- Immanuel Quickley is away from the Raptors on a personal/family matter and there’s no timetable for him to return, coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters before tonight’s game (Twitter link from Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports). Bruce Brown will handle the ball more often while Quickley is gone, Rajakovic added.
- Eric Koreen and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic discuss whether the Raptors would be better off giving their first-round pick to San Antonio this year or waiting until 2025 or 2026. The pick is top-six protected, and Toronto is currently seventh in the reverse standings, a half-game away from sixth-place Memphis.
The reeling Raptors appear doomed for an NBA draft lottery return this summer, but there are still plenty of reasons to pay attention to the team down the stretch, contends Eric Koreen of The Athletic.
Chief among them, argues Koreen, is watching combo guard Gary Trent Jr. make his push towards a lucrative new contract in free agency. As Koreen notes, Trent is enjoying a particularly prolific scoring run right now.
Koreen wonders if Trent will fetch something around the league’s mid-level exception, projected to be around $13MM, or something significantly more than that. He also writes glowingly about young new trade acquisition Ochai Agbaji, as well as intriguing 10-day signing Jahmi’us Ramsey.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics’ strategy of conserving the minutes of oft-injured center Kristaps Porzingis as he returns from a hamstring injury worked swimmingly against the Pistons, per Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Porzingis played for the first time since incurring a hamstring strain that sidelined him for 11 days. He logged just 22 minutes, but scored 20 points while shooting 7-of-14 from the floor. He also grabbed eight boards.. “It felt great,” Porzingis said. “Yeah, just different because I had the minutes restriction. Just different spurts of playing. I barely played in the first and then in the second I had a longer stretch. Something unusual, but other than that it’s always good to be out there.”
- Barclays Center owner BSE Global announced that it will undertake work on some major renovations to the Nets‘ homecourt, per Lucas Kaplan of Nets. The project will reportedly include building out some fresh, premium fan clubs.
- New Sixers big man Kai Jones is looking forward to his opportunity to play for a contender after an emotionally trying offseason, he said during an interview with Shams Charania of Stadium (Twitter video link). After demanding a trade from the Hornets ahead of the season, Jones was cut instead. He explained to Charania that he has suffered some close personal losses and is now in therapy. “I didn’t want to die,” Jones reflected.
Former All-NBA big man DeMarcus Cousins will be returning to the Taiwan Beer Leopards in mid-April, according to Chen Jung-chen and James Lo of Focus Taiwan. Cousins played four games for the Leopards in January.
“Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”
While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Lakers superstar LeBron James and ESPN commentator JJ Redick are starting a new podcast that’s “planned to be a pure conversation about basketball,” reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. “It’s meant to be a very free-flowing conversation about the sport and about the game,” former NBA sharpshooter Redick told Marchand. “If you look at it in a very simplistic way, it’s just about basketball.” A teaser of the Mind the Game podcast was released on YouTube, with the first full episode debuting tomorrow.
- With several caveats (no maximum or minimum-salary deals, no rookie scale deals, no second-round exception deals), Keith Smith of Spotrac lists what he believes are the 10 best value contracts in the NBA. Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, the East’s reigning Player of the Week, ranks No. 1, followed by Grizzlies forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. at No. 2.
- Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype rank 75 players who could potentially be free agents in 2025, with the top spot going to Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, followed by Knicks star Brunson. Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Scottie Barnes (Raptors) and Lauri Markkanen (Jazz) round out the top five.
A total of 20 NBA teams currently have full standard rosters consisting of 15 players on contracts that run through at least the rest of the 2023/24 season.
[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]
That leaves 10 clubs that have one or more roster spots, or whose 14th and/or 15th roster spots are occupied by players on 10-day contracts that will expire before the end of the month.
If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that all 10 teams will, sooner or later, sign a player – or players – to rest-of-season or multiyear contracts in order to fill out their 15-man rosters. There were no open 15-man roster spots available by the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The same is true of the ’21/22 season.
Even if a team has no intention of using a 15th man down the stretch or in the postseason, using that final roster spot to sign a prospect to a multiyear contract that includes no guaranteed money beyond this season is good business, increasing that club’s roster flexibility heading into the offseason.
