Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Siakam, Powell Return To Raptors

January 12th, 2020 at 3:32pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Rising Raptors star power forward Pascal Siakam and guard Norman Powell will both return to the starting five for Toronto in Sunday’s game against the Spurs, TSN’s Josh Lewenberg reports (Twitter link). Both will be placed on a minutes limit in their first game back since December. Lewenberg also notes that starting center Marc Gasol remains out (Twitter link).

Siakam, Powell, and Gasol, all Raptors starters, had all been sidelined indefinitely since a December 19 tilt against the Pistons. Siakam had been battling a stretched groin, Gasol a hamstring injury, and Powell a subluxation of his left shoulder.

Siakam is currently third in Eastern Conference All-Star frontcourt balloting, with 1,730,763 fan votes received as of January 9th, according to an Associated Press report (link via SI.com).

A fantastic two-way player, the 6’9″ Siakam had emerged as a borderline MVP candidate with his sterling performance for the 25-13 Raptors. For the 2019/20 season, the No. 27 pick in the 2016 NBA draft out of New Mexico State is averaging career-highs of 25.1 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 81.3% free throw shooting, and 39.2% shooting on 6.3 three-point attempts across 27 games.

Powell has also taken a leap this season, logging a career-high slash line of 14.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 4.9 three-point attempts per game. The 6’3″ shooting guard, drafted No. 46 out of UCLA in 2015, is connecting on 38.9% of those looks. Powell has also been appearing in a career-high 28.9 minutes a night for the Raptors.

DeRozan Remains Polarizing As He Returns To Face Raptors

January 12th, 2020 at 3:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Polarizing, old-fashioned Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan returns to the team for whom he made four All-Star appearances today, the Raptors, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN reports. His former teammate, current Raptors All-Star Kyle Lowry, reflected on his contributions to Toronto basketball. “I think he poured his heart into the city,” Lowry said. “He gave the city and lot and the city [saw] him grow from a boy to being a man.”

Powell On Verge Of Return, Siakam Getting Closer

January 10th, 2020 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

While some pundits still believe the Raptors might target future assets at the deadline, that’s clearly not the plan, according to Bruce Arthur of The Toronto Star, who argues that the team should prioritize upgrading its roster and securing its spot among the Eastern Conference contenders.

Before the Raptors make any roster changes, it would benefit the front office to see the team’s full roster in action, something that hasn’t happened much this season. Currently, four of Toronto’s top six players in minutes per game – Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, Norman Powell, and Fred VanVleet – are sidelined, but the club may begin to clear its injured list soon.

Siakam, Gasol, and Powell all took part in practice on Friday on a limited basis, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski hears that there’s hope Siakam could be back in the lineup within the next week or so. A Sunday return would be a bit ambitious for Siakam or Gasol, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said today, but Powell is on track to be back on Sunday (Twitter link via Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca).

NBA G League Assignment/Recalls: 1/7/20

January 7th, 2020 at 9:39pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Raptors have recalled Matt Thomas, Stanley Johnson, and Malcolm Miller from their G League affiliate, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic (Twitter link). The Raptors 905’s next game is on Friday.
The Pacers have assigned Goga Bitadze and Alize Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mads Ants, per the team’s Twitter feed. Bitadze was the team’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft.
The Clippers have assigned Mfiondu Kabengele, Terance Mann and Jerome Robinson to the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario. Kabengele was the No. 27 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
The Hornets have sent Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels to the Greensboro Swarm, according to the team’s website. This marks Martin’s seventh trip to the G League and McDaniels’ sixth.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 1/6/20

January 6th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Monday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA G League:

