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Raptors Notes: Lowry, Brissett, Miller, McCaw

October 8th, 2019 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

A one-year contract extension for Kyle Lowry was always the outcome that made the most sense for the Raptors, according to Blake Murphy of The Athletic, who points out that Lowry’s new deal leaves the team’s cap sheet relatively clean for the 2021 offseason, which is expected to feature a star-studded class of free agents.

Toronto’s new agreement with Lowry also signals that – as expected – the club has no immediate plans to tear down its core and launch a full-fledged rebuild following Kawhi Leonard‘s departure. As Murphy writes, exhibiting the ability to remain competitive without a superstar player has worked out well for teams like the Nets and Clippers in recent years — both those franchises made huge free agent splashes this summer in part because they’d built solid cores for their newly-signed stars to complement.

With Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Fred VanVleet among the Raptors veterans still unsigned beyond 2019/20, Lowry’s short-term extension is just one part of the puzzle for the franchise. Still, it provides a strong hint that president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri wants to maintain a winning culture as Toronto begins a new era.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Danny Leroux of The Athletic and Dan Devine of The Ringer both make the case that Lowry’s one-year extension is a win-win for both the team and the veteran point guard.
Oshae Brissett and Malcolm Miller were among the players who looked good in the Raptors’ preseason win over Houston in Tokyo this morning, writes Blake Murphy of The Athletic. Murphy believes Brissett is a favorite to claim one of Toronto’s open two-way contract slots. Miller, who isn’t eligible for a two-way deal, will have a trickier path to a spot on the regular season roster, unless the Raptors decide they’re comfortable with Patrick McCaw and Terence Davis as third point guards and opt not to hang onto Cameron Payne or Isaiah Taylor.
Over the weekend, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star suggested that McCaw – who signed a two-year, $8MM contract with the Raptors this summer – is among those in the running for a spot in the starting lineup. However, Murphy notes that the ex-Warrior still didn’t look aggressive or especially comfortable on the offensive end in today’s game, playing 21 minutes without taking a single field goal attempt.

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Brown, Dinwiddie, Prince

October 6th, 2019 at 4:02pm CST by clarkcrum

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes that while Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has now spent seven full seasons in Toronto and helped the team bring home its first championship last season, the 33-year-old’s future after this season is up in the air.

Lowry will turn 34 in March, which means that Father Time will be creeping in to add some slippage sooner rather than later. Wolstat suggests that Chauncey Billups is a decent comparable to Lowry and that Billups, also a five-time All-Star, made his last All-Star appearance at age 33.

The Raptors need to add some young talent around Pascal Siakam, and Fred VanVleet, eight years Lowry’s junior, also will be looking for a new, more lucrative deal with the Raptors this summer.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston reports that Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is looking to hire an agent for the first time in his NBA career to represent him in negotiations with Boston on what Brown hopes will be a long-term deal that’ll keep him with the Celtics.
Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie sent out an interesting tweet in response to the NBA’s latest take on his plan to convert his contract into a digital investment vehicle. Per Marc Stein of The New York Times, an NBA spokesperson says Dinwiddie’s arrangement “remains prohibited by the CBA,” to which Dinwiddie replied, “This won’t end well lol.”
Nets forward Taurean Prince is making a case for a rookie-scale extension, especially with his preseason performance against SESI France Basquete, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Prince, who has been praised all summer by teammates, led the team with 22 points. “It’s just proof that the work I’ve put in and that the coaches have put in and the things we’ve been doing as a team have been working. I’m glad we’ve been able to transfer it over to the game.”

Raptors Notes: Ujiri, Camp Battles, T. Davis, Lowry

October 4th, 2019 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri reportedly drew interest from the Wizards this spring when Washington was in the market for a new head of basketball operations, and will likely continue to be targeted by teams making front office changes.

However, speaking to Frank Isola of The Athletic last weekend about his job status, Ujiri made it clear he intends to remain in Toronto at least through the end of his current contract in 2021, if not longer.

