Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Aron Baynes Could Miss Next Season

August 7th, 2021 at 10:00am CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent center Aron Baynes could miss next season due to a neck injury, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

Baynes, who played for the Raptors last season, has severe nerve damage in his neck and is currently in the hospital, says Charania. Baynes, a member of the Australian national team that took the bronze medal at the Olympics, initially injured his neck in a victory over Italy. He suffered a more significant injury slipping in the team bathroom.

The Raptors waived Baynes on Wednesday before his $7.35MM salary for 2021/22 would’ve become fully guaranteed.

Baynes signed a two-year contract with the Raptors during the 2020 offseason after enjoying a career year in Phoenix. He averaged 6.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 53 games (18.5 MPG) with Toronto and his shooting percentages (.441/.262/.707) were significantly below his career rates.

However, Baynes was expected to attract interest in the open market from teams looking to add to their frontcourt depth.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Achiuwa, Dragic, Birch, TPE, Ujiri

August 7th, 2021 at 8:12am CST by Luke Adams

There was some speculation leading up to free agency that Toronto would make an effort to re-sign veteran point guard Kyle Lowry, but comments made on Friday by the six-time All-Star and by Raptors general manager Bobby Webster suggested both sides felt the time was right to move on, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

“I think the direction Toronto is going in is they want to give the opportunities to (Fred VanVleet), Pascal (Siakam), OG (Anunoby), a couple young guys, the young draft picks they have,” Lowry told reporters. “They have some great core pieces. They’re in great hands and great shape. It was a situation for me where it was an opportunity to do something different… It’s time to turn the page in the book.”

Webster conveyed a similar sentiment: “You probably could see (during the 2020/21 second half) the direction the team was going in, and jumping up in the draft to get the fourth pick, philosophically, I think going young became kind of a more desirable path.”

Once they recognized Lowry would be moving on, the Raptors could’ve decided to let him walk in order to open up cap room to pursue a free agent. However, that path offered less certainty, especially if the team made an offer sheet to a restricted free agent (such as Jarrett Allen) not knowing whether it would be matched. The Raptors preferred to acquire Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa via a sign-and-trade with the Heat, Lewenberg writes.

“Precious is a huge part of this deal for us,” Webster said. “We really liked him last year in the draft so I think that was a huge get in the sense of a young player that we like and fits.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Throughout the week, there were rumors that Toronto may try to flip Dragic to a third team after acquiring him via sign-and-trade. Webster said on Friday that’s not Plan A. “Obviously, if we got an offer that was too good to refuse we’d listen but ultimately we want Goran here,” the Raptors’ GM said, per Lewenberg. “He’s happy to be here, obviously he’s been able to carve out a very nice career for himself. Talking to (team president) Masai (Ujiri), talking to everyone here, we’ve watched him a ton and I know a lot of people have seen him kill us. As a basketball player, as a vet, he provides a lot of value to us.”
After his new three-year deal with the Raptors was formally announced on Friday, Canadian center Khem Birch told reporters he was focused throughout free agency on returning to the team, as Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. “It feels like a dream come true,” Birch said. “It’s so surreal right now … just one of those free agencies where I knew where I wanted to go. I don’t even know what other teams were interested in me. I just wanted to come here regardless of the price or the years or anything. I just knew this was a great fit. I’m just happy I’m here.”
The Raptors will generate a traded player exception as a result of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade to Miami. It’ll be worth somewhere between $4.8MM and $7.7MM, depending on the specific structure of Lowry’s new contract, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic.
Speaking to Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Raptors chairman Larry Tanenbaum confirmed that Masai Ujiri‘s new vice chairman title won’t give him an ownership stake in the franchise, but said it reflects his standing in the organization. “I chair the Raptors, but it’s just a recognition that we’re really working together,” Tanenbaum said. “We’re partners.”
Tanenbaum added in the same interview that the team’s plan is to have Lowry retire as a Raptor down the road and to retire his number. “He will retire as a Raptor and his number will absolutely go up there,” Tanenbaum said. “The honor will be the first one (for the Raptors) and I love Kyle.”

Heat, Raptors Finalize Kyle Lowry Sign-And-Trade

August 6th, 2021 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Raptors via sign-and-trade, Miami announced today in a press release. Toronto received point guard Goran Dragic and big man Precious Achiuwa in the deal.

Lowry was one of the first free agents to make a commitment when the negotiation period opened on Monday evening, but it took all week for the details of the sign-and-trade to be confirmed. Dragic and Achiuwa were always believed to be part of the deal, but there were rumors that Dragic would be flipped to a third team or that the Raptors would receive additional pieces. Ultimately, it’s just a two-for-one swap.

