Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Ulrich Chomche

Raptors Notes: Brown, Road Woes, Chomche, Walter

November 23rd, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bruce Brown has been limited by injuries since the Raptors acquired him from Indiana in January, but he feels ready to prove himself as he gets closer to making his season debut, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. After undergoing arthroscopic surgery shortly before the start of training camp, Brown is expected to return to action sometime during the team’s four-game road trip.

“I don’t know if y’all noticed, but last year I didn’t look really engaged or (have) a lot of (the) energy I had with other teams because I was playing on one leg,” Brown said after participating in Saturday’s practice. “I want that to be addressed: I know a lot of fans didn’t think I played with a lot of energy, and I didn’t want to be here — that’s on social media — but I do want to be here, I do want to play with these guys, it’s a great bunch of guys, great coaches, great organization, but I was literally playing on one leg. It was tough for me mentally, I couldn’t move the way I wanted, play defense the way I wanted, so it was tough.”

Brown served as a versatile reserve on Denver’s 2023 title team and was one of the hottest names in free agency that summer before landing a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown during the offseason, hoping he would be fully recovered from the right knee issues that plagued him after he came to Toronto last season.

“I was on one leg. You could watch, first half I was pretty much fine, once the second half started and it got really stiff,” he said. “I couldn’t run, couldn’t move, (but) we had so many guys out, that’s just not how I’m built (to sit out). If I can go out there and play, I go out there and play. It was tough, obviously, it didn’t look good some of the time, I didn’t perform the way I was supposed to, but if I can do a little bit, then why not.”

There’s more from Toronto:

  • The Raptors are the only remaining team without a road victory, notes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. One reason is that Scottie Barnes, who returned Thursday from an orbital bone fracture, has only played in one game away from home. Another is that RJ Barrett has been a totally different player in home games, averaging 29.3 PPG and shooting 50.8% from the floor at Scotiabank Arena and 19 PPG while shooting 37.2% everywhere else.
  • The Raptors are happy with the progress of second-round pick Ulrich Chomche with their G League affiliate. Appearing on The Raptors Show with Blake Murphy (video link), Raptors 905 coach Drew Jones said the former Basketball Africa League big man is handling the adjustment well. “He’s a sponge, man, and people use that term loosely, but he really is,” Jones said. “And not only is he trying to absorb the information, he’s trying to apply it in real time.”
  • As the Raptors head out on the road, rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter will remain with the G League team to work his way back from a shoulder injury, Grange tweets.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Notes: Brown, Barrett, Barnes, Walter, Chomche

September 30th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Arthur Hill

Speaking to reporters at Monday’s media day, Raptors executive Masai Ujiri explained the decision to have Bruce Brown undergo arthroscopic surgery so late in the offseason, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Brown had the procedure done September 19 and is likely to miss most, if not all of the preseason.

“Bruce was cleared in the summer,” Ujiri said. “As he began to ramp up his knee flared up … all summer Bruce was good, he participated with the team (in off-season workouts). But when it flared up we made the decision collectively.”

Brown’s knee issues date back to last season, but he was hoping they would improve through a summer of rest and rehab. Brown has an expiring $23MM contract and could be a valuable trade piece by the deadline if the Raptors aren’t able to contend for a play-in spot.

There’s more from Toronto’s media day:

  • Head coach Darko Rajakovic is looking forward to a full training camp with RJ Barrett, who was acquired from New York last December, Grange adds (Twitter links). Rajakovic said Barrett adjusted to his new team very quickly after the deal, and the forward told reporters that he was eager to get back to his NBA responsibilities after Canada was knocked out of the Olympics. “Right after we lost, I was on the bus back to the hotel and called (Raptors assistant) Jama (Mahlalela) and got it figured out,” Barrett said. “… This is the Raptors, this my team, my home, I wanted to be there with my teammates. … I wanted to show that I’m all in.” 
  • Scottie Barnes has been focused on improving his shot creation skills throughout the summer, according to Grange (Twitter link). Barnes added that individual accomplishments are a byproduct of winning and said he’s willing to be patient as the team rebuilds. “Taking our time, don’t get frustrated throughout that process,” he said. “Of course we want to win and we know we can win, but it takes time, so don’t get frustrated through the process.”
  • Rookie Ja’Kobe Walter will miss training camp with a shoulder sprain, but Ujiri doesn’t expect it to be a lingering issue, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link).
  • Ujiri also expressed excitement about rookie center Ulrich Chomche, who signed a two-way contract after being selected with the 57th pick in the draft, relays Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link).“Very intriguing young player,” Ujiri said. “I remember watching him the first time at BAL, he showed incredible instinct defensively. Also work ethic, playing hard, that mindset. Those Cameroonian guys, they fight hard, it’s pride for them.”
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Sign Ulrich Chomche To Two-Way Deal