The Hornets recalled forwards Caleb Martin and Jalen McDaniels from the Greensboro Swarm, according to a team press release. Martin, an undrafted rookie, has appeared in five games for the Hornets, averaging 1.8 PPG in 6.4 MPG. Martin has appeared in 17 games for the Swarm, averaging 19.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 3.8 APG in 35.1 MPG. McDaniels, a second-round pick who has made two cameos with the Hornets, has appeared in 20 games with the Swarm, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG.
Point guard Chris Clemons has been recalled by the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Clemons had a 40-point game for the Rio Grande Vipers on Sunday. The previous Sunday he racked up 16 points and nine assists for the Rockets against New Orleans.
The Mavericks assigned small forward Isaiah Roby to the Texas Legends, the team’s PR department tweets. The second-round pick has been rehabbing a foot injury.
The Suns recalled Jalen Lecque from their Northern Arizona affiliate, the team tweets. The undrafted rookie guard has yet to make his NBA debut.
The Pacers recalled star guard Victor Oladipo from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team tweets. Oladipo practiced with the Mad Ants as he continues his rehab from a right knee ailment.
The Raptors assigned Matt Thomas to Raptors 905, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. He’ll play in a G League contest on Monday, then return to the NBA club and suit up against Portland on Tuesday, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. The shooting guard has been sidelined by a finger injury and hasn’t played for the Raptors since November 23.
Raptors forwards Stanley Johnson and Malcolm Miller have also been assigned to Raptors 905, Murphy adds in another tweet. Johnson, who asked to be sent to the G League, will also play on Monday as he works his way back from a groin injury, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). Miller has appeared in 20 games with the NBA club this season but is only averaging 5.5 MPG.
The Lakers recalled Talen Horton-Tucker from South Bay, the G League affiliate tweets. The second-round rookie has appeared in two NBA games this season.

Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol Still Not Close To Returning

January 5th, 2020 at 7:02pm CST by JD Shaw

Nets guard Caris LeVert made his highly-anticipated return against the Raptors on Saturday night, seeing his first in-game action with the team since November 10.

Raptors big men Pascal Siakam (groin) and Marc Gasol (hamstring) still aren’t close to returning to action, head coach Nick Nurse said, as relayed by Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). “I would still say, if I was guessing, the order of comeback would probably be Matt [Thomas] and Norm [Powell], Marc and then lastly Pascal if that’s the case,” Nurse said. “But I think we’re still, I mean, we’re still a ways away with Marc and Pascal. I think Norm and Matt are in the front-view mirror, let’s put it that way.”

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Pressed Into Service As Ball-Handler

January 5th, 2020 at 4:26pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Due to the continued injury absences of Norman Powell, Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam, defensive-oriented forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been used more frequently as a big-man passing alternative to the Raptors’ point guard stable, notes Michael Grange of Rogers SportsNet.

“I love doing it,” Hollis-Jefferson said of his expanded role as a passer once defenses key in on Raptors guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. “Growing up in high school and college, even some in Brooklyn, just made plays with the ball whether that was bringing it up or whether that was catching it at the high post.”

When Toronto signed Hollis-Jefferson to a one-year, $2.5MM contract this summer, he was not anticipating being used extensively on offense. Laura Armstrong of the Toronto Star notes that Raptors coach Nick Nurse has been tactical about shifting around his rotation to adjust to opposing teams. This has forced players like Hollis-Jefferson and OG Anunoby to remain primed for starter minutes, though Nurse sometimes favors one over the other.

Pistons Discussing Andre Drummond With Hawks, Others

January 3rd, 2020 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

3:42pm: The Celtics, Mavericks, and Raptors have also registered interest in Drummond, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Goodwill notes that Drummond has relationships with Dallas big man Kristaps Porzingis and Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry, while Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports adds (via Twitter) that the big man is close with Hawks star Trae Young.

2:05pm: The Pistons and Hawks have engaged in talks on a possible trade involving center Andre Drummond, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, nothing is imminent, but Detroit is discussing Drummond with multiple teams and there’s an increasing belief that the big man will be moved before next month’s trade deadline.

Drummond, 26, is enjoying perhaps the best season of his NBA career so far, with career highs in PPG (17.6), BPG (1.8), and SPG (2.0) to go along with a league-leading 15.8 RPG. Despite his strong play though, the Pistons are out of the playoff picture — their 12-23 record places them 11th in the Eastern Conference.

Facing a potential lottery finish and a contract year for Drummond, who will likely decline his $28.75MM option for 2020/21, it makes sense that the Pistons would consider their options. Securing a strong return for their starting center would be a more favorable outcome than losing him for nothing in the summer or overpaying to lock him up to a long-term contract.

As we relayed earlier today, Pistons owner Tom Gores admitted that his struggling team may need to consider taking a step back rather than remaining in win-now mode, and the Hawks are in the market for a veteran center. The two teams could be a good match, especially since Atlanta has extra draft picks available and a handful of expiring contracts that could be used for salary-matching purposes. Chandler Parsons‘s expiring $25.1MM deal would be the most logical trade chip to match Drummond’s $27.09MM cap hit.

