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Raptors’ Ujiri Talks Potential Return To Toronto, Player Development Plans

August 19th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While Masai Ujiri‘s new deal and promotion to vice chairman doesn’t give him a stake in the Raptors‘ ownership, sources who spoke to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca believe there may be “equity-like” elements in Ujiri’s deal, such as bonuses based on revenues or on an increased valuation of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Raptors.

The terms of Ujiri’s new contract with the team haven’t been announced or reported, so it’s unclear how much the Raptors’ president of basketball operations is being paid or how many years the deal covers. However, given that it has been called a “significant” multiyear deal, Grange says he’d be surprised if it’s not at least a four- or five-year agreement.

Ujiri spoke to reporters on Wednesday about his new deal with the Raptors and the team’s offseason. Here are a few of the highlights from that presser:

Ujiri is optimistic the Raptors will be able to play in Toronto in 2021/22 after spending a season in Tampa, suggesting that there’s no real backup plan at this point. “I told (MLSE chairman) Larry (Tanenbaum) and Adam (Silver) and even Prime Minister (Justin) Trudeau that playing away set us back a couple of years,” Ujiri said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We know that and we are ready for that challenge, (but) playing another year somewhere else will set us back five years. We are not trying to do that. We have no interest (in playing anywhere else). We have not looked elsewhere, we are not going to look elsewhere, we’re playing at home; we’re trying to play at home. That’s the goal for us.”
The Raptors could have created a chunk of cap space this offseason and pursued a veteran free agent or two, but they’re instead focusing on the development of returning young players like OG Anunoby and Malachi Flynn and newcomers like Scottie Barnes and Precious Achiuwa. “I said it when I sat here eight years ago (and) I’m saying it again,” Ujiri said, according to Lewenberg. “We are going to continue to develop these players and we’re going to find a way to win a championship here based on our development of our players, and whatever comes from that, sometimes trades, sometimes you acquire (players) through free agency.”
Ujiri added that the Raptors are willing to be patient with their young players and will give them an “opportunity to grow,” rather than trying to take a short-cut to contention, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “There’s going to be super-teams, there are going to be three superstars on one team and maybe they’ll get as many as 10 one day,” Ujiri said. “We’re not taking that route, at least not for now. Our route is to grow our young players and be excited. It might not be the big three and winning now and super-teams. But in our minds, it’s a little bit super. Super young, but super hopeful.”

Latest On Pascal Siakam

August 16th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite being the subject of several offseason trade rumors, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam likely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Amick, who reported earlier in the summer that the Kings were “definitely” interested in Siakam, spoke in Las Vegas with multiple people close to the situation and says he doesn’t get the sense that the Raptors have any interest in moving the former All-Star this offseason. President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have been willing to listen to inquiries, Amick notes, but they aren’t shopping Siakam.

Besides Sacramento, the Warriors and Clippers are among the other teams said to have Siakam on their radar. He remains under contract with the Raptors for $106MM over the next three years.

As Amick outlines, there were multiple reasons why executives around the NBA believed that Siakam might be available via trade this offseason. Toronto’s decision to use the No. 4 pick in the draft on forward Scottie Barnes instead of guard Jalen Suggs was one; Siakam’s friction with Raptors head coach Nick Nurse last season was another.

However, sources tell Amick that any tension between Siakam and Nurse has “long since been smoothed over” and that Ujiri and the Raptors have been in touch with the forward’s camp to make it clear the team has a vision for how he, Barnes, and the rest of the team’s pieces will fit together on the court. And for his part, Siakam wants to remain with the Raptors, Amick adds.

Siakam underwent shoulder surgery in June and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the 2021/22 campaign, so Toronto may not get to see its full roster in action until at least a month or two into the season. If the fit isn’t as smooth as the Raptors envision, perhaps things will change on the Siakam front at that point, but for now it looks like he’s part of the club’s plans going forward.

Dalano Banton Signs Two-Year Contract With Raptors

August 14th, 2021 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

2:30pm: The signing is now official, the Raptors confirmed in a press release.

8:21am: Dalano Banton is signing a two-year, $2.5MM contract with the Raptors, Shams Charania and Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweet.

It’s a minimum deal for a rookie and will be fully guaranteed in the first year and partially guaranteed in the second year, Murphy reports in another tweet.

The second-round pick has averaged 7.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 2.0 BPG in three summer league contests in Las Vegas. Banton spent two seasons in college, first at Western Kentucky and then at Nebraska after sitting out a year due to the transfer. He averaged 9.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.9 APG for the Cornhuskers.

The 6’9” forward, who was chosen with the No. 46 overall pick, projects to spend a good chunk of his rookie season with the franchise’s G League team, Raptors 905.

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Robinson, Bonga, Begarin

August 14th, 2021 at 1:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

Nerlens Noel had several suitors in free agency, but wanted to return to the Knicks to continue building on the progress from last year, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.