Lowry’s new, fully guaranteed contract with the Heat was initially reported to be worth $90MM over three years, but it’ll actually come in at $85MM, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Miami would’ve needed to include more salary in addition to Dragic and Achiuwa for matching purposes in order to accommodate that $90MM figure, notes Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The Heat, who have been after Lowry since at least the trade deadline in March, will unite the six-time All-Star with his close friend Jimmy Butler, who has agreed to sign a lucrative new contract extension of his own with Miami.

While a guaranteed three-year, $85MM investment is a risk for a player who is entering his age-35 season, Lowry has championship experience and is an ideal fit on virtually any roster due to his ability to handle the ball, knock down outside shots, and provide strong defense. He averaged 17.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, and 5.3 RPG on .436/.396/.875 in 46 games (34.8 MPG) in his final season as a Raptor.

“Kyle Lowry is a great leader and an exceptional defender,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement. “As a point guard, he will bring important skills to run the offense, score the ball and defend with the very best.”

The Raptors, meanwhile, still could theoretically flip Dragic to another team in the coming days, weeks, or months. However, Marc Stein reported earlier today that Toronto has “resisted external interest” in the Slovenian guard from the Mavericks and other teams.

Barring further trades, Dragic will join the Raptors’ backcourt alongside Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, and Gary Trent Jr., while Achiuwa will battle for minutes in a frontcourt rotation that includes Khem Birch and Chris Boucher.

Examining Masai Ujiri's New Deal, Title With Raptors

August 6th, 2021 at 12:52pm CST by JD Shaw

Michael Grange of Sportsnet examines Masai Ujiri‘s new deal and title with the Raptors, noting that Ujiri’s new “vice chairman” position won’t give him a stake in team ownership.

Raptors Re-Sign Khem Birch To Three-Year Contract

August 5th, 2021 at 6:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 6: The Raptors have made it official with Birch, formally issuing a press release to confirm his new deal.

AUGUST 5: The Raptors have reached a three-year contract agreement with one of their own free agents, center Khem Birch, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The deal will be worth $20MM. Toronto only held Non-Bird rights on Birch, so it will likely use part of its mid-level exception to re-sign Birch. It’s also conceivable that the Raptors could open up sufficient cap room to make it happen, but if they take back Goran Dragic or another high-salary player in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade with Miami, they’ll need to use the mid-level.

Birch joined the Raptors in April after the rebuilding Magic bought him out. He started 17 of 19 regular-season appearances with the Raptors, averaging 11.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 1.2 BPG in 30.4 MPG. The 28-year-old Birch played his first three-and-a-half NBA seasons with Orlando but was mainly used off the bench.

The Raptors waived Aron Baynes on Wednesday, so Birch could compete with Chris Boucher for a starting role with the club.

Raptors Extend, Promote Masai Ujiri

August 5th, 2021 at 5:09pm CST by Luke Adams

5:09pm: The Raptors have officially announced Ujiri’s new deal and new title, announcing in a press release that he has signed a multiyear contract to become the team’s vice chairman and president.

“Great sportsmen impact their games. Great leaders impact their communities. Masai Ujiri does both, and we’re very pleased he is returning to the Raptors as vice-chairman and president,” Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chairman Larry Tanenbaum said in a statement. “Masai and MLSE share the goals of bringing another NBA Championship to Toronto, and off the court, working towards making our city, country and world a better place. These are exciting times, and we look forward to all that comes next for our team, for Masai and for his family. Masai, we’re glad you’re staying home.”

1:29pm: The Raptors are losing six-time All-Star Kyle Lowry to the Heat this week, but they’ve reached an agreement to lock up their other key free agent, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

According to Wojnarowski, Toronto’s president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has agreed to a “significant” new deal with the franchise that will give him the title of vice chairman in addition to team president. The Raptors posted a video to their Twitter account alluding to the new deal with Ujiri, whose previous contract had been about to expire.

“I love being the leader of the Toronto Raptors and I’m here to stay,” Ujiri said in the video.

Ujiri, who won the NBA’s Executive of the Year award in 2013 with the Nuggets, was hired as the Raptors’ head of basketball operations that same year and spearheaded the turnaround of a club that had missed the playoffs in five straight seasons prior to his arrival.

Ujiri and his front office have displayed a knack over the years of finding hidden gems in the draft class, including Pascal Siakam (No. 27 pick), Norman Powell (No. 46 pick), and Fred VanVleet (undrafted free agent). He also memorably acquired Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs during the 2018 offseason, a move that pushed the Raptors over the top for the first championship in team history.