According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (via Twitter), a package of one or more expiring contracts and a protected 2020 first-round pick is one option being discussed. It’s not clear if the Hawks would be willing to make such an offer or if the Pistons would accept it.

If the Hawks were to acquire Drummond during the season, they’d be in position to re-sign him in July using his Bird rights. The club has plenty of cap flexibility going forward, so there would be no risk of going into tax territory even with a lucrative new deal for Drummond. Atlanta would then be in position to build around a frontcourt of Drummond and John Collins, with Trae Young running the show.

Of course, as Woj notes, the Hawks aren’t the only team talking to Detroit about a potential trade involving Drummond, so the Pistons are unlikely to rush a deal unless they get an offer they really like. The club still has nearly five weeks until the February 6 trade deadline arrives.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Poll: Eastern Conference’s Top Six Teams

January 3rd, 2020 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, four Eastern Conference teams had serious title aspirations and plenty at stake if they didn’t make deep playoff runs. The Raptors, Bucks, Sixers, and Celtics had set their sights so high that anything short of an Eastern Conference Finals berth would be considered a disappointment. And sure enough, after Philadelphia and Boston were knocked out in the Eastern Semifinals, they made major offseason changes, with Jimmy Butler, J.J. Redick, Kyrie Irving, and Al Horford all departing in free agency.

This season, the situation is a little different. Most Eastern Conference contenders have their core players locked up for the foreseeable future, so if they fall short of expectations in the postseason, that doesn’t necessarily mean roster shake-ups are coming. Still, the logjam near the top of the East’s standings will be fascinating to watch because there are now six strong contenders in the conference, with the Heat and Pacers joining the aforementioned four.

After struggling down the stretch last season when Victor Oladipo went down, Indiana has learned to win without him this season, posting a 22-13 record. It’s reasonable to assume the Pacers will be an even more dangerous team once Oladipo is back, which is expected to happen within the next month or so. As for Miami, the addition of Butler and young players like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn has led to an impressive bounce-back season so far for the 25-9 Heat.

The Celtics (23-8), Raptors (23-12), and Sixers (23-13) are bunched together with those two teams, and they’re all looking up at the top-seeded Bucks (31-5).

Based on how well these six teams have played so far, it’s safe to assume they’ll all enter the postseason expecting to win at least one series — and potentially more. But the math is working against them. Only four teams can make it through the first round, so at least two of these aspiring contenders will be one-and-done in the playoffs.

That brings us to today’s poll question: Which of the East’s top six teams won’t make it through the first round this spring?

Vote for two teams below in our poll, then head to the comment section below to explain your picks and to weigh in on which teams you expect to make deep postseason runs.

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Heat Notes: Lineup, Silva, Butler, Stern

January 2nd, 2020 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

While some head coaches prefer to shake up their starting lineup over the course of the season, Erik Spoelstra has found comfort in consistency this year, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. After using 29 different lineups in 2018/19, the Heat have started the same five players – Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Meyers Leonard, Kendrick Nunn, and Duncan Robinson – in 27 of their 33 games so far this season, and in every game since November 27.

Spoelstra didn’t necessarily plan on sticking to a regular starting lineup coming out of camp, and youngsters like Nunn and Robinson certainly weren’t penciled in as everyday starters during the offseason. But the Heat are 21-6 in the 27 games those five players have started, so it’s hard to argue with the results.

“Those guys earned it coming out of training camp and coming out of preseason, for a lot of different reasons,” Spoelstra said.

Here’s more on the Heat:

The clock is ticking for two-way player Chris Silva, who is nearing his 45-day NBA limit, Winderman writes in a separate Sun Sentinel article. Winderman estimates that Silva’s 45-day clock will be up by about January 24, at which time the club will have to decide whether to convert him to a one-year, minimum-salary contract, leave him in the G League, or try to negotiate a new, longer-term deal.
The Heat and Raptors have been two of the NBA’s most successful teams in recent years at uncovering hidden talent outside the first round of the draft. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst explores how those two teams do it.
Jimmy Butler and the Jordan Brand have mutually agreed to part ways, making the four-time All-Star a sneaker free agent, reports Nick DePaula of ESPN.com.
As The Sun Sentinel relays, the Heat, led by owner Micky Arison and president Pat Riley, issued multiple statements on the passing of former commissioner David Stern. The club’s statement notes that the franchise originated when the league expanded under Stern’s watch: “There is no Miami Heat without David J. Stern.”