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Raptors Sign, Waive Breein Tyree, Tres Tinkle, Dewan Hernandez

December 19th, 2020 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors signed and waived guard Breein Tyree, forward Tres Tinkle, and big man Dewan Hernandez earlier today, according to Blake Murphy and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Those moves were all made with an eye toward securing G League rights for the Raptors 905 and have no impact on Toronto’s regular season roster, Murphy confirms. The Raptors’ G League affiliate is expected to participate in the proposed NBAGL bubble, and it sounds like Tyree, Tinkle, and Hernandez will suit up for the team.

Tyree, who spent all four years of his college career at Mississippi, averaged 19.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG on .427/.360/.822 shooting in 31 games (34.6 MPG) as a senior in 2019/20. He competed in training camp for a two-way deal with the Heat, but was released on Wednesday.

Tinkle, 24, averaged 18.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG in 31 games (34.5 MPG) as a redshirt senior for Oregon State last season. He signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Lakers (and was subsequently waived) after going undrafted, but L.A.’s G League team isn’t expected to take part in the G League bubble, so joining the Raptors 905 will give Tinkle a chance to play — and to potentially earn a $50K bonus.

Hernandez, meanwhile, was drafted 59th overall by the Raptors in 2019 and spent his rookie season with the club, recording 14 points and 14 rebounds in 28 total minutes across six NBA games. The former University of Miami standout also appeared in nine G League games for the Raptors 905, averaging 13.4 PPG and 9.6 RPG. However, he was sidelined for much of the season by an ankle injury and was cut last month.

Raptors Cut Oshae Brissett, Alize Johnson, Henry Ellenson

December 19th, 2020 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have waived forward Oshae Brissett, forward Alize Johnson, and big man Henry Ellenson as they move closer to setting their regular season roster, the team announced today.

Brissett, who went undrafted out of Syracuse in 2019, spent his rookie year on a two-way contract with Toronto, appearing in 19 games for the NBA team and 30 for the Raptors 905 in the G League. He averaged 14.9 PPG and 6.6 RPG in 30 games (27.8 MPG) at the NBAGL level.

Since Brissett’s new multiyear deal with the Raptors had a $300K partial guarantee in year one, the club will remain on the hook for that money unless he’s claimed off waivers on Monday.

Johnson was the 50th overall pick in the 2018 draft and spent his first two professional seasons under contract with the Pacers. The 24-year-old logged just 182 total minutes in 31 games at the NBA level over those two years, but posted big numbers for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the G League, with 19.5 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .514/.363/.699 shooting in 50 career NBAGL contests.

The 18th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Ellenson has bounced around from Detroit to New York to Brooklyn since entering the league, appearing in just 81 total games over four seasons. The former Marquette standout, who is still just 23 years old, started last season on a two-way contract with the Nets but was waived in January.

Both Johnson and Ellenson were training camp invitees who always looked like long shots to make the Raptors’ regular season roster. Johnson’s deal was non-guaranteed, while Ellenson had a modest $50K guarantee.

The Raptors are now down to 15 players on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals, but will likely make a couple more roster moves before their regular season squad is locked in. According to Kelsea O’Brien of BasketballNews.com (Twitter link), current two-way player Paul Watson is expected to be promoted to the standard roster. Camp invitee Yuta Watanabe appears likely to fill Watson’s two-way contract slot, notes Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Raptors Notes: Anunoby, Lowry, Arena Plans, Bembry

December 17th, 2020 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is no longer on track to reach free agency in 2021 and preserving as much cap room as possible for next summer may no longer been as high a priority for the Raptors, a rookie scale extension for three-and-D wing OG Anunoby before Monday’s deadline looks like a more realistic possibility.

According to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, Anunoby’s camp is thought to be seeking a deal similar to the one Fred VanVleet just signed (four years, $85MM), while the Raptors will likely counter with an annual salary closer to $15MM per year. Lewenberg wonders if the two sides might ultimately agree to something in the $17-18MM range.