Here are the teams likely to fill their open roster spots in the coming weeks:
Teams with 14 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
- Boston Celtics
- Cleveland Cavaliers *
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns *
- Toronto Raptors *
The Raptors currently have a player on a 10-day contract (Jahmi’us Ramsey) occupying their 15th roster spot. The Cavaliers and Suns will soon follow suit, with Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas, respectively.
It’s possible that all three teams will ultimately turn to another player for a rest-of-season contract, but Ramsey is the only player to get two 10-day deals from Toronto this season, and Morris and Thomas are the types of veterans that contending teams often add to their roster down the stretch. A Saturday report indicated that Thomas is likely to stick with Phoenix beyond his upcoming 10-day contract.
I’d still view two-way player Neemias Queta as the most likely player to fill the Celtics‘ final roster spot, but that could change if Boston has to deal with some injuries in the backcourt or on the wing and wants to add some depth there. Pelicans sharpshooter Matt Ryan is another player on a two-way deal who’s a candidate to be promoted.
The Pistons and Warriors don’t have any obvious candidates for a promotion on two-way contracts, so both clubs may end up turning to the G League or free agency to add a 15th man.
Teams with 13 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
- Minnesota Timberwolves *
- New York Knicks **
- Philadelphia 76ers *
While the seven teams listed above are good bets to sign one player before the end of the season, these three teams will likely sign two.
T.J. Warren, who immediately stepped into a rotation role after signing his first 10-day contract and is currently on his second 10-day deal, is an obvious candidate to fill one of the Timberwolves‘ two openings. It’s unclear which direction Minnesota go with its other spot.
I had expected Taj Gibson to eventually find his way back to New York, but he has signed for the rest of the season with the Pistons, so the Knicks will go in another direction with their final two roster spots.
DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite are currently on 10-day deals and could receive consideration for rest-of-season contracts. For what it’s worth, like fellow Tom Thibodeau favorite Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono won’t claim one of these openings, since he’s ineligible to re-sign with the Knicks this season.
If the Sixers like what they see from Kai Jones during his 10-day contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see if they can lock him up to a multiyear deal. If not, they may look elsewhere for frontcourt help, since adding one more center to their roster makes sense with Joel Embiid‘s health still a question mark. The 15th man could be a wing — Philadelphia is ineligible to re-sign Danuel House, but could bring back Danny Green if there’s interest in a reunion.
- The Raptors are expressing support for RJ Barrett while he’s away from the team mourning his brother’s death, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic. “RJ knows really well that we are here for him and that he can make a call and get anything that he needs,” coach Darko Rajaković said. “Sometimes it’s just a conversation. Sometimes it’s just getting in the gym and getting some shots and getting your thoughts off of it. (We’re) just making sure that everybody knows that we are here for (all the players), that we’re gonna help you in any way possible. The worst thing for anybody in that case is just to shut down and get in your own world. You’ve got to be able to ask for help and receive help and just have conversations.”
RJ Barrett is presently away from the Raptors as he deals with the death of his younger brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy reports (Twitter link). He had been listed as out for Wednesday’s game against Detroit due to personal reasons.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our beloved son and brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, who passed away on Tuesday, March 12, surrounded by his family, church and friends,” a statement from the Barrett family reads. “While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together. Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable, and driven.
“During this difficult time, our family would like to ask for privacy but greatly appreciates the outpouring of love, support, and prayers that we have been receiving. Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts.”
RJ Barrett, who was traded from New York to Toronto in the OG Anunoby deal in December, has played very well for his hometown team, averaging 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 33.7 minutes per game across 27 appearances, with a shooting line of .553/.417/.592. It’s unclear how long he might be away from the Raptors.
Our best wishes and condolences go out to the Barrett family.
The Raptors have officially signed Jahmi’us Ramsey to a second 10-day contract, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportnet.ca.
As Murphy observes, Ramsey will be ineligible to sign a third 10-day deal with Toronto, so the team will have to decide if it wants to retain him for the remainder of the season on March 24.
Ramsey made two appearances for the Raptors during his first 10 days with the club, averaging 3.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 12.5 MPG. He also played two games for the Raptors 905, their NBA G League affiliate.
