Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kawhi Leonard Declines 2019/20 Player Option

June 23rd, 2019 at 6:35pm CST by JD Shaw

Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is declining his $21.3MM player option for the 2019/20 season and will test unrestricted free agency this summer, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Leonard will seriously consider re-signing with the Raptors, Haynes adds, with several rival executives believing Toronto is the front-runner for his services on the open market.

Leonard is coming off an historic playoff stretch with the team that saw him average 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest, with the 27-year-old winning his second NBA championship and Finals MVP. He formed a strong bond with his teammates, coaches and fans this season, a positive sign for a franchise coming off its first NBA title.

Toronto is the only team that can offer Leonard a five-year, $190MM maximum-salary contract. The Clippers are expected to be a major suitor for Leonard, as Haynes notes, with the appeal of returning to southern California likely to be a strong factor in Leonard’s decision. A handful of other teams may also secure a meeting with him.

Free agency opens on June 30 at 6:00pm eastern time this year, with the moratorium period lasting until July 6 at noon. After that, teams can officially sign their respective players to contracts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Danny Green Believes Kawhi Leonard More Likely To Return To Raptors Than

June 23rd, 2019 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Raptors free agent Danny Green believes the percentage of Kawhi Leonard re-signing with the team is higher than him leaving, Julia Kreuz of Sportsnet relays. Leonard will be forced to make a difficult decision in free agency, potentially between the Raptors and his hometown Clippers. “The city, the fans have done their job, the organization’s done their job. it’s going to be a hard place to turn down,” Green said. “[You] have a great team and have a city, people, fans that love you and are willing to give you damn near everything. And a condo… and some food… and a plane… and dessert after that, who knows. They give you everything, the world, and then some.”

Knicks Notes: Durant, Wilkes, Draft, Cavanaugh

June 22nd, 2019 at 7:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks will do their homework on Kevin Durant before committing to a max offer, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. The team will request access to Durant’s medical records and will evaluate his long-term chances for a full recovery from the ruptured Achilles he suffered in the NBA Finals.

New York’s front office recognizes that Durant will be 32 by the time he can play again in 2020/21 and may be dealing with a “load management” situation that will limit both the number of games he can play and his minutes in each one.

Sources tell Berman that the Knicks believe they’re still in the running for Kawhi Leonard, even though he seems more likely to stay in Toronto or go to one of the Los Angeles teams, and Kyrie Irving, who is rumored to be headed to Brooklyn.

There’s more from New York City:

After agreeing to sign UCLA forward Kris Wilkes to a two-way contract, GM Scott Perry said the team never expected him to be available, Berman relays in a separate story. Wilkes was projected as a second-round pick after leading the Bruins in scoring at 17.4 points per game. “Kind of surprised (Wilkes) didn’t get drafted, similar to Allonzo Trier last year,’’ Perry said. “Winning player, can score, 6-8, highly rated player coming out of high school. Exciting to add him to our mix and see how we can develop him.”
The Knicks were convinced about taking R.J. Barrett with the No. 3 pick, even though they worked out Darius Garland and Coby White shortly before the draft, relays Ian Begley of SNY.TV. Perry explained that the team was taking advantage of having the players in town. “You want to get a chance to see as many prospects as you can,” he said. “Learn more about them, learn their stories. Also further evaluate, you dot your final I’s and crossing the final T’s. So that’s what went into our thinking.”
Tyler Cavanaugh, who spent this season on a two-way contract with the Jazz, will join the Knicks’ Summer League team, tweets Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. The 25-year-old power forward got into just 11 NBA games during the year, spending most of his time in the G League. He played 39 games for the Hawks in 2017/18, starting on a two-way deal before earning a standard contract.

Raptors Mulling Final Pitch For Kawhi

June 22nd, 2019 at 9:20am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors’ pitch to Kawhi Leonard to remain with the organization is still being discussed but is near completion, GM Bobby Webster told the Toronto Star’s Doug Smith and other media members. “There’s definitely more (things to be done),” Webster said. “As you can imagine, there are a ton of thoughts and ideas.” Aside from the financial implications — the Raptors can offer their superstar a five-year deal worth nearly $190MM while other suitors can give him a four-year, $140.6MM contract — the organization is expected to emphasize its championship pedigree, the medical staff that earned Leonard’s trust, and a chance to keep winning in familiar surroundings, Smith adds.

The Raptors had some discussions about moving into the late first round or early second round of the draft but weren’t willing to give up future assets, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.

