Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Still Hoping To Play In Toronto

November 7th, 2020 at 5:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have plenty of options if they need to find a temporary home in the United States, but team officials are optimistic that they will be able to play the upcoming season in Toronto, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post.

Sources tell Berman that the NBA is working with the U.S. and Canadian governments to develop new guidelines regarding visiting teams coming into Toronto. Canada currently has restrictions on travel from the United States to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

The Raptors believe they can find a safe way to resume playing at their home court at Scotiabank Arena, Berman adds, although it’s unlikely that fans will be allowed in the facility when NBA games resume next month. Government-sponsored coronavirus tests may be required for all visiting teams when they arrive at the Toronto airport, according to sources.

Kansas City, Seattle, Nashville, Buffalo and Tampa Bay have been mentioned as potential locations for the Raptors this season if Canadian travel restrictions remain in place. The Nets’ former arena in Newark has also been floated as a possibility considering the league’s intent to cut down on travel, but sources tell Berman all those cities should be considered “long shots.”

Pacific Notes: Ibaka, Holiday, Kings, Lakers

November 4th, 2020 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Toronto’s Serge Ibaka would be the ideal free agent addition for the Clippers, but that can only happen if he’s willing to accept a discount to remain with a contending team, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Ibaka is a better-than-average three-point shooter at 38.5% and a strong defender both at the rim and on the perimeter. Buha sees him as an improvement over Montrezl Harrell in spacing the floor, rebounding and on defense.

However, the Clippers are limited to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, which is expected to fall between $9MM and $10MM. He’s likely to see better offers, but Ibaka has played on winning teams for nearly his entire career and may value the chance to contend for a title in L.A.

If the Clippers can’t land Ibaka, Buha sees Miami’s Goran Dragic and Jae Crowder as alternatives. Dragic is masterful on the pick-and-roll and capable of scoring in a variety of ways. Crowder could be a replacement for Marcus Morris if the veteran wing doesn’t re-sign.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

With the Pelicans talking about trading Jrue Holiday, Anthony Slater of The Athletic examines whether he makes sense for the three Pacific teams expected to be in the title hunt. Holiday would give the Clippers a secondary playmaker next to Kawhi Leonard, a need that became obvious in the playoffs, and would be part of a dangerous defensive unit alongside Leonard and Paul George. However, the Clippers are low on assets after last summer’s trade to acquire George. The Lakers are in the same position in the wake of the Anthony Davis deal. They can offer Kyle Kuzma or Alex Caruso, but Slater notes that executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin passed on both players last year. The Warriors have the No. 2 pick in the draft, but matching salaries for Holiday would be difficult, assuming the Pelicans don’t want to take back Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green.
Although Richaun Holmes is coming off a breakthrough year, the Kings might consider drafting a center, especially if USC’s Onyeka Okongwu is still available at No. 12, according to Jason Jones of The Athletic. Okongwu can defend on the perimeter and runs the floor, which Jones says are qualities the Kings like in their big men.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype examines how the Lakers can keep their best free agents and still add a significant piece with the MLE without going over the tax apron.

Building A Perfect Offseason For The Raptors

November 4th, 2020 at 7:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Eric Koreen of The Athletic tries to build the perfect offseason for the Raptors, which includes re-signing free agents Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Chris Boucher and Oshae Brissett. Also in Koreen’s scenario, Toronto lures Harry Giles away from the Kings at $4.2MM for one season with a player option for 2021/22, and drafts Malachi Flynn and Paul Eboua. In a potentially significant move for the future, Koreen has Giannis Antetokounmpo turning down a super-max offer from the Bucks.

Top Raptors Brass In LA For Draft, Team Confident About Global Scouting

November 3rd, 2020 at 8:40pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Ahead of the NBA draft, many top Raptors front office executives have temporarily relocated to Los Angeles, which is a fairly central locale for prospects and their agents, Josh Lewenberg of TSN reports. Because agents, many of whom are located on the West Coast generally and in L.A. specifically, are holding individual workouts for their player clients ahead of the draft, an L.A. residency made the most sense to Toronto brass.

The Raptors brain trust gathered in L.A. includes team president Masai Ujiri, GM Bobby Webster, assistant GM Dan Tolzman, and director of global scouting Patrick Engelbrecht. “You are just focusing more on skill set and conditioning and their level of preparation for that moment [in an individual workout,” Engelbrecht said. “But in terms of competitive nature, who is going to push through a drill, who is going to out-compete somebody else, yeah, those are things you are just not going to have a chance to see and you are going to have to rely more on your past scouting and in-game scouting you have done throughout the year.”

Raptors Could Play Next Season in Newark

November 1st, 2020 at 10:55am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have talked to the operators of the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, about using the facility for their home games next season, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The building holds 19,500 fans and is located relatively close to Toronto’s four Atlantic Division rivals.

In response to the coronavirus, Canada has placed restrictions on international travel from the United States that are likely to still be in place whenever next season begins. With other teams unable to freely travel into Toronto, the Raptors are searching for a U.S. site to serve as their temporary home. Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays played their home games this summer at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.

The Prudential Center, which serves as home to the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and Seton Hall basketball, has experience in hosting an NBA team, Bondy notes. The Nets played there for two seasons before relocating to Brooklyn in 2012. The building is owned by Harris Blitzer Sports Entertainment, which also owns the Sixers.

A source tells Bondy that the Raptors also had discussions about playing in Tampa Bay or Nashville or possibly being guests in another NBA team’s arena. Kansas City offered the T-Mobile Center, while a similar pitch from Louisville was declined. A move to Buffalo has also been suggested.

The NBA is trying to limit travel next season because of COVID-19 concerns, which could make Newark an ideal location. Bondy points out that it’s only about 15 miles from Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden and roughly 90 minutes from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Boston is 225 miles away.

