After the Knicks and Raptors informed the U.S. District Court last week that the NBA hadn’t provided them with any updates on its investigation into the Knicks’ allegations of stolen files, the league reached out to both teams on Monday to begin the process, reports Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link). The Knicks, who initially filed a lawsuit against the Raptors and were referred back to the NBA’s arbitration process by the court, have maintained all along that commissioner Adam Silver isn’t an impartial judge and beat that drum again on Monday. “The NBA has admitted to sitting on this serious theft of proprietary and confidential files for several months,” the team told The New York Post in a statement. “The NBA has a clear conflict of interest and a lack of desire to see a fair outcome in this matter – which we’ve said all along.”

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Brunson, Thibodeau, Barnes

December 15th, 2024 at 1:41pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

It has been a roller coaster ride for Nets shooting guard Keon Johnson over the past year-plus, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Times (subscriber link), who notes that the former No. 21 overall pick was out of work when last season began before catching on with Brooklyn on a two-way deal in November.

The 6’5″ Tennessee alum earned a promotion to a standard partially guaranteed contract over the summer and is now a part of head coach Jordi Fernandez‘s rotation as he looks to hang onto his roster spot through the league-wide salary guarantee date of January 7, Lewis writes.

Through 23 contests so far, Johnson is averaging 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.5 steals per contest, with a shooting line of .355/.315/.750. Although he had a couple DNP-CDs earlier in the season, he has been part of Brooklyn’s starting lineup for the past four games.

“I think good things happen to players that work really hard and they do whatever it takes for the team — Keon has been doing it,” Fernandez said. “And he’s not the only one right now. He’s in this position … because he deserves it. He still has work to do and improve, but I’m very happy with him. He’s a guy that can be very, very, very good defensively. He’s able to catch and shoot, he’s an amazing athlete, and all those things so far are important for us.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Former Knicks starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, who departed for Oklahoma City in free agency this summer, claimed he wouldn’t have let All-Star Hawks point guard Trae Young celebrate his NBA Cup victory atop the team’s logo on the Madison Square Garden court. All-NBA Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson had a succinct retort when asked about his former teammate’s comments, per Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Isaiah isn’t here,” Brunson said.
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau disputes the notion that his team has struggled defensively, Braziller writes in another New York Post story. “I think we’re top 10 in points allowed, we’re [12th] in points in the paint, we’re fifth in fast-break points allowed, we’re top five in second-chance points allowed, so those are all good markers,” Thibodeau said. “Defensive field goal percentage the last 10 games has been good. I think we’re 13th [overall]. It’s all moving in the right direction. Can it be better? Yes, and that’s what we’re aiming for.” Braziller notes that the team, which brought in All-Defensive Team forward Mikal Bridges and All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns in separate offseason trades, currently ranks 16th in defensive rating, a dip from its ninth-place finish in 2023/24.
Fourth-year All-Star Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was able to go through a light workout on Sunday with Toronto assistant coaches, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Barnes injured his right ankle in a 113-108 loss to the Knicks on Monday, and it is anticipated that he will be sidelined for multiple weeks. Toronto’s best two-way player, Barnes is averaging 20.6 points, 8.4 boards, 7.4 dimes, 1.3 steals and 0.7 rejections in his 14 healthy games for the 7-19 squad.

Scottie Barnes Expected To Miss Several Weeks Due To Ankle Injury

December 11th, 2024 at 9:56am CST by Luke Adams

9:56am: The Raptors have confirmed that Barnes’ right ankle injury is a sprain and have announced he’ll be reevaluated in one week. The press release from the team doesn’t provide a specific timeline for the forward’s return to the court.

9:26am: Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is expected to miss “several” weeks as a result of the right ankle injury he sustained on Monday, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Barnes injured his ankle in the third quarter of a home loss to the Knicks when he contested a Karl-Anthony Towns shot attempt near the basket — the two players got tangled up and Towns came down on Barnes’ foot (video link). The 2022 Rookie of the Year fell to the floor in obvious pain and was helped off the court by teammates before hopping to the locker room, unable to put weight on his right foot.