Nando De Colo Aiming To Return To NBA

June 21st, 2019 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

JUNE 21: Having parted ways with CKSA Moscow, De Colo plans on returning to the NBA this summer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who adds that the veteran guard could command an “ample” market.

“I have asked my agents to explore NBA opportunities over the coming weeks,” De Colo told ESPN. “I am excited for the next challenge in my career.”

As noted below, De Colo will be a restricted free agent if the Raptors issue him a qualifying offer.

JUNE 3: Former Spurs and Raptors guard Nando De Colo is considering leaving CSKA Moscow to return to the NBA when he becomes a free agent next month, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).

De Colo, who will turn 32 later this month, was a second-round pick in the 2009 NBA draft and eventually arrived stateside in 2012. However, he ultimately spent just two seasons in the league before heading back overseas. In 119 games for San Antonio and Toronto, he averaged 3.8 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 1.7 APG with a .429/.363/.835 shooting line in 11.9 minutes per contest.

Because De Colo only has two years of NBA experience under his belt and Toronto has never renounced his rights, he’d be a restricted free agent if he returns to the NBA. If the Raptors issue a qualifying offer (worth less than $2MM) again this summer, that would give them the right of first refusal, allowing them to match any offer sheet he signs with another team.

While a return to the NBA is one option this offseason for De Colo, it’s not the only possibility. Carchia suggests (via Twitter) that another stint in Spain’s ACB is a viable scenario for the French guard, who previously played for Spanish club Valencia from 2009-12.

De Colo has played for CSKA Moscow since his time in the NBA ended in 2014, winning EuroLeague championships with the club in both 2016 and 2019.

Woj: Kawhi Could Meet With Knicks, Nets, Sixers

June 21st, 2019 at 12:56am CST by Luke Adams

While the Raptors and Clippers are still considered the frontrunners to sign Kawhi Leonard, Wojnarowski hears that Leonard may take free agents meetings with the Knicks and perhaps the Nets and Sixers as well (Twitter link via Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com).

2019 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Toronto Raptors

June 20th, 2019 at 2:19pm CST by Luke Adams

After years of postseason disappointment, everything went right for the Raptors in 2018/19. Kawhi Leonard stayed healthy and proved he still belongs in the conversation about the best player in the NBA. Pascal Siakam emerged as the league’s Most Improved Player. Marc Gasol arrived in a deadline deal to help tighten up the club’s defense and improve its ball movement on offense. And after impressive series wins over Philadelphia and Milwaukee, Toronto knocked off the two-time defending champion Warriors to win the first title in team history.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Raptors financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2019:

Guaranteed Salary

Kyle Lowry ($34,996,296)
Serge Ibaka ($23,271,604)
Norman Powell ($10,116,576)
Fred VanVleet ($9,346,153)
Pascal Siakam ($2,351,839)
OG Anunoby ($2,281,800)
Justin Hamilton ($1,000,000) — Waived via stretch provision.
Chris Boucher ($125,000) — Partial guarantee. Non-guaranteed portion noted below. ¹
Jordan Loyd (two-way)
Total: $83,489,268

Player Options

Marc Gasol ($25,595,700)
Kawhi Leonard ($21,329,752)
Total: $46,925,452

Team Options

None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Malcolm Miller ($1,588,231) ²
Chris Boucher ($1,463,231) ¹
Total: $3,051,462

Restricted Free Agents

Nando De Colo ($1,828,750 qualifying offer / $1,901,900 cap hold): Early Bird rights ³
Patrick McCaw ($1,876,700 qualifying offer / $1,876,700 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
Total: $3,778,600

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Danny Green ($15,000,000): Bird rights
Lucas Nogueira ($8,841,915): Bird rights ³
Jeremy Lin ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Jodie Meeks ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Eric Moreland ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights
Jason Thompson ($1,618,486): Non-Bird rights ³
Total: $30,315,859

Projected Salary Cap: $109,000,000
Projected Tax Line: $132,000,000

Offseason Cap Outlook

Realistic cap room projection: $0
If Gasol opts in or Leonard re-signs with the Raptors, the team will be over the cap. If both happen, another year in luxury tax territory is probably on tap for the franchise. Should both players depart, the Raps could technically create up to about $20MM in cap room, but it would mean waiving Miller and Boucher and renouncing all their other free agents too.