July 9th, 2024 at 3:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have officially signed No. 57 overall pick Ulrich Chomche to a two-way contract, per the NBA’s transaction log.

According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet (Twitter link), Chomche’s deal will cover two years instead of just one, putting him on track to reach restricted free agency in 2026. Chomche was the youngest player in this year’s draft class (he won’t turn 19 until December 30), so his camp and the Raptors agreed to approach his development with a longer-term view, Murphy explains.

Chomche, who was born in Cameroon, was part of the NBA Academy Africa before playing in the Basketball Africa League in 2022 and 2023. The 6’11” center became the first player in league history to be selected in an NBA draft after playing in the BAL.

The Raptors reportedly sent the Timberwolves $1MM in cash to acquire the No. 57 pick in last month’s draft in order to nab Chomche. That deal ended up being expanded to include four teams.

Toronto has now filled all three of its two-way slots, with Chomche joining D.J. Carton and Branden Carlson. The club also has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts. It’s unclear if the Raptors plan on making any more roster changes in the coming days, weeks, or months, or if this is essentially the group they’ll take into training camp (with camp invitees to fill out the 21-man squad).

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Pistons, Wolves, Grizzlies, Raptors Complete Four-Team Deal

July 6th, 2024 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons, Timberwolves, Grizzlies, and Raptors have folded a series of separate trade agreements into a single four-team trade, which is now official, the Wolves announced today in a press release.

The Pistons and Timberwolves initially agreed to a deal sending Minnesota’s Wendell Moore to Detroit in exchange for a second-round pick swap, with the Pistons moving up from No. 53 to No. 37.

The Wolves subsequently traded the No. 53 pick to Memphis in exchange for No. 57 and a future second-rounder. Then Minnesota traded No. 57 to Toronto for a reported $1MM in cash.

The end result is as follows:

  • Pistons acquire Moore and the draft rights to Bobi Klintman (No. 37 pick).
  • Timberwolves acquire a future second-round pick (from Grizzlies) and cash ($1MM; from Raptors).
  • Grizzlies acquire the draft rights to Cam Spencer (No. 53 pick).
  • Raptors acquire the draft rights to Ulrich Chomche (No. 57 pick).

The Pistons are taking a chance on an inexpensive former first-rounder in Moore ($2.54MM salary in 2024/25) while having moved up in the second round to select a prospect higher on their draft board; the Wolves, who are operating over the second apron, save some money while having swapped out their No. 37 pick for a future second-rounder; and the Grizzlies and Raptors gave up minor assets to trade into the back end of the second round of the draft.

The one missing detail is here is which future second-round pick the Grizzlies are sending Minnesota. We’ll update our tracker of 2024 offseason trades with that information once it’s reported.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Announce Several Signings, Including First-Rounder Walter

July 4th, 2024 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have announced a series of signings, confirming in a pair of press releases that they’ve signed second-round picks Jonathan Mogbo and Jamal Shead to standard contracts and undrafted free agent Branden Carlson to a two-way deal. Those agreements were all previously reported.

The team also announced that it has signed first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter to his rookie scale contract.

The 6’5″ Walter was one of the top recruits in the nation heading into college. He made an immediate impact with the Bears as a freshman in 2023/24, starting all 35 games he played and averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 37.6% from the field and 34.1% from three-point range. He was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and earned third-team all-conference honors.

As the No. 19 pick in the draft, Walter figures to earn about $3.47MM salary as a rookie and $16.79MM across the entirety of his four-year contract. Those numbers assume he signed for 120% of the rookie scale amount, which almost every player does.