“The most important thing is that when you sign a contract you’re obligated to serve it,” Ujiri said. “I signed the contract and I have time left on that contract and I will serve the time. This place has been unbelievable to me. It’s been just a blessing.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

In a pair of articles for The Athletic, Blake Murphy handicaps the races for the open spots on the Raptors’ regular season roster and the two openings in the team’s starting lineup. Murphy views Chris Boucher and Dewan Hernandez as strong candidates to make the 15-man squad, with Isaiah Taylor, Cameron Payne, and Malcolm Miller fighting for the final spot. Murphy also predicts Oshae Brissett and Sagaba Konate will be the team’s two-way players and considers OG Anunoby and Norman Powell good bets to fill out the starting lineup.
Terence Davis‘ guaranteed salary makes him a virtual lock to start the season on the Raptors’ roster, but that doesn’t mean he’ll play regular minutes. Doug Smith of The Toronto Star explores Nick Nurse‘s first impressions on the undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss.
There has been some confusion this week over Kyle Lowry‘s status, as Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca details. The veteran point guard said he had been medically cleared for contact following his summer thumb surgery, but he has yet to participate in a practice. Nurse and agent Mark Bartelstein have suggested that Lowry still has one more checkup to go through before he’s fully cleared, notes Grange.
Earlier today, we wrote about the Raptors exercising Anunoby’s 2020/21 option and Pascal Siakam reportedly seeking a maximum-salary extension.

Raptors Pick Up 2020/21 Option On OG Anunoby

October 4th, 2019 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have exercised OG Anunoby‘s fourth-year rookie scale option well ahead of the October 31 deadline, according to Blake Murphy and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The move locks in Anunoby’s $3,872,215 cap charge for the 2020/21 season.

Viewed as a potential breakout candidate entering the 2018/19 season, Anunoby instead took a step backward, enduring a rough sophomore year that saw him battle health issues and cope with the passing of his father.

After averaging 7.0 PPG and 2.9 RPG in 67 regular season games (20.2 MPG), the young forward didn’t play at all during the Raptors’ championship run, having undergone an emergency appendectomy just before the postseason got underway.

The Raptors still have high hopes for the 22-year-old, however, and he’ll get a chance to potentially reclaim a spot in the starting lineup this year in the wake of Kawhi Leonard‘s and Danny Green‘s offseason departures. Even if he comes off the bench, Anunoby is expected to have a significant rotation role.

With several sizeable expiring contracts on their books, the Raptors project to have more cap space than virtually any other NBA team during the 2020 offseason, so guaranteeing Anunoby’s salary will have little impact on the team’s flexibility. Toronto still has less than $20MM in guaranteed money on its cap for 2020/21, though that figure doesn’t include Stanley Johnson‘s $3.8MM player option or a potential extension for Pascal Siakam.

Pascal Siakam Reportedly Seeking Max Extension

October 4th, 2019 at 8:18am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s reigning Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam, is seeking a maximum-salary contract extension in discussions with the Raptors, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Siakam, who is eligible to sign a new deal up until October 21 at 5:00pm central time, would be a restricted free agent in 2020 if he doesn’t work something out with the Raptors this month.

A maximum extension for Siakam currently projects to be worth just north of $168MM over five years, starting in 2020/21. Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray have already signed similar deals, though theirs can be worth even more – starting at up to 30% of the salary cap, instead of 25% – if they meet certain All-NBA criteria during the 2019/20 season.

Both Siakam and Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri indicated last weekend that they’d like to get something done. The young forward said he loves playing in Toronto, a sentiment reiterated by Charania in his report. Ujiri, meanwhile, stressed that there’s no chance the team will let Siakam get away, even if the two sides don’t reach a deal until next summer.

“He’s somebody we’re definitely going to keep for a long time here,” Ujiri said of Siakam.

After posting modest numbers off the bench in 2017/18, Siakam broke out in a big way last year, averaging 16.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.1 APG with a .549/.369/.785 shooting line in 80 games (31.9 MPG). His emergence helped the Raptors claim the first NBA championship in franchise history, and he’s expected to take on an even larger role in his fourth season with Kawhi Leonard no longer on the roster.