A former second-round pick (43rd overall in 2020) who played one season of college basketball at Texas Tech, Ramsey spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings prior to being waived in February 2022. He appeared in 32 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.1 PPG in just 7.1 MPG.
Ramsey has spent the past two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate. In 30 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Blue in 2023/24, the 22-year-old shooting guard has averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .531/.406/.699 shooting in 29.5 MPG.
When Ramsey’s first 10-day deal expired overnight, the Raptors had an opening on their standard roster, which means they didn’t need to waive anyone to re-sign him. Ramsey will make $116,075 over the next 10 days.
The Jazz used a portion of their room exception to sign Kenneth Lofton Jr. to a three-year contract that includes a $500K rest-of-season salary, Hoops Rumors has learned. Lofton’s deal is worth approximately $4.9MM in total, with minimum salaries in the second and third seasons.
However, the agreement doesn’t currently include any guaranteed money beyond this season. If Lofton remains under contract through July 25, he’d be assured of a $400K partial guarantee for 2024/25, and that partial guarantee would increase to $600K on the first day of the regular season, but if he’s waived on or before July 25, the Jazz won’t be on the hook for any ’24/25 salary.
If Lofton plays out the first two years of the contract, the Jazz would face a team option decision for the 2025/26 season.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
- The fact that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP candidate while Chet Holmgren is in the running for Rookie of the Year is emblematic of how unique the young, contending Thunder are, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who notes that an NBA club hasn’t had a top-two finish in both MVP and Rookie of the Year voting since the 2001/02 Nets. Before that, the last time it happened was in 1979/80, when Lakers star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won MVP while Magic Johnson finished second in ROY voting.
- Monday’s game between the Nuggets and Raptors marked the first time that brothers Michael Porter Jr. and Jontay Porter shared an NBA court for meaningful minutes, writes Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. In honor of the occasion, Benedetto looks back at the role that Michael played in convincing Jontay not to give up on his NBA dream despite recurring injury issues.
- Jrue Holiday was only a member of the Trail Blazers for a few days last fall between stints in Milwaukee and Boston, but he tells Jay King of The Athletic that a discussion he had with Chauncey Billups during that time “meant a lot” to him. Billups gave Holiday advice on how to handle the transition period and assured the veteran guard that the team wanted him to end up in a favorable landing spot.“I love Jrue, man. I love Jrue,” Billups said. “And we got him very briefly obviously. And I had a conversation — a long, good conversation with him — just about I know it was a little tough spot for him, being traded, kind of being blindsided by that. I’ve been there before. So just being able to rap with him like that because I know him. And it was important for me that a good person like him, who’s been great on every team and every community that he’s lived in, for him to be treated properly and be put in a great position and a great spot.”
Fans of lottery-bound NBA teams will be keeping a close on the bottom of the league’s standings down the stretch because of the effect that “race” will have on the draft order and lottery odds for the 2024 first round.
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2024 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2024 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:
From: Washington Wizards
To: Utah Jazz
Current projection: No. 31
Technically, the Jazz will receive whichever of the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ second-round picks is most favorable, while the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
Even at 23-43, Memphis has an 11.5-game lead on the 11-54 Wizards in the standings, so we can safely assume Washington’s pick will be more favorable than the Grizzlies’ second-rounder and will head to Utah.
The Wizards initially traded the most favorable of those two picks to Brooklyn in 2021’s five-team deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie from the Nets to D.C. via sign-and-trade. The Nets later attached the pick to DeAndre Jordan in a salary-dump deal with Detroit. The Pistons, in turn, sent it to Utah at this season’s trade deadline in the Simone Fontecchio swap.
From: Detroit Pistons
To: Toronto Raptors
Current projection: No. 32
The Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick was one of several future second-rounders they gave up for the right to draft Saddiq Bey in 2020. The Clippers acquired it at that time, then sent it to New York a year later in order to move up four spots to No. 21 in the 2021 draft to select Keon Johnson — that was a nice move for the Knicks, who used No. 25 to nab Quentin Grimes.
New York eventually used the Pistons’ pick about two-and-a-half months ago as a sweetener in the OG Anunoby trade with the Raptors. At the time, Detroit had the NBA’s worst record, so the pick was projected to be 31st overall. It may not ultimately land there, but given the Pistons’ 11-53 record, it will still be one of the top selections of the second round.