Terence Davis Pleads Not Guilty To Seven Charges

October 30th, 2020 at 6:17pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors guard Terence Davis has entered a not guilty plea after being charged in New York with two counts of assault, harassment, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal mischief, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. As The Athletic’s Eric Koreen writes, Davis’ girlfriend visited him at a Manhattan hotel and they allegedly got into a verbal argument. Davis allegedly hit his girlfriend in the face, then grabbed the victim’s phone and broke it. His next court date is December 11.

The Raptors issued a statement which read in part that they “take these issues very seriously, and we will fully cooperate and support the League in its investigation of this matter as we work to determine the appropriate next steps for our team.”

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has made a pitch to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, lobbying to bring the Raptors to his city next season, Jonathan Concool of Basketball News relays. The Raptors may need to move their games out of Canada, much like baseball’s Blue Jays did this season, due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. Kansas City has an arena fit for an NBA team and while Lucas insists he’s not trying to get the Toronto franchise to move there permanently, he’s hoping it would be a de facto “test run” to show the league the city is worthy of an NBA franchise, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ben Pickman.

Terence Davis Charged With Assault, Criminal Mischief

October 28th, 2020 at 9:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors guard Terence Davis is charged with assaulting a woman and criminal mischief after being arrested Tuesday night in New York City, according to Chris Bumbaca of USA Today.

The incident involved a 20-year-old woman who told police she is Davis’ girlfriend. She visited Davis at a Manhattan hotel and he allegedly hit her after a verbal dispute, causing a “substantial amount of pain” to her eye. She said he also grabbed her phone and broke the screen.

Davis, 23, went undrafted in 2019 and signed with Toronto while playing for the Nuggets in last year’s Summer League. He earned All-Rookie Second Team honors after averaging 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 72 games. Davis’ contract for next season is non-guaranteed at $1.5MM.

The Raptors released a statement saying, “We are aware of the reports, and are seeking more information.”

Where Will Raptors Play In 2020/21?

October 27th, 2020 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

An accelerated timeline for the start of the 2020/21 NBA season would reduce the likelihood of the Raptors being able to return to their home arena in Toronto. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are still significant restrictions on international travel from the U.S. to Canada and it seems unlikely that will change too drastically within the next two months.

With that in mind, Eric Koreen of The Athletic weighs the pros and cons of several possible temporary homes for the Raptors in 2020/21. While Louisville – briefly mentioned as a possibility last week – doesn’t appear to be a realistic option, Koreen believes there are several other alternatives that could work.

Buffalo, Newark, Kansas City, and Fort Myers are some of the cities that might make sense for the Raptors, according to Koreen, who adds that sharing a home arena with one of the NBA’s other Eastern Conference teams could also be a possibility — especially since those arenas likely won’t be hosting concerts or other major events anytime soon.

Trio Of Prospects Visit Raptors

October 26th, 2020 at 6:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn and Kansas guard Devon Dotson worked out for the Raptors on Sunday, Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated tweets. Colorado forward Tyler Bey also worked out for Toronto, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets. In ESPN’s ranking of best available prospects, Bey is slotted at No. 28 with Dotson at No. 33 and Flynn at No. 38. The Raptors own the No. 29 pick.

Examining The NBA’s Plan For The 2020/21 Season

October 24th, 2020 at 4:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA’s proposal to start next season on December 22 is an admission that league officials don’t expect to be able to fill arenas with fans any time soon, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.

There had been rumors that the league was looking at Martin Luther King Day or possibly later as a start date to maximize the chances of having a COVID-19 vaccine that would allow large gatherings to resume. Hollinger believes the NBA is now considering the 2020/21 season a “sunk cost” and is focusing on having a normal timetable for 2021/22.

To make that happen, the league needs to fit in a shortened 72-game season in roughly four months — from late December through the end of April. That would leave time for a play-in tournament that’s also included in the league’s plans, followed by two months of playoffs that would finish by early July.

Hollinger notes that a precedent of sorts was set in the 2011/12 season when labor strife forced the league to adopt a 66-game schedule that ran from Christmas Day to April 26. He envisions something similar this year, but without teams being asked to play on three straight nights. Hollinger suggests that non-conference games might be eliminated, cutting down travel significantly, and leaving each team with eight games against each division rival and four games against each conference opponent from outside the division.

All-Star Weekend might be canceled this year, not only for the scheduling benefits but to eliminate the risks of bringing together players from all parts of the country and then sending them back to their teams. The league may also skip the preseason because of the tight window to get ready for games that count.

Hollinger addresses a few other topics the league will have to consider:

There’s virtually no desire to recreate a “bubble” atmosphere like the one in Orlando. It could be done in an emergency to preserve the playoffs or the NBA Finals, but the sentiment throughout the league is that teams should play in their own markets. The one exception may be the Raptors if travel into Canada remains limited. Hollinger suggests KeyBank Center in Buffalo or the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, as possible temporary homes.
The 72-game schedule is enough to for teams to satisfy their regional sports network contracts — most of which call for 65 to 70 televised games — and ensure that stream of revenue won’t be affected. There are also plenty of national television opportunities without stretching the playoffs past Independence Day and risking low ratings again.
Free agency will be more condensed than usual, with November 23, the Monday after the draft, appearing to be a likely starting point. That leaves about a week and a half before the expected opening of training camps.
The proposed changes give NBA players a much better chance of participating in the Olympics if they are able to be held. The Olympic basketball tournament is scheduled to begin July 24, which is at least two weeks after the end of the NBA Finals. Nations seeking the remaining four spots, such as Canada, Lithuania, Serbia, Greece, Croatia and Slovenia, stand a better chance of having their NBA players available when the qualifying tournaments get under way in late June.