According to Charania, team executives around the NBA expect Siakam to take another leap this season. Throw in the fact that the 2020 free agent class is considered subpar and it’s certainly not unreasonable to believe the 25-year-old would secure a maximum-salary offer sheet on the open market if he becomes a restricted free agent next July.

Five NBA Roster Battles To Watch

October 3rd, 2019 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

For certain NBA teams, the path to finalizing their regular season roster is obvious. The Mavericks, for instance, are currently carrying 15 players with guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts. Barring a major surprise in the next couple weeks, those 17 players will open the regular season under contract with the team, while the remaining three players on non-guaranteed camp deals may end up in the G League with the Texas Legends.

In other NBA cities though, the regular season roster isn’t quite so clear cut. A number of clubs haven’t filled their two-way contract slots and/or don’t have 15 players with guaranteed salaries, leaving the door open for camp invitees to compete for those final roster spots.

We don’t know exactly what all these teams are thinking — some may have already made their decisions, or at least could have a good idea which way they’re leaning. But here are five teams that appear to have roster spots up for grabs and are worth watching during training camp and the preseason:

Cleveland Cavaliers

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
It looks like at least two roster spots are up for grabs in Cleveland — one on the standard roster and one two-way slot. That number could increase to three if the Cavaliers decide to carry a 15th man to open the season, though their proximity to the tax line may discourage them from doing so. An intriguing mix of rookies and young veterans are in the running for those openings, and none have partial guarantees that would give them a leg up.
Contenders: Marques Bolden, Daniel Hamilton, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, J.P. Macura, Jarell Martin (ineligible for two-way), Sindarius Thornwell

Detroit Pistons

Fully guaranteed salaries: 14
Two-way slots open: 0
There’s only one spot available on the Pistons‘ roster, but the battle for it is an interesting one. In one corner is 17-year veteran Joe Johnson, who has appeared in nearly 1,400 total regular season and playoff games, and has a $220K partial guarantee. He’s going up against young forward Christian Wood, who just turned 24 and is already on his fifth NBA team. Wood flashed promise during his end-of-season stint with the Pelicans in the spring, averaging 16.9 PPG and 7.9 RPG in eight games (23.6 MPG), but beating out Johnson will be a tall order.
Contenders: Johnson, Wood

Orlando Magic

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 0
The Magic don’t have a ton of flexibility below the tax threshold, so they may not carry a 15th man to start the season, but they have to carry at least 14. The five non-guaranteed camp invitees that appear for now to be in the running for that 14th spot have appeared in a combined total of 12 regular season NBA games, so it will be interesting to see if Orlando looks to bring in a veteran or goes with a rookie.
Contenders: Hassani Gravett, Isaac Humphries, DaQuan Jeffries, B.J. Johnson, Vic Law

Toronto Raptors

Fully guaranteed salaries: 12
Two-way slots open: 2
Unlike last season, the Raptors don’t have any pressing luxury-tax concerns, so they could carry a full roster, which would leave five spots up for grabs in the preseason. Returning players Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller each have partial guarantees and look like viable candidates for roster spots. But second-round pick Dewan Hernandez and free agent signees Cameron Payne and Isaiah Taylor also have partial guarantees and strong cases for a place on the 15-man squad. It will be interesting to see which way Toronto goes.
Contenders: Boucher (ineligible for two-way), Oshae Brissett, Dewan Hernandez (ineligible for two-way), Sagaba Konate, Miller (ineligible for two-way), Payne (ineligible for two-way), Devin Robinson, Taylor

Washington Wizards

Fully guaranteed salaries: 13
Two-way slots open: 1
The Wizards‘ injury woes may complicate their roster decisions and could make them more likely to carry 15 players on their standard roster instead of just 14. The partial guarantees for Jordan McRae, Justin Robinson, and Jemerrio Jones put them in the best position to claim those open roster spots. Meanwhile, only two of the team’s camp invitees are eligible for two-way deals, so that may be a one-on-one competition.
Contenders: Justin Anderson (ineligible for two-way), Phil Booth, Chris Chiozza, Jones (ineligible for two-way), McRae (ineligible for two-way), Robinson (ineligible for two-way)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