Although the Raptors view Anunoby as a big part of its future, there’s no guarantee that will find common ground in the coming days. If the 23-year-old doesn’t sign a new contract on or before Monday, he’ll become a restricted free agent during the 2021 offseason.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Kyle Lowry is also entering a contract year, but he said today that he hasn’t spoken to the front office about his future beyond this season (Twitter link via Lewenberg). “My goal is to stay focused on trying to win a championship for the Raptors,” Lowry said. “I’ll let the other stuff play itself out.” Unlike Anunoby, Lowry isn’t currently eligible to sign an extension.
Despite not playing in their home city to start the 2020/21 regular season, the Raptors will be one of a handful of NBA teams hosting fans in their arena. The club issued a press release earlier this week announcing plans to host 3,800 fans for regular season games in Tampa. According to the Raptors, no seats within 30 feet of the court will be available, and a number of other safety measures will be in place, including fans being required to wear masks and practice physical distancing while in the building. Fans will also be screened when they enter the arena and will be prohibited from bringing in bags.
DeAndre’ Bembry is making a strong impression on Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, who said that it’s “hard to keep (him) off the floor,” per Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link). The newly-signed swingman sounds like a good bet to be one of the first players off the bench for the club.

Bembry Could Have Big Effect On Raptors

December 15th, 2020 at 10:07pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly-added 26-year-old Raptors forward DeAndre’ Bembry could be an X-factor for the team this season, thanks especially to his multifaceted defense, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN. “I’ve always brought an edge to the game and just a hunger,” Bembry said. “And then I can guard one through three, I can play one through three, I can get in the paint, make some plays in the paint.”

Next Steps For Masai After Giannis Stays With Bucks

December 15th, 2020 at 5:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Now that Antetokounmpo will be forgoing free agency for the immediate future, Raptors team president Masai Ujiri will have to get creative when it comes to team-building, per Eric Koreen of the Athletic. Using a bevy of assets towards a trade for Rockets guard James Harden or Wizards guard Bradley Beal could make sense for Toronto. Ujiri’s contract with the Raptors will expire this offseason, and Koreen wonders if the loss of Antetokounmpo as a free agent prospect could affect Ujiri’s decision to remain with the Raptors long-term.

Boucher Won't Be As Trigger Happy This Season

December 14th, 2020 at 5:42pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Chris Boucher will have an expanded role with the Raptors this season now that Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are gone, and he plans to do the dirty work, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The big man re-signed with the club on a two-year, $13.5MM deal as a restricted free agent. “You’ve got to come in the game, play defense, block shots, rebound, make the good reads,” Boucher said. “I think I was a little trigger happy before … We’ve got good shooters with me when I’m playing now, so I don’t really need to be taking those shots.”

2020/21 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

December 14th, 2020 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2020/21 NBA regular season will get underway on December 22, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

Of course, there are plenty of wild cards to take into account this season. For one, teams are scheduled to play 72 games instead of 82, so if you’re picking a team to win 41 games, you’re not just expecting them to be a .500 club — you’re projecting them to finish 10 games above .500. For each team’s over/under below, we’ve noted the record they’d have to achieve to finish “over” their projection, as a reminder.

It’s also worth noting that the coronavirus pandemic could cause some games to be canceled in 2020/21. We don’t want you to have to take possible cancellations into account when making your picks though, so don’t let that stop you from taking the “over.” If a team has a couple games canceled, we’ll adjust their over/under figure downward, so you’re essentially just projecting that team’s winning percentage.

We’ll kick things off today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

2019/20 record: 48-24
Over/under for 2020/21: 45.5 wins (46-26)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague, Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard
- Lost: Gordon Hayward, Enes Kanter, Brad Wanamaker, Vincent Poirier

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Celtics poll.

Brooklyn Nets

2019/20 record: 35-37
Over/under for 2020/21: 45.5 wins (46-26)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Landry Shamet, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green
  - Note: Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are also returning from injuries.
- Lost: Garrett Temple, Wilson Chandler, Dzanan Musa

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Nets poll.

Philadelphia 76ers

2019/20 record: 43-30
Over/under for 2020/21: 44.5 wins (45-27)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Danny Green, Seth Curry, Dwight Howard, Tony Bradley, Terrance Ferguson, Tyrese Maxey, Isaiah Joe, Vincent Poirier
- Lost: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Alec Burks, Raul Neto, Glenn Robinson III, Kyle O’Quinn, Zhaire Smith, Norvel Pelle

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Sixers poll.