There was some uncertainty about what Ujiri’s future held when he didn’t agree to an extension with the Raptors a year or two before his contract expired, but he continued his usual work in the draft and free agency this summer, signaling that he had no plans to leave the organization. According to Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Ujiri is staying in Toronto despite being courted by multiple franchises “beyond (the) NBA’s boundaries.”

Atlantic Notes: Knox, Raptors, Sixers, Beckner, Kemba

August 5th, 2021 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

Knicks forward Kevin Knox will not play for the team in the Las Vegas Summer League, the club announced today (via Twitter). According to the Knicks, Knox has been placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

It’s unclear whether Knox has tested positive for COVID-19. Regardless, he’ll miss out on an important opportunity for offseason development following three underwhelming seasons with the Knicks, creating further uncertainty about his future with the franchise.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Even though Masai Ujiri has made several savvy roster moves during his tenure as head of basketball operations in Toronto, he has had a hard time luring top free agents to the Raptors and many of his biggest free agent signings have been busts, write Eric Koreen and Blake Murphy of The Athletic. That’s likely a big reason why the Raptors appear to be forgoing cap space and operating over the cap this offseason, per The Athletic’s duo.
The Sixers have hired Phil Beckner as a coaching consultant, Yaron Weitzman of FOX Sports relays (Twitter links). While it’s probably unwise to read too much into the move, it’s worth noting that Beckner is a former Weber State assistant coach and Damian Lillard‘s trainer.
Mike Vorkunov, Jay King, and Jared Weiss of The Athletic discuss Kemba Walker‘s injury history and his fit with the Knicks. As Vorkunov points out, even if Walker’s left knee isn’t 100% healthy going forward, the cost of signing him (about $8MM) isn’t prohibitive and he has proven in the last two seasons that he can still be productive while dealing with that knee issue.

Ishmail Wainright Signs With Raptors

August 5th, 2021 at 9:36am CST by Luke Adams

AUGUST 7: The signing is official, the Raptors announced (via Twitter).

AUGUST 5: The Raptors have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent swingman Ishmail Wainright, agents Deirunas Visockas and Jim Tanner tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

While the exact terms of the deal aren’t known, Blake Murphy of The Athletic says (via Twitter) it’ll include a partial guarantee, giving Wainright the opportunity to compete for a regular season roster spot. It seems likely to be worth the minimum.

Wainright, 26, went outdrafted out of Baylor in 2017 and has bounced around a handful of international leagues since then. In 2020/21, he played for Strasbourg in France, registering 11.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG on .485/.320/.726 shooting in 36 games (28.1 MPG). He’s considered a versatile defender on the wing, notes Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

A report in June stated that Wainright was eyeing a move to the NBA for 2021/22 and identified Toronto as the frontrunner to land him. Murphy reported on Wednesday (via Twitter) that Wainright would be on the Raptors’ Summer League roster in Las Vegas.

Trade Rumors: Kings, Siakam, Raptors, Dragic, Spurs, Markkanen

August 4th, 2021 at 2:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings “definitely” have trade interest in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, Sam Amick of The Athletic said during an appearance on The Deuce & Mo Podcast (video link).

There have whispers this offseason – particularly since the Raptors used the No. 4 overall pick to draft Scottie Barnes – that Siakam is available via trade, but Amick says the Kings have been waiting for clarity on just how willing Toronto might be to move him. Sacramento would likely pursue Siakam if given the chance, though it’s unclear how much interest the Raptors would have in possible trade chips like Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

It’s looking more and more like Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa – the two primary outgoing pieces in the Heat‘s Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade – will end up with the Raptors, at least for the time being, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. The Raptors are believed to be exploring flipping Dragic to a third team, such as the Mavericks, but apparently haven’t found a deal they like yet.
Dragic, for his part, offered the following update on Slovenian television on Tuesday, per Iztok Franko of Mavs Moneyball (Twitter link): “I haven’t heard from Toronto yet, I’m still waiting for the news. Everything depends on the third team, we’ll have the news in the next few days.”
Before agreeing to acquire Thaddeus Young and Al-Farouq Aminu in their DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade with the Bulls, the Spurs were interested in landing Lauri Markkanen via sign-and-trade, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast. However, according to Windhorst, Markkanen sought a larger contract than the Spurs were comfortable offering, prompting the team to pivot to the veterans on expiring contracts. Windhorst believes there’s a “decent chance” Markkanen – a restricted free agent – will end up returning to Chicago.

Momentum Building On Khem Birch Return

August 4th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Eli Cohen

Khem Birch could be nearing a return to the Raptors, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). Grange reports that there’s “growing momentum” toward the two sides reaching a deal. The 28-year-old center was extremely productive in his 19 games for the Raptors after coming over in a trade, and has turned himself into a solid starting center over the last couple seasons.