“There were other opportunities but I want to build on that and get this team to the next level,” Noel said. “Guys like Julius (Randle), RJ (Barrett), Derrick (Rose), we had pieces that can really come together. And I’m really confident we can be better.”

Berman also writes that Noel’s three-year, $27.2MM deal presents the Knicks with questions regarding young center Mitchell Robinson, who was one of the more productive young defensive centers in the league before injuries derailed his 2020/21 season. Robinson is eligible for a contract extension, but there has yet to be any indication whether the two sides will be able to get a deal done.

We have more news from around the Atlantic Division:

In the same piece, Berman writes that Robinson has been in Las Vegas, working out with Knicks staffers as he continues to progress from his broken foot. In a tweet, Robinson writes: “I look big asf them weights doing me some good and form looking great thanks Knicks staff.”
Isaac Bonga‘s deal with the Raptors includes a $200K guarantee, tweets Blake Murphy of The Athletic. The deal is presumed to be a training camp try-out, but the guarantee offers hope that Bonga may be able to stick. If so, the versatile wing could find himself in an ideal developmental situation with a team known for helping young players grow.
The Celtics’ 45th pick, Juhann Begarin, is ready to come over from France, writes Jay King of The Athletic, but team president Brad Stevens has other ideas. “Brad told me I would play in France for one more year,” Begarin said. “I think I’m ready to play with (the Celtics), and I knew summer league was an opportunity to show them I’m ready. I just asked him to play and show I can play with them.”

Suspended Jalen Harris Signs With Italian Team

August 14th, 2021 at 10:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Harris, who has been suspended by the NBA for violating its anti-drug program, has signed a one-year deal with Italy’s Vanoli Cremona, the Italian team tweets (hat tip to Sportando).

The NBA dismissed and disqualified Harris on July 1 and he’ll have to wait a year to apply for reinstatement.

Harris played for the Raptors on a two-way contract last season after being selected with the 59th pick in the 2020 draft out of the University of Nevada. He averaged 7.4 PPG in 13 games and was a standout on the Raptors’ G League team in his seven games with the 905, averaging 17.6 PPG on 50% shooting from 3-point distance.

The day after the suspension was announced, the Raptors waived Harris, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Thus, Toronto no longer holds his rights and he’ll be an unrestricted free agent if and when he’s eventually approved for reinstatement.

NBA Teams With Hard Caps For 2021/22

August 12th, 2021 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA salary cap is somewhat malleable, with various exceptions allowing every team to surpass the $112,414,000 threshold once their cap room is used up. In some cases, teams blow past not only the cap limit, but the luxury-tax line of $136,606,000 as well — the Nets and Warriors, for instance, project to have nine-figure tax bills this season as a result of their spending.

The NBA doesn’t have a “hard cap” by default, which allows clubs like Brooklyn and Golden State to build a significant payroll without violating CBA rules. However, there are certain scenarios in which teams can be hard-capped, as we explain in a glossary entry.

When a club uses the bi-annual exception, acquires a player via sign-and-trade, or uses more than the taxpayer portion of the mid-level exception (three years, starting at $5,890,000), that club will face a hard cap for the remainder of the league year.

When a team becomes hard-capped, it cannot exceed the “tax apron” at any point during the rest of the league year. The tax apron for 2021/22 was set at $143,002,000.

So far, over a third of the teams in the NBA have been willing to hard-cap themselves this offseason. Some teams will have to be aware of that hard cap when they consider any roster move for the rest of the season, but for others it’s just a technicality that won’t affect their plans.

Listed below are the hard-capped teams for the 2021/22 league year, along with how they created a hard cap.

Chicago Bulls

Acquired Lonzo Ball from Pelicans via sign-and-trade.
Acquired DeMar DeRozan from Spurs via sign-and-trade.
Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Alex Caruso.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Acquired Lauri Markkanen from Bulls via sign-and-trade.

Dallas Mavericks

Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Reggie Bullock.
Used bi-annual exception on Sterling Brown.

Houston Rockets

Acquired Daniel Theis from Bulls via sign-and-trade.

Miami Heat

Acquired Kyle Lowry from Raptors via sign-and-trade.
Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on P.J. Tucker.

New Orleans Pelicans

Acquired Devonte’ Graham from Hornets via sign-and-trade.
Acquired Garrett Temple from Bulls via sign-and-trade.

New York Knicks

Acquired Evan Fournier from Celtics via sign-and-trade.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

San Antonio Spurs

Acquired Doug McDermott from Pacers via sign-and-trade.

Toronto Raptors

Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Khem Birch.

Washington Wizards

Acquired Spencer Dinwiddie from Nets via sign-and-trade.
Used non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Isaiah Todd.

This list, which could continue to grow, will continue to be updated throughout the 2021/22 league year as necessary. It can be found anytime in the “Hoops Rumors Features” menu on the right-hand sidebar of our desktop site, or in the “Features” menu on our mobile site.

Isaac Bonga Signs With Raptors

August 11th, 2021 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

8:35pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the team.

5:37pm: Free agent swingman Isaac Bonga is signing with the Raptors, Blake Murphy of The Athletic reports.

Bonga’s deal will likely include a small guarantee and give him a chance to compete for a roster spot in training camp, Murphy adds.

Bonga became an unrestricted free agent when the Wizards declined to extend him a qualifying offer. He has played for Washington the past two seasons after beginning his career with the Lakers.

The 2018 second-round pick started 49 of 66 games in 2019/20, averaging 5.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 18.9 MPG. His playing time dropped dramatically this past season, as he played in 40 games (eight starts) and posted modest stats (2.0 PPG, 1.7 RPG in 10.8 MPG). He went scoreless in 10 playoff minutes.

Bonga, 21, projects to be one of a handful of players with partial guarantees vying for roster spots in Toronto, joining the likes of Sam Dekker, Ishmail Wainright, and Yuta Watanabe.

Contract Details For Sam Dekker

August 11th, 2021 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

Sam Dekker‘s one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Raptors features a partial guarantee worth $350K, according to Smith (Twitter link). Dekker’s salary will become fully guaranteed if he makes Toronto’s regular season roster.

Mavs Notes: Doncic Extension, Dragic, Hardaway, Brown

August 10th, 2021 at 5:47pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Mavericks recently traveled to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana to present star Luka Doncic with his five-year, $207MM extension, the most expensive rookie contract in NBA history, writes ESPN’s Royce Young.

According to team owner Mark Cuban, having the signing take place in Doncic’s home country was meant to send a message to the 22-year-old, two-time All-NBA guard:

“Just to confirm to Luka how important he is to us and how this is just the beginning,” Cuban said. “We want him to know we’re there for him, whether that’s here in Slovenia, in Dallas, or anywhere in the world. Part of this process is not only getting to know him but getting to know what’s important to him. How he looks at things.”

Doncic, for his part, claims that his signing the Mavs’ offer was “never in doubt.”

We have more news from the Mavericks:

Tim Cato and Blake Murphy of The Athletic discuss why Goran Dragic remains a Raptor, rather than having being re-routed to Dallas. Murphy writes that the Raptors have no incentive to buy out Dragic, who could still return value in a trade. Cato adds that the Mavs would be more likely to include Dwight Powell in trade talks than Maxi Kleber, but Josh Green could be a candidate to be moved if he remains in a limited role and the team continues to struggle in its non-Doncic minutes.
Details have emerged on Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s $75MM contract with the Mavs. Tim MacMahon of ESPN breaks down the descending structure of Hardaway’s deal, which will start at $21.3MM and end in the 2024/25 season at $16.19MM.
Recently-signed Sterling Brown‘s contract is fully guaranteed at $6MM over two years, tweets ESPN’s Zach Lowe. The contract will come out of the Mavs’ bi-annual exception. Given Dallas’ lack of wing depth and his defensive ability at 6’5 and career 37.4% shooting from three, Brown will likely be counted on as an important bench contributor this season.

Contract Details: Clippers, THT, Ball, Nwaba, Bembry, Raptors

August 10th, 2021 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After reporting over the weekend that the Clippers used about $3.9MM of their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Justise Winslow, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Instagram video) confirmed today that the team used the leftover portion of that MLE to sign second-round picks Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr. to three-year deals, with Preston getting a little more than the rookie minimum.

Keith Smith of Spotrac shares those salary figures down to the dollar, tweeting that Winslow’s first-year salary is $3,902,439 while Preston’s is $1,062,303. Combined with Boston’s rookie minimum of $925,258, those three salaries add up to exactly $5.89MM, the amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Here are a few more details on new contracts from around the NBA:

While Talen Horton-Tucker‘s three-year deal with the Lakers was initially said to be worth $32MM, the year-by-year breakdown provided by Smith works out to a total of $30.78MM (Twitter link).
Lonzo Ball‘s four-year deal with the Bulls also came in slightly lower than expected, according to Smith, who says it has a base value of $80MM, with $1MM in annual unlikely incentives (Twitter link).
David Nwaba‘s three-year, $15MM contract with the Rockets has two fully guaranteed seasons followed by a third-year team option, according to Marks (Instagram video).
DeAndre’ Bembry‘s minimum-salary deal with the Nets has a partial guarantee of $750K for now, tweets Smith. That number will increase to $1.25MM on December 15 before becoming fully guaranteed in January.
Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter links) shares some Raptors contract details, reporting that Gary Trent Jr.‘s deal has a base value of $51.84MM, with $250K in annual unlikely incentives. Murphy adds that Ishmail Wainright got a $250K guarantee in 2021/22 – plus a $125K guarantee in ’22/23 – on his minimum-salary contract, while Yuta Watanabe‘s minimum-salary deal is now partially guaranteed for $375K. Watanabe would get his full guarantee if he makes the regular season roster.