From: Charlotte Hornets
To: Portland Trail Blazers
Current projection: No. 34
The Hornets probably have no regrets about trading this second-rounder to New Orleans back in 2020 in order to acquire the No. 42 overall pick in that draft, which they used to select Nick Richards — Richards has been Charlotte’s starting center for much of this season, whereas there’s no guarantee that whoever is picked 34th overall this year will still be in the league in four years.
The Pelicans used the pick a few days later during the 2020 offseason as part of a package to acquire Steven Adams from the Thunder. Oklahoma City later flipped it to Denver, giving the Nuggets either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-rounder (whichever is most favorable).
Denver sent that pick to Portland at the 2022 draft in exchange for the No. 46 selection, which was used on Ismael Kamagate, whom the Nuggets ultimately turned into $2.68MM in cash at this season’s deadline.
Technically, the “most favorable” language still applies, but there’s no question that the 16-49 Hornets will have a higher second-round pick than the 45-21 Timberwolves, so Portland will get Charlotte’s pick.
From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Milwaukee Bucks
Current projection: No. 35
While the Trail Blazers are in position to acquire a top-35 pick from Charlotte, they’ll lose their own high second-round pick, which they initially included in a five-player 2020 trade that sent Trevor Ariza from Sacramento to Portland.
Two years later, the Bucks acquired Portland’s 2024 second-rounder from the Kings in a four-team deadline deal that saw Donte DiVincenzo head from Milwaukee to Sacramento. As a result, despite having one of the NBA’s best records this season, the Bucks are poised to control a pair of top-35 picks, since they still own their own first-rounder as well.
From: Memphis Grizzlies
To: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current projection: No. 36
As we noted above when discussing the Wizards’ pick, Utah will receive the most favorable of Washington’s and Memphis’ second-rounders, while Minnesota will acquire the least favorable of the two, which is certain at this point to be the Grizzlies’ selection.
Initially dealt to the Thunder in the 2019 draft so that Memphis could move up from No. 23 to No. 21 to draft Brandon Clarke, the Grizzlies’ 2024 second-rounder bounced around the league after that and was eventually acquired by the Timberwolves from the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline in the three-team deal that sent D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota.
Although the Grizzlies have traded away their own second-rounder, they control Brooklyn’s second-round pick, which may end up just a couple spots lower (it’s currently No. 38).
From: Toronto Raptors
To: Indiana Pacers
Current projection: No. 37
The Raptors originally traded their 2024 second-rounder to the Grizzlies during the 2018/19 season as part of a larger package for center Marc Gasol — it’s safe to say that deal, which helped cement the franchise’s first-ever championship a few months later, was a worthwhile one.
The Clippers eventually acquired the pick from Memphis at the 2023 deadline as part of the return for Luke Kennard, then used it in a package to land James Harden from Philadelphia this past fall.
Some “most favorable” language was attached to the pick in the Harden blockbuster, and that language still applied when the Sixers flipped it to Indiana in the Buddy Hield trade last month. However, the the 23-42 Raptors would have to pass the 37-29 Pacers or the 41-24 Cavaliers for any team besides Indiana to receive this pick, so it’s safe to assume it’ll land with the Pacers.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher has a partial MCL tear in his right knee, Michael Grange of Sportsnet relays via a team press release (Twitter link).
He will undergo further evaluation by specialists but isn’t expected to require surgery, Grange adds. Still, any sort of MCL tear typically results in a multi-week absence.
Boucher was injured during the final second of regulation when he made a tip-in to force overtime against Portland on Saturday. Boucher finished that contest with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a season-high 31 minutes. He had 11 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes against Phoenix on Thursday.
Overall, Boucher has appeared in 50 games, averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per night. He has been a part of Toronto’s rotation, mostly off the bench, for five seasons.
Boucher is in the second season of a front-loaded three-year, $35.25MM contract. He’s making $11.75MM this season and will take in $10.81MM in the final year of the deal.
Boucher joins Scottie Barnes (hand) and Jakob Poeltl (finger) as injured Raptors who don’t have a set timeline for a return.