VanVleet Hopes To Start; Examining Raptors' Expiring Deals

October 2nd, 2019 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

After starting just 28 games in his first three seasons with the Raptors, Fred VanVleet is hoping to crack the starting five with Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green no longer in the picture, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I wouldn’t say it’s the end-all, be-all, [but] I’ve been vocal in saying that it’s something I would like to do in my career,” VanVleet said. “If I end up being a bench player my whole career, then so be it. But that’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m reaching for the stars, I don’t put limits on myself.”
Elsewhere at Sportsnet.ca, Steven Loung explores what the Raptors should do with their big expiring contracts for Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and VanVleet.

Isola: Could Knicks Set Sights On Masai Ujiri?

October 2nd, 2019 at 9:54am CST by Luke Adams

After the Knicks struck out on star players in free agency this offseason, Frank Isola of The Athletic wonders if the most logical future free agent target for the franchise might be an executive – Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri – rather than a player.

Wizards Notes: Beal, Thomas, Thorn, Tanking

October 1st, 2019 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal has an important financial decision to make, but the Wizards star insists that money won’t be the deciding factor, writes Fred Katz of The Athletic. The front office gave Beal a $111MM extension offer more than two months ago. He hasn’t signed it and hasn’t made a decision on whether he wants to remain in Washington long term. At Media Day, he told reporters that the chance to be on a contender will matter more than the size of the deal.

“I can really retire today and be OK. … So, I want everybody to understand, it’s not the money,” Beal said. “It’s not the money factor here. It’s me. It’s, OK, what’s the direction the team’s going in? Are we gonna win? Is this what we want? We know that this is probably gonna be a development year. It’s gonna be one of those types of years. So, does Bradley Beal wanna be a part of that ultimately? And that’s something I have to ask myself and something I’m probably still not done asking myself. So, I’m gonna use all my time until I can.”

October 21 is the deadline for Beal to accept the current deal, but turning it down won’t signal the end of his time with the Wizards. He will be eligible for a longer, more lucrative deal as a free agent in 2021, and an All-NBA nod would qualify him for a super-max contract that could reach up to $250MM over five years.

There’s more from D.C. on the first day of camp:

A lot of contenders would like to find a way to add Beal this season, notes John Hollinger of The Athletic. The former Grizzlies executive writes that swapping newly signed D’Angelo Russell for Beal is a “dream scenario” for the Warriors. He mentions the Lakers, Raptors, Nuggets and Celtics as teams that would also be interested if Beal becomes available.
Isaiah Thomas is trying to laugh off his latest injury, a torn ligament in his left thumb that will force him to miss the entire preseason, according to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. It’s the latest in a series of physical mishaps for Thomas since his last All-Star appearance in 2016/17. “I was in there laughing because I’m like: ‘Damn. It’s always something,’” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, this won’t break me. I’ve been through way worse.”
Rod Thorn, who has more than 40 years of experience as an NBA executive, will serve as a senior advisor to GM Tommy Sheppard, Buckner tweets.
With John Wall possibly out for the entire season and a roster filled with young players, the Wizards are in a perfect position to tank, observes Sean Deveney of Heavy. “Keeping (Wall) out, trying to see if you can find a diamond in the rough by playing a bunch of non-guaranteed (contract) guys, that’s the way they have to go,” a rival executive said. “It’s tanking, but you can’t blame them.”

Raptors Likely To Shuffle Starting Five

September 30th, 2019 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

While Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, and Marc Gasol figure to be mainstays in the Raptors‘ starting lineups, head coach Nick Nurse may shuffle through players for the other two spots, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets. Meanwhile, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca explores whether it makes sense for the Raptors and Lowry to work out an extension sooner rather than later.