Cap Exceptions Available

Trade exception: $2,947,320 (expires 7/18/19)
Trade exception: $1,569,360 (expires 2/6/20)
Trade exception: $1,512,601 (expires 2/7/20)
Trade exception: $2,536,898 (expires 2/7/20)
Mid-level exception: $9,246,000 ⁴
Bi-annual exception: $3,619,000 ⁴

Footnotes

Boucher’s salary becomes fully guaranteed on the first day of the season.
Miller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 24.
The cap holds for De Colo, Nogueira, and Thompson remain on the Raptors’ books because they haven’t been renounced after going unsigned in previous years. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
These are projected values. If the Raptors are at risk of going into tax territory, they may forfeit the bi-annual exception and have to use the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5,711,000) rather than the full mid-level exception. In the event they use cap room, they’d lose these exceptions, plus their trade exceptions, and would instead would gain access to the $4,760,000 room exception.

Note: Minimum-salary and rookie-scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders, ESPN, and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Windhorst: Raptors Would Need Significant Compensation For Ujiri

June 19th, 2019 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors would need “significant compensation” to allow president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri to leave the franchise, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (podcast link). The Wizards were rumored to have interest in Toronto’s top executive, but owner Ted Leonsis shot down those reports on Tuesday.

Stein’s Latest: Durant, Irving, Leonard, Conley

June 18th, 2019 at 9:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant has long been rumored to end up on the Knicks this summer. Even some within the Warriors’ organization believed that KD would head to the Big Apple, though Marc Stein of the New York Times hears that Golden State’s brass is now cautiously optimistic about convincing Durant to stay.

Durant’s rehab with the Warriors would come with more stability from a logistical standpoint. He would venture on his comeback journey with a staff he’s familiar with rather than entering a new environment in New York or Brooklyn.

The Knicks still desire to sign both Durant and Kyrie Irving, and they have the cap space to pursue both. Stein passes along more on the upcoming offseason in his latest piece:

The Nets believe that Irving is leaning toward signing with them. Stein hears that Spencer Dinwiddie has been heavily involved in the recruiting of Kyrie.
Most within the league believe the Clippers remain the favorites to sign Kawhi Leonard, Stein writes. The Raptors are not out of the running, as the team up north has a chance to convince Leonard to sign a short-term deal, presumably a two-year contract with a player option on the second year.
Many rival teams expect the Grizzlies to trade Mike Conley soon, with the Jazz being the frontrunner. One scenario Stein hears is Utah sending a package headlined by the No. 23 overall pick and a future pick to Memphis in exchange for the point guard.

Wizards Won’t Hire New Team President Before Free Agency

June 18th, 2019 at 6:18pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said the team will not fill its vacant team president opening before free agency, as he detailed in a statement to Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

“I am very happy with the work and preparation Tommy Sheppard, Coach [Scott] Brooks and our staff have done and I’m confident we’ll execute both the draft and free agency in an expert manner,” Leonsis said in the statement. “Having that confidence has given me the freedom to continue the conversations I’ve been having on how to build a great organization and, as a result, I don’t expect to make any decisions before the start of free agency.”

Leonsis also addressed the reports that the Wizards would try to pry Masai Ujiri from the Raptors, denying that the organization has spoken to – or plans to speak with – Toronto’s president of basketball operations.

“We have not commented on the many rumors surrounding potential candidates during this process, but I wanted to make an exception in this case out of respect to the Raptors organization as they celebrate their well-deserved championship,” Leonsis’s statement said. “Any reports that we have interest in Masai Ujiri as a candidate are simply not true, and we have never planned in any way to ask for permission to speak to him during our process.”

The franchise has been without a team president since April 2. Since then, the team has interviewed a handful of executives, including Sheppard and Gersson Rosas, who took the gig with the Wolves. Washington made an offer to Tim Connelly, but the executive chose to remain with the Nuggets as their team president. Danny Ferry and Troy Weaver have also interviewed with the Wizards.

The draft and free agency are the most critical events in an NBA offseason. Leonsis, whose Capitals are a year removed from winning an NHL championship, is comfortable going through them with the infrastructure in place.

“I intend to create a leadership team when it feels exactly right and is in alignment with our findings and our final developed specifications,” Leonsis said.

“As I have said, we will likely use ‘many hands make light work’ as a mantra as we seek to establish a new organizational construct that is in line with what future of the NBA will look like: creating a shared platform on health sciences, data analytics, venue management, skills training, etc., for all of our basketball franchises.”