With Walter, Mogbo, and Shead all signed, the Raptors are up to 13 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with Immanuel Quickley and Garrett Temple expected to fill the 14th and 15th roster spots once their deals are official.

The team’s other draftee, No. 57 pick Ulrich Chomche, is considered likely to end up on a two-way deal, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. However, the team is still waiting to officially acquire Chomche and can’t complete that signing yet.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors Notes: Mogbo, Quickley, Shead, Chomche

June 28th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors selected San Francisco’s Jonathan Mogbo with the first pick in the second round because they like his game, but it didn’t hurt that he was a childhood friend of Scottie Barnes, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN. The former AAU teammates grew up together in Florida and still train together during the offseason. General manager Bobby Webster said the team wasn’t aware of their friendship – which dates back to the fourth grade – when it started scouting Mogbo.

“Around the league a lot of guys grow up playing with each other, and I think those relationships are fun to see from afar, but you can probably imagine the basketball [piece] has to work and we have to like him as a player,” Webster said. “By doing that it creates a basis for that relationship to be fun, and I’m sure they enjoy it, but he has to fit as a basketball player first.”

Mogbo is only 6’6″, but he was used as a big man in college because of his 7’2″ wingspan. He’s considered a potentially elite defender with a questionable shot, but the Raptors are impressed by his versatility and believe he can adjust to a wing role in the NBA.

“It probably feels like a bit more of a Raptors pick,” Webster added. “An athletic wing who can do a little bit of everything. There’s probably some development curve for him, shooting-wise. But I think, physically, [he has an] NBA body… He can really run, can really jump. So that felt like us; the makings of a two-way Raptors wing.”

There’s more from Toronto:

  • There may be some “sticker shock” regarding Immanuel Quickley‘s new five-year, $175MM contract, but it should wind up being an average salary for a starting NBA point guard, contends Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Koreen points out that 11 point guards will already earn more than Quickley next season, and Jamal Murray, Jalen Brunson, De’Aaron Fox and Derrick White may surpass him soon. Koreen adds that Quickley will get 8% annual raises while the salary cap is expected to rise by 10% each year, so the new contract will steadily become less burdensome.
  • Although they opted to keep the 31st pick, the Raptors’ front office got plenty of phone calls between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon, Koreen states in a separate story. Webster is among several executives who prefer the new draft format with the first and second rounds on separate days. “There’s a little interesting dynamic in the late first, early second, and that’s what we’ve kind of found with 31,” he said. “In some ways teams would almost prefer the early seconds. They cost a little bit less (against) the tax.”
  • Toronto appears to have promised a guaranteed contract to Houston guard Jamal Shead, who was selected with the 45th pick. Sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic that the NCAA’s Defensive Player of the Year turned down more than a dozen two-way offers before getting guaranteed money from the Raptors (Twitter link).
  • Toronto paid $1MM to acquire the 57th pick from Memphis, sources tell Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). It was used to select Cameroon center Ulrich Chomche, making him the first player ever drafted from the NBA Academy Africa, which Raptors executive Masai Ujiri helped to develop.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Grizzlies To Acquire No. 53 Pick Cam Spencer From Wolves

June 28th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 28, 10:33am: The Timberwolves will acquire a future second-round pick from the Grizzlies to move down from No. 53 to No. 57, and cash considerations from the Raptors for No. 57, reports Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link).

JUNE 27, 5:16pm: The Timberwolves are swapping the No. 53 pick to the Grizzlies for the No. 57 pick, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium tweets. Minnesota will then send the No. 57 pick to the Raptors, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

UConn shooting guard Cam Spencer was taken with the No. 53 and he’ll now join the Grizzlies. Spencer played a key role in UConn’s championship run this past season, averaging 14.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists after transferring from Rutgers. He also played three seasons at Loyola Maryland. Spencer shot 44% from beyond the 3-point arc for the Huskies and knocked 41.7% of his 3s in 132 college games.

He’s the fourth UConn player to get selected in this draft. Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan were chosen in the lottery and Tristen Newton was also selected in the second round.

Cameroon big man Ulrich Chomche was chosen at No. 57 and he’ll join Toronto. He spent this past season with the NBA Academy Africa. He only played three games during the Basketball Africa League qualifiers, in which he averaged 13 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal per game. Overall, he averaged 8.5 points, 2.4 assists and 2.1 blocks in 26 games last season.

He’s the first player from the NBA Academy to be drafted.

Minnesota, in a cap-saving move, agreed to trade shooting guard Wendell Moore Jr. and the 37th pick to Detroit earlier in the day. The Pistons used that pick to select forward Bobi Klintman.

Essentially, the Timberwolves made three deals to trade out of the second round.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Western Notes: Kings Workout, Jazz Workout, Kolek, Suns’ Targets

June 17th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Monday that included two of the top center prospects, two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey (Purdue) and Kel’el Ware (Indiana), Sean Cunningham of FOX 40 Sacramento tweets. Both are projected to be taken in the first round. Jamison Battle (Ohio St.), Boogie Ellis (USC), Rayj Dennis (Baylor) and Jonathan Mogbo (USF) were the other visitors.

We have more from the Western Conference:

  • The Jazz held a pre-draft workout on Monday that included Melvin Ajinca (France), Ulrich Chomche (Cameroon), Tyler Kolek (Marquette), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB) and Tyler Wahl (Wisconsin), Darren Wolfson tweets. Kolek, a point guard, is considered a first-round pick. All the other prospects except for Wahl are ranked among the Top 50 on ESPN’s Best Available list.
  • Speaking of Kolek, the Suns are expected to target the Marquette floor leader, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Phoenix currently owns the No. 22 pick. The Suns are searching for a traditional point guard.
  • The Suns will only be able to make veteran’s minimum offers to free agents due to their salary cap restraints. Gerald Bourguet of GoPHNX.com looks at 20 free agent wing options, breaking them down by realistic targets and others that may be out of their price range.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA’s 2024 Draft Withdrawal Deadline Has Passed

June 17th, 2024 at 7:40am CST by Luke Adams

The deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the 2024 NBA draft passed on Sunday at 5:00 pm Eastern time, meaning that any players who haven’t removed their names from consideration at that point will remain in this year’s draft pool.

Because the NCAA has its own draft withdrawal deadline earlier in the spring, the NBA’s deadline typically represents decision day for non-college players, including international prospects. As we relayed on Sunday, several of those international early entrants who initially tested the draft waters decided to pull out before the deadline.

The following players also withdrew from the draft ahead of Sunday’s deadline:

Additionally, there were several reports on Sunday about international prospects who decided to keep their names in the draft pool. Here are those players:

There was no word on Sunday about several of the big-name international prospects, such as Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, and Tidjane Salaun, but there’s no doubt they kept their names in the draft, since they’re projected lottery picks. Nikola Topic is in that group as well, despite the fact that he recently suffered a partially torn ACL.

As our early entrant tracker shows, there are still a handful of prospects whose intentions haven’t been announced or reported, but it shouldn’t be long before we get clarity on them — the NBA will likely announce its official early entrant list for the 2024 draft at some point within the next 24 to 48 hours or so.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

NBA Announces 78 Invitees For 2024 Draft Combine

May 3rd, 2024 at 5:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 78 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 12-19.

In addition to those 78 players, a handful of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.

Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2024 draft pool, since some are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility. College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 29 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 16. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.

Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2024 draft combine:

(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)

  1. Michael Ajayi, F, Pepperdine (junior)
  2. Melvin Ajinca, G/F, France (born 2004)
  3. Trey Alexander, G, Creighton (junior)
  4. Izan Almansa, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
  5. Reece Beekman, G, Virginia (senior)
  6. Adem Bona, F/C, UCLA (sophomore)
  7. Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (sophomore)
  8. Jalen Bridges, F, Baylor (senior)
  9. Matas Buzelis, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  10. Carlton Carrington, G, Pitt (freshman)
  11. Devin Carter, G, Providence (junior)
  12. Stephon Castle, G, UConn (freshman)
  13. Ulrich Chomche, C, NBA Academy Africa (born 2005)
  14. Cam Christie, G, Minnesota (freshman)
  15. Nique Clifford, G, Colorado State (senior)
  16. Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (sophomore)
  17. Isaiah Collier, G, USC (freshman)
  18. Tristan Da Silva, F, Colorado (senior)
  19. Pacome Dadiet, G/F, Germany (born 2005)
  20. N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon (super-senior)
  21. Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  22. Nikola Djurisic, G/F, Serbia (born 2004)
  23. Ryan Dunn, F, Virginia (sophomore)
  24. Zach Edey, C, Purdue (senior)
  25. Justin Edwards, G/F, Kentucky (freshman)
  26. Kyle Filipowski, F/C, Duke (sophomore)
  27. Trentyn Flowers, G/F, Australia (born 2005)
  28. Johnny Furphy, G/F, Kansas (freshman)
  29. Kyshawn George, G/F, Miami (FL) (freshman)
  30. Tyon Grant-Foster, G, Grand Canyon (senior)
  31. PJ Hall, C, Clemson (senior)
  32. Coleman Hawkins, F, Illinois (senior)
  33. Ron Holland, F, G League Ignite (born 2005)
  34. DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (junior)
  35. Ariel Hukporti, C, Germany (born 2002)
  36. Oso Ighodaro, F, Marquette (senior)
  37. Harrison Ingram, F, UNC (junior)
  38. Bronny James, G, USC (freshman)
  39. A.J. Johnson, G, Australia (born 2004)
  40. Keshad Johnson, F, Arizona (super-senior)
  41. David Jones, F, Memphis (senior)
  42. Dillon Jones, F, Weber State (senior)
  43. Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton (senior)
    • Note: Kalkbrenner indicated this week that he intends to return to school, so it’s unclear if he’ll continue to go through the pre-draft process.
  44. Alex Karaban, F, UConn (sophomore)
  45. Bobi Klintman, F, Australia (born 2003)
  46. Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee (super-senior)
  47. Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette (senior)
  48. Pelle Larsson, G, Arizona (senior)
  49. Jared McCain, G, Duke (freshman)
  50. Kevin McCullar, G, Kansas (super-senior)
  51. Yves Missi, C, Baylor (freshman)
  52. Ajay Mitchell, G, UC Santa Barbara (junior)
  53. Jonathan Mogbo, F/C, San Francisco (senior)
  54. Tristen Newton, G, UConn (super-senior)
  55. Juan Nunez, G, Germany (born 2004)
  56. Quinten Post, F/C, Boston College (super-senior)
  57. Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky (super-senior)
  58. Zaccharie Risacher, F, France (born 2005)
  59. Jaxson Robinson, G/F, BYU (senior)
  60. Tidjane Salaun, F, France (born 2005)
  61. Hunter Sallis, G, Wake Forest (junior)
  62. Payton Sandfort, G/F, Iowa (junior)
  63. Alexandre Sarr, F/C, Australia (born 2005)
  64. Baylor Scheierman, G/F, Creighton (super-senior)
  65. Mark Sears, G, Alabama (senior)
  66. Terrence Shannon, G, Illinois (super-senior)
  67. Jamal Shead, G, Houston (senior)
  68. Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (freshman)
  69. KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (junior)
  70. Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (born 2004)
  71. Cam Spencer, G, UConn (super-senior)
  72. Nikola Topic, G, Serbia (born 2005)
  73. JT Toppin, F, New Mexico (freshman)
  74. Jaylon Tyson, G, California (junior)
  75. Ja’Kobe Walter, G, Baylor (freshman)
  76. Kel’el Ware, C, Indiana (sophomore)
  77. Jamir Watkins, G/F, Florida State (junior)
  78. Cody Williams, F, Colorado (freshman)

It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to a few combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:

  • A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child).
  • Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
  • Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.

Regarding that last point, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link) has the details on the top 10 played out this year, noting that the composite ranking was generated based on a combination of publicly available rankings and feedback from a panel of experts, as well as a retained-scouting service.

Sarr is considered the No. 1 overall prospect, per Givony, so only teams drafting in the top 10 will get access to his medicals. Buzelis, Castle, Clingan, Risacher, and Topic are in the 2-6 range, while Dillingham, Holland, Knecht, and Sheppard round out the top 10.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts