Terrence Ross Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Raptors, Holiday, Middleton, Asik, Draft

January 28th, 2016 at 2:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Attracting a major free agent to Toronto comes down to the team’s success on the court, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believes, and Toronto is holding up its end of the bargain so far this year, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com examines. The Raptors are in second place in the Eastern Conference, thanks in part to a lineup of Kyle Lowry, Patrick Patterson, offseason signees Cory Joseph and Bismack Biyombo, and the recently extended Terrence Ross that outscores opponents by a whopping 32.6 points per 100 possessions, Arnovitz notes.

“It’s simple: Win,” Ujiri said. “If you have a good culture, you can attract free agents. We have a very unique opportunity here.”

See more on the Raptors amid the latest from around the NBA:

Jrue Holiday has shown flashes of his peak form, and that’s perhaps partly because the Pelicans restricted his minutes earlier in the season as he recovered from a stress reaction in his right leg, writes Brett Dawson of The New Orleans Advocate. Would-be trade suitors have been “petrified” about Holiday’s leg issues, though the Pelicans are reluctant to deal him, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com wrote this week. “I think it helped me mentally, for one, preparing mentally to feel good,” Holiday said of the minutes restriction, since lifted. “Not to second-guess myself if I’m making a cut or doing a move, especially when it comes to the point where I’m playing back-to-back and playing a lot of minutes. And physically, I do feel really good right now.”
The five-year, $70MM deal that Bucks leading scorer Khris Middleton signed this past offseason is the NBA’s most trade-able contract, opines Keith Smith of RealGM, while Pelicans center Omer Asik‘s five-year pact worth nearly $53MM, also signed this past summer, is the league’s least trade-able deal, Smith writes in a follow-up piece.
LSU combo forward Ben Simmons unsurprisingly tops the latest draft rankings from Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, with Duke small forward Brandon Ingram second and Providence point guard Kris Dunn third.
Raptors D-League power forward Ronald Roberts, who’s averaging 18.4 points in 34.4 minutes per game, tops the latest D-League prospect rankings.

Atlantic Notes: Crowder, Nets, Ross

December 28th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets CEO Brett Yormark recently mentioned Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Bojan Bogdanovic as players to build around, and the team indeed intends to keep those four around rather than using them to replenish their depleted draft assets, NetsDaily hears. Yormark also alluded to some of the team’s younger players as building blocks without naming them, and the NetsDaily report speculates about who they might be.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics are thrilled with the play of Jae Crowder, whom the team re-signed over the summer to a five-year, $35MM deal, especially on the defensive end, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. “Jae’s playing at a high level right now on both ends,” said coach Brad Stevens. “But we need him to defend the way he is. The thing about Jae that I think Jae has really improved on throughout the years: being in the right place at the right time from a position standpoint because he’s so … he’s a good physical defender when he’s there.”
Knicks coach Derek Fisher is still struggling to find the right bench combination, and the playing time of rookie point guard Jerian Grant has taken a hit with veteran Sasha Vujacic assuming an expanded role, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “We’re still trying to find a way to have five guys that are playing together, flowing together. Sasha obviously has familiarity and history with what we’re trying to do offensively,” Fisher said. “We continue to search for how to get ourselves organized and we feel like Sasha gave us a chance to do so.”
The recent play of Terrence Ross is justifying the Raptors‘ decision to ink him to a three-year contract extension back in November, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. “The big word is confidence. He’s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence. He’s seeing the ball go through the basket,” coach Dwane Casey said. “I think his defense has been solid, too. It’s not just his offense that’s been pretty solid, it’s his defense, both phases of the game.” Ross has scored 10 or more points in six straight games and is averaging 15.2 points per game over that span, while shooting 49% from the field and connecting on 47% of his 3-point attempts.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Shumpert, D-League, Ross

December 13th, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Will Joseph

Iman Shumpert, who made his season debut Friday after breaking his right wrist just before training camp, is viewed by the Cavs as more of a long-term part of the team compared to J.R. Smith, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. That is one reason why, according to Pluto, the Cavs re-signed Shumpert, 25, to a four-year, $40MM deal very early in the summer. The Cavs believe Shumpert can be a significant part of a championship team because he is unselfish and is a solid 3-point shooter, Pluto adds. In comparison, the Cavs did not re-sign Smith until late August. Smith’s deal was a two-year pact with a player option for 2016/17.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from the D-League, the team announced. It was the small forward’s third trip to the D-League this season. The 25-year-old has averaged has 23.3 points in 36.8 minutes in three games in the D-League.
The Lakers assigned Tarik Black, Ryan Kelly and Anthony Brown to their D-League affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter).
Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year, $31MM extension with the Raptors last month, has not been able to string together consistent performances since inking the deal, Eric Koreen of the National Post writes. Toronto has tried in a variety of ways to spark Ross, including having him come off the bench, but nothing seems to stick, Koreen adds.

Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Okafor, Lee, Ross

December 10th, 2015 at 10:01am CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers decided to hire Jerry Colangelo because they felt GM Sam Hinkie mishandled negative publicity surrounding Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor in recent months, Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher says in a video. Owners with minority stakes in the Sixers pressured primary owner Josh Harris to make the move, Bucher adds. It’s inaccurate to say that the hiring came about in part because of pressure from owners who complained to the league about the Sixers’ rebuilding and its negative financial ripple effects, league sources told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who writes at the bottom of a larger piece. Still, commissioner Adam Silver was indeed involved in the move, Pompey adds. See more from the Atlantic Division:

The NBA continues to investigate the recent incidents involving Okafor and it hasn’t decided whether it will mete out punishment on top of the two-game suspension the Sixers issued last week, league officials told TMZ Sports. Colangelo has a strong relationship with agent Bill Duffy, who represents Okafor, as Bucher points out in his video. “Based on what we currently know, we support the 76ers’ approach in this matter,” an NBA spokesperson said to TMZ Sports. “The league office is continuing to investigate the events of that night.”
David Lee doesn’t regret the trade that brought him to the Celtics and ended his time with the Warriors, even as Golden State has embarked on a 23-0 start, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group relays. Lee’s representatives reportedly cooperated with the Warriors as they sought a new home for him this summer. “This is a business, and because of the salary cap and things like that, it was time for me to move on, and that’s what I did,” Lee said. “It couldn’t have ended any better.”
Terrence Ross is much the same player he was a few weeks after the Rudy Gay trade two years ago, and that’s perhaps the glaring issue for the swingman who signed a three-year, $31MM extension with the Raptors last month, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. His game grew more in the immediate wake of the trade than it has since, and inconsistency has plagued him, Lewenberg asserts.

Reaction To Terrence Ross Extension With Raptors

November 4th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The three-year extension that the Raptors gave Terrence Ross is a compromise between what he’s produced so far and the player he has the potential to become, posits Raptors vice president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun relays. Various reports have pegged its value from $31MM to nearly $33MM.

“Any time you have a rookie contract the guys, just by definition, are at a stage in their career where they’re probably yet to realize their potential so you’ve got to find that middle ground between where you think the player will go and where he is now,” Weltman said. “That’s why a lot of extensions don’t get done. But, yeah, we like to feel we’ve found some middle ground with Terrence where we’re paying him in the hope that he becomes a great player and we think he has that in him.”

The team is impressed with Ross’ work ethic, and Weltman admits that the rising salary cap is reflected in the value of the deal, notes Ganter. See more about one of the most talked-about of the seven rookie scale extensions this year:

Ross is most comfortable playing shooting guard, where the Raptors have him now as a backup after using him as a starter at small forward in the past, and the extension is a reasonable hedge against his value going up as he continues to develop, observes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
GM Masai Ujiri has shown that he’d rather set the prices of his players than have the market do that for him, but he’s taking a risk with Ross, who has yet to show that he has the mental toughness necessary to excel, opines Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The Ross contract appears to be one that Ujiri feels he’d be able to trade if the swingman doesn’t end up producing, Smith believes.
The 3-point shooting ability Ross has, supply and demand, and the insurance it gives the team in the event DeMar DeRozan bolts are all reasons why the Ross extension wasn’t too much of a gamble for the Raptors, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange argues.
Ross needs to show significant improvement and become more efficient and consistent to prove worthy of the deal, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post.

What do you think of the Ross extension? Leave a comment to give us your take.

Atlantic Notes: Green, D-League, Ross

November 3rd, 2015 at 6:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Spurs shooting guard Danny Green acknowledged that the Knicks had reached out to him over the summer, but said that he couldn’t gauge their sincerity and he instead agreed to re-sign with San Antonio when the free agent signing period began back in July, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I was very much leaning towards [the Spurs] than anywhere else,’’ Green said. “New York reached out, but I don’t think they were as interested as I thought they’d be. My deal was done pretty quick.’’

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey and swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This marks the first assignment of the 2015/16 season for each player. The Red Claws don’t officially open their season until November 12th, so this is likely a move designed to get the duo more practice time, though that is merely my speculation.
Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Raptors on Monday, will earn $10MM in 2016/17, and $10.5MM per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets.
The Nets have officially added Randy Ayers and Bob Bender to their player personnel scouting staff, the team announced. Ayers was named to the position of college scout, while Bender was named pro scout, according to the press release.
Jared Sullinger, who failed to reach an agreement with the Celtics on an extension prior to Monday’s deadline, said that he’ll be playing the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, and added that even some of his own family members have doubted his abilities, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe relays (via Twitter).

Raptors Ink Terrence Ross To Three-Year Extension

November 2nd, 2015 at 11:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA: Preseason-Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

The Raptors and swingman Terrence Ross have reached an extension deal for three years and nearly $33MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets. It comes closer to $10.5MM than $11MM, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange (on Twitter). In any case, Sam Amick of USA Today confirms the agreement (Twitter link) and the team’s media relations department later tweeted the extension was formally signed.

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believes Ross is developing into a core player, Wojnarowski adds in a subsequent post. He started 61 games last year, averaging 9.8 points, and had a 21-point game against the Celtics on Friday.

Ross is currently serving as a backup to All-Star DeMar DeRozan and DeMarre Carroll. Ross is the second Raptors player to sign a rookie extension before the deadline, Wojnarowski notes, joining center Jonas Valanciunas, who signed a four-year, $64MM extension during the offseason.

The Raptors made a business decision to extend Ross and Valanciunas because they would have had to spend as much or more in summer to retain them, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.

Ross, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft, 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.

Projecting that Ross’ salary for 2016/17 will be in the range of $10.5MM, Toronto now has more than $70MM in salary committed against a projected $89MM cap, though some executives and agents reportedly think the cap will go up to $95MM.

Is this deal better for the Raptors, better for Ross, or did they arrive at a fair number for both sides? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Latest On Raptors, Terrence Ross Extension Talks

November 2nd, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

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.

Atlantic Notes: Ross, Thomas, Lopez, Fisher

November 2nd, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors have had talks with Terrence Ross but had made no offer as of late Sunday, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reports. The Aaron Mintz client presents a conundrum because his skill and athleticism don’t always show up in his performance, as Grange examines.

“Consistency is the key on both ends of the floor, not just his offense but his defense,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “And that’s a huge question with him.”

Ross said he likes his new role as a bench player, but despite his status as a reserve, Grange believes $10MM is not out of the question if he and the team agree to terms. As the hours dwindle in advance of tonight’s rookie scale extension deadline at 11pm Central, see more from the Atlantic Division:

Langston Galloway is continuing to thrive for the Knicks on his partially guaranteed deal this season, and the same is true for Lance Thomas, as Marc Berman of the New York Post examines. Thomas re-signed with New York on a one-year deal of nearly $1.637MM, slightly above the minimum. It doesn’t hurt that Thomas is an ex-teammate of Kevin Durant, Berman posits.
The roster the Nets put together for this season is thin on three-point shooting, and that allows defenses to focus on stopping Brook Lopez inside, which has forced Lopez to take far fewer shots from close to the basket than he did last season, fellow Post scribe Tim Bontemps observes. Brooklyn re-signed Lopez this summer for three years at the max.
Knicks coach Derek Fisher is stepping out from team president Phil Jackson‘s shadow as he’s moved away from the triangle somewhat during the team’s first few games this season, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Extension Rumors: Sunday

November 1st, 2015 at 11:13pm CST by Will Joseph

It seems unlikely that Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal and Warriors center Festus Ezeli will receive rookie-scale contract extensions and thus will be restricted free agents come July, barring an unexpected late turnaround in negotiations, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports.

The news regarding Beal does not come as a surprise because though the Wizards fully intend to sign him to a maximum-salary contract, they prefer to do so next summer. Stein adds that the Wizards have been consistent with their message that they see Beal as a future and long-term star for the franchise. Reports have conflicted about how much negotiating has occurred between Ezeli and the Warriors, but an extension never seemed imminent.

The window for former first-round picks to sign contract extensions during the fourth and final year of their rookie contracts is Monday.

Here is more news on extensions:

Players known to still be in negotiations entering the deadline include Raptors shooting guard/small forward Terrence Ross, Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard and Thunder shooting guard Dion Waiters, according to Stein. Regarding Ross, it’s likely to go down to the wire and the Raptors would be open to giving him an extension, if the price is to their liking, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. reports. “I mean it would be an honor to get an extension,” Ross told Lewenberg. “If that doesn’t happen then we’ll take it from there.”
Extensions at this point are looking unlikely for Sixers shooting guard Tony Wroten and Celtics big men Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, according to Stein.