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Barnes was in a walking boot on Tuesday and was expected to undergo more imaging on the injury, initially diagnosed as a right ankle sprain, with the Raptors expected to provide an update on Wednesday. I’d expect that formal update from the team will come soon, but Charania’s report makes it clear that Barnes is facing an extended absence.

It’ll be the second lengthy layoff already this season for Barnes, who missed 11 games over three-plus weeks in October and November due to a right orbital fracture.

Barnes has been extremely effective when healthy, averaging career highs in points (20.6), rebounds (8.4), and assists (7.4) per game in 14 outings (33.2 MPG). The Raptors have been more competitive when the 23-year-old has been available, going 5-9 with him and 2-9 without him this fall.

It’s a rebuilding season for Toronto, so Barnes’ absence isn’t the same sort of setback it would be for a team with championship or playoff aspirations — in fact, it might ultimately benefit the franchise in the long run if it helps the Raptors’ draft position. Still, it’s a disappointing development for a team that still hasn’t had a chance to see two of its cornerstone players – Barnes and Immanuel Quickley – play together this season.

Another extended absence will also have major financial implications for Barnes, who is now on track to fall short of the 65-game threshold in 2024/25, making him ineligible for end-of-season awards, such as All-NBA.

Given the Raptors’ place in the standings, an All-NBA nod was probably a long shot for Barnes anyway, but missing out on that honor will ensure that his maximum-salary rookie extension begins at 25% of the salary cap next season instead of 30%. That means it’ll be worth a projected $224MM over five years instead of $269MM.

Barnes’ injury will result in more offensive responsibilities for RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick, with Jonathan Mogbo, Chris Boucher, and Jamison Battle among the candidates for increased roles. Bruce Brown, who should make his season debut soon after undergoing offseason knee surgery, should also help fill the hole created by Barnes’ absence.

Raptors Notes: Carton, Barrett, Quickley

December 10th, 2024 at 5:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Injuries apparently played a role in the Raptors decision to waive two-way player D.J. Carton.

With Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Bruce Brown dealing with injuries, Toronto wanted to add depth. Carton couldn’t provide that in the short run because he’s expected to miss the next three-to-four weeks with an ankle injury of his own, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets.

It’s possible that Carton will be re-signed at some point, Scotto adds.

We have more on the Raptors:

While the team awaits an update on Barnes, who injured his right ankle and foot against the Knicks on Monday, RJ Barrett will have to ramp up his production in Barnes’ absence, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Barrett wound up with 30 points, eight rebounds and four assists against his former team, and did his best to get the Raptors good looks in crunch time, Koreen notes. However, after this season Barrett could see a much different role if the Raptors get a high lottery pick who commands a high percentage of the offense.
In an extensive interview with Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Barrett says that playing for coach Darko Rajakovic has been a boon for his career. “He’s very, you know, straight to the point, but very encouraging, very encouraging. He believes in me,” Barrett said. “Whenever a coach has that spirit, you want to run through a wall for him.” Barrett still has two years and over $57MM remaining on his contract but that might be considered a relative bargain with the way he’s expanded his game since he was acquired from the Knicks.
Quickley had more imaging done on his injured left elbow that has kept him out since Nov. 10, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. He’s progressing, per the Raptors, but he still hasn’t been cleared to ramp up or practice. There’s still no timeline for his return.

Raptors Star Scottie Barnes Suffers Right Ankle Injury

December 9th, 2024 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors star Scottie Barnes exited Monday’s game against the Knicks with what the team called a right ankle sprain, according to ESPN’s News Services. However, there is concern that the injury to his right ankle and foot could be more severe.

Barnes was helped off the court by teammates before hopping to the locker room, unable to put weight on his right foot. The injury occurred when he contested Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns‘s shot during the third quarter and Towns came down on Barnes’ foot near the basket (video link).

Initial X-rays were negative, according to head coach Darko Rajakovic, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. However, it’s anticipated Barnes will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. He’ll be reevaluated on Tuesday morning, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet adds (via Twitter).

Barnes has already missed 11 games this season due a right orbital fracture. He entered the game averaging 21 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per contest.

Barnes signed a five-year max extension and the contract’s value would increase if he made an All-NBA team this season. However, another extended absence would extinguish any chance of that happening due to the 65-game rule.