Toronto Raptors

2019/20 record: 53-19
Over/under for 2020/21: 42.5 wins (43-29)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Aron Baynes, DeAndre’ Bembry, Alex Len, Malachi Flynn
- Lost: Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Malcolm Miller, Dewan Hernandez

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Raptors poll.

New York Knicks

2019/20 record: 21-45
Over/under for 2020/21: 22.5 wins (23-49)
Major offseason moves:
- Added: Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Austin Rivers, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Omari Spellman
- Lost: Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, Maurice Harkless, Damyean Dotson

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Knicks poll.

Raptors To Use Boucher As First Big Off Bench; Thomas Displays Scoring Ability

December 13th, 2020 at 6:33pm CST by JD Shaw

The Raptors plan to utilize Chris Boucher as the first big man off the bench in most games this season, head coach Nick Nurse said, as relayed by Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link). Boucher added nine points, four rebounds and three blocks off the bench in the team’s preseason win over Charlotte on Saturday, logging 14 minutes of action.
Raptors guard Matt Thomas displayed his versatile scoring ability against the Hornets in his first preseason action, Chris O’Leary of NBA.com writes. Thomas added 16 points and five assists in the win, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-7 from deep.

Raptors Notes: Thomas, Lowry, Flynn, Anunoby

December 13th, 2020 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Matt Thomas is off to a strong start as he seeks a larger role in the Raptors‘ rotation this season, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet. The second-year shooting guard posted 16 points, five assists and two steals in Toronto’s preseason opener Saturday night while hitting 4-of-7 shots from three-point range.

Thomas played just 10.7 minutes per game as a rookie, and he’s trying to break through in a crowded wing rotation. The offseason signing of DeAndre’ Bembry adds to a bench group that already includes Norman Powell, Terence Davis and rookies Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris.

“He’s a shooter, obviously, but he’s also a good player,” coach Nick Nurse said of Thomas. “He cuts and he moves. He does the right thing on defense. He’ll get overmatched once in a while size-wise or strength-wise or whatever. But I think for as much as he does at the other end, and his good decision-making at both ends, I’m wanting to lock him into a role this year where he’s a big factor.”

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Kyle Lowry‘s absence isn’t a cause for concern, Grange adds in the same story. The veteran guard didn’t accompany the team for its two games in Charlotte, but the coaching staff is just being cautious as Lowry prepares for his 15th NBA season. “It’s basically load management and just not really (seeing) any need to have him on the trip,” Nurse explained.
Flynn turned in a solid debut, playing almost 20 minutes with nine points and four assists, notes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The rookie also lived up to the defensive reputation that helped make him the 29th pick in this year’s draft. “It’s just adjusting on the fly,” Flynn said. “It’s a different game, they call it different, so really I’m just trying to see how they call it and adjust to it and I’m still doing those things, so I think it’ll just be a lot of adjusting throughout the year.”
As they try to preserve cap space for next year’s free agent market, the Raptors have an important decision upcoming on whether to extend OG Anunoby, writes John Hollinger of the Athletic in a season preview for the team. Anunoby only counts $11MM against the cap for 2021/22 as long as he remains unsigned, but Toronto risks having a team submit a huge offer sheet if he becomes a restricted free agent.

Lowry To Miss Next Two Preseason Games

December 12th, 2020 at 1:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry will remain in the team’s temporary home in Tampa this weekend and miss games in Charlotte on Saturday and Monday, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star relays. The team didn’t give a reason for Lowry’s absence, so it’s unclear whether it’s related to the COVID-19 protocols. Lowry, who will make $30.5MM in the upcoming season, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Terence Davis‘ lawyer is seeking a dismissal of the criminal case against him, Rick Westhead of The Sports Network tweets. The Raptors guard was arrested in New York City in late October and faces seven charges. Davis allegedly hit his girlfriend in the face, then grabbed the victim’s phone and broke it during the incident. The woman’s son also allegedly got knocked down during the altercation. Davis made a court appearance remotely on Friday and was told he must “stay away” from his alleged victim but that he can have contact with his son.