Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Raptors Rumors

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

Player Options

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

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

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

  1. Boucher’s salary becomes fully guaranteed on the first day of the season.
  2. Miller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 24.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

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.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

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.
Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

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.”

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Atlantic Notes: Morris, Kawhi, Knicks, Sixers

June 18th, 2019 at 4:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marcus Morris is not ruling out coming back to Boston next year, Yahoo Sports contributor Keith Smith hears (Twitter link). The combo forward enjoyed his time on the Celtics and believes he’ll have a major role on the team if he returns.

While a re-signing remains a possibility, Morris intends to test the free agent market to see what’s available for him. The Philadelphia native made slightly under $5.4MM during the 2018/19 season.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Fred VanVleet said there is “nothing more” that the Raptors can do to re-sign Kawhi Leonard, ESPN relays. “The best way to recruit somebody is to just be yourself over the course of the year, and I would assume that he knows what is here and what makes this place special,” VanVleet said. “If it’s enough then it’s enough. If it’s not then it’s not.”
  • The Knicks are expected to add veteran coach Mike Miller to David Fizdale‘s coaching staff, Ian Begley of SNY.tv reports. Miller most recently served as the head coach of the club’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
  • Darius Bazley was scheduled to work out for the Sixers today, but Villanova’s Joe Cremo will participate in drills instead, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The Sixers own the No. 24 overall pick in addition for four second-rounders.
Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Nando De Colo Officially Leaves CSKA Moscow

June 18th, 2019 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams
  • Nando De Colo and CSKA Moscow have officially parted ways, the team announced today (via Twitter). De Colo, who previously played for San Antonio and Toronto, hinted during his exit interview that he may look to return to the NBA this summer (Twitter link via Dmitry Planidin of DefPenHoops), as was previously rumored. The Raptors still hold the right of first refusal on De Colo as an NBA free agent.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Raptors, Clippers Remain Frontrunners For Kawhi Leonard

June 18th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

As has been the case for much of the 2018/19 league year, the Raptors and Clippers appear poised to battle it out this summer for a commitment from Kawhi Leonard, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said today during an appearance on Get Up (video link), referring to Leonard’s upcoming free agency as a “Raptors-Clippers fight.”

According to Wojnarowski, it’s possible that Leonard will take meetings with other teams beyond the Raptors and Clippers, but the star forward is unlikely to seriously consider the Lakers, despite his reported interest in playing in his hometown of Los Angeles.

“Kawhi Leonard’s focused on Los Angeles, but it’s the Clippers, not the Lakers,” said Wojnarowski, who pointed to the Lakers’ lack of a maximum-salary slot as one reason why they’re not a serious contender for Leonard. Additionally, after leading the Raptors to a championship, Kawhi isn’t expected to want to play “third wheel” on a roster that features LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Woj adds.

Leonard enjoyed perhaps the best season of his career in 2018/19, establishing new career highs in PPG (26.6) and RPG (7.3), among other categories, in 60 regular season games for the Raptors. He capped off his year with one of the most dominant postseason runs in recent league history, as his 30.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG in 24 playoff contests helped lead Toronto to its first NBA title.

While there have been whispers all season that returning home to L.A. is Leonard’s top priority in free agency, he has given no indication publicly of which way he might be leaning. The Raptors, with Leonard’s Bird rights, will have the ability to offer him more years and money than any rival suitor.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Draft, Anunoby

June 17th, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers want to select someone in the mold of Landry Shamet with the No. 24 overall pick.

“[Shamet has] always been an overcomer and mature and very very self-aware,” senior director of scouting Vince Rozman said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “…I think those are the guys that tend to make it in that range, because they know their role and they know what’s going to be asked of them.”

Pompey suggests that Cameron Johnson fits the profile and speculates that the UNC product may slip in the draft because of his age. Johnson turned 23 in March.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

And-Ones: Durant, Superteams, French National Team

June 15th, 2019 at 10:38am CST by Austin Kent

Multiple teams around the NBA still consider Kevin Durant a talent worth investing max money in, despite the ruptured Achilles that will sideline him through 2019/20. Ben Golliver of the Washington Post weighs in on several franchises that could entertain the idea this summer.

Golliver writes that the Clippers, backed by billionaire Steve Ballmer could afford to sign Durant, tinker with the impressive lineup that led them to the postseason this spring, and then hit the ground running with Durant in 2020/21. That’s a scenario that would be ever dreamier if they were able to land Kawhi Leonard this summer as well.

Of course Durant’s absence next season will still have some impact on his value. Could the revelation that Durant won’t play in 2019/20 derail a potential pairing with Kyrie Irving in New York? Would Irving prefer instead to work with a different star in Brooklyn?

These are questions we’ll get answers to eventually but for now one thing is clear, Durant’s value remains high but that’s not to say that his Achilles hasn’t still thrown the league for a loop.

There’s more from around the league:

  • Is this the beginning of the end of the Superteam Era? Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN wonders as much in a video released on Instagram, suggesting players around the league are showing a greater interest in leading their own teams. For the past decade, star players have seemingly gravitated to one another to stack the deck and win championships but that wasn’t always the case. In fact, if the Raptors’ 2019 title plays a small role in the ushering out the Superteam Era, they’ll be walking right back into a climate that saw former Raptor star Tracy McGrady bolt the franchise for the chance to get out of Vince Carter‘s shadow and lead his own Magic squad.
  • Former Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas has received interest from a number of NBA teams and has several offers to join teams on non-guaranteed pre-season camp deals, international basketball reported Donatas Urbonas tweets.
  • The preliminary French national team for the 2019 World Cup has been revealed and a number of household NBA names will fortify a competitive roster. As seen at Sportando, Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Evan Fournier are the biggest names on the preliminary roster but they’re not the only ones with big league credentials.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Ujiri Under Investigation For Incident With Police Officer

June 14th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is under investigation for suspicion of misdemeanor battery on a police officer during the NBA Finals, according to an ESPN report.

The alleged incident occurred on the Oracle Arena floor at Oracle Arena after the Raptors captured Game 6 to clinch the championship. Ujiri was stopped by a deputy, according to Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, as he tried to join the celebration on the floor.

“Mr. Ujiri was unknown to the deputy at that time. He [the deputy] asked him for a credential,” said Sgt. Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office. “He shoved the deputy out of the way and walked toward the court. The deputy pushed back. The president came forward more with a more significant push and ended up striking the deputy in the face.”

Ujiri watched the end of the game on television outside the Raptors’ locker room, then came through the tunnel to the floor to join the celebration.

The NBA requires extra credentials to gain access to the floor when the series is clinched, the report notes. Kelly claimed Masai either didn’t have the credentials or didn’t show them.

A season ticket holder who was standing next to the officer told The Associated Press’ Rob Gillies that officer didn’t ask for Ujiri’s credential. The same fan also said Ujiri did not strike the officer in the face (Twitter link).

The investigation should be completed by next week.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts