Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: J. Jack, W. Baldwin, Japan, CBA

March 5th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran point guard Jarrett Jack, who signed a G League contract last week, has been claimed off waivers by the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat‘s NBAGL affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. The Skyforce aren’t scheduled to play until Saturday, but Jack will be available for that game, according to the club.

Jack, 35, appeared in 62 games for the Knicks last season, starting 56 of them, but has yet to find an NBA home for this season. If he looks good for Sioux Falls down the stretch, it could earn him a look from a playoff club. There aren’t a ton of contenders in need of a point guard at the moment, but Jack could be a fit for a team like the Magic if they’re in position to make the postseason and want a steady veteran as an option off the bench.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former first-round pick Wade Baldwin played sparingly this season for the Trail Blazers, then was involved in a flurry of moves at last month’s trade deadline, briefly joining the Cavaliers, Rockets, and Pacers. Now, he’s playing for Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, and tells Blake Murphy of The Athletic that he’s hoping to prove he deserves another NBA shot. “I think in this league you have to show consistency, show what you can do at all times, so it’s another platform for me to show what I can do in order to get back where I belong,” Baldwin said. “I believe I’m an NBA player, rotation guy, talent, all that. It’s opportunity.”
The NBA announced this week that the Raptors and Rockets will play a pair of preseason games in Japan this fall. The contests, which are scheduled to take place on October 8 and 10 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama City, will represent the first time the NBA has returned to the country in 16 years — the league held 12 regular season games in Japan between 1990 and 2003.
The NBA has tweaked the Collective Bargaining Agreement in recent years to make it easier to allow first-round picks to participate in Summer League action a couple weeks later, but Danny Leroux of The Athletic believes there’s one more flaw that needs to be addressed. As Leroux explains, a first-round pick can’t be used for salary-matching purposes in a trade until the player signs his contract, and a player can’t be dealt for one month after signing his contract. So a prospect included in a trade for, say, Anthony Davis this offseason may not get the chance to play Summer League ball.

Raptors' Strategy With Leonard Disrespects Fans

March 4th, 2019 at 10:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors’ load management strategy with star Kawhi Leonard shows disrespect to the team’s fans, Damien Cox of the Toronto Star argues. Leonard has sat out 18 games this season, including an overtime loss in Detroit on Sunday in which many Raptors fans crossed the border to see the game. While the ultimate goal is to have a healthy Leonard for the playoffs, he’s making a huge salary and fans buy full-price tickets to watch him play. To simply shrug off his participation in regular-season basketball is a snub to fans, Cox contends.

Jodie Meeks’ 10-Day Contract Expires; Raptors Seeking Frontcourt Depth?

March 2nd, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Jodie Meeks‘ 10-day contract with the Raptors has expired and the team is unlikely to renew it, tweets TSN’s Josh Lewenberg. Toronto has two weeks to add a 14th player to its roster to meet the league minimum.

Meeks, 31, appeared in two games for the Raptors during his 10-day day, averaging 7.5 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 12 minutes per contest. After having not appeared in an NBA game since last season, the veteran shot a strong 37.5% from beyond the arc.

While Meeks had a solid showing, Toronto may seek frontcourt depth despite the acquisition of Marc Gasol, Lewenberg tweets. He mentions former Wizards center Marcin Gortat as a possible target, adding that there’s “mutual interest” between the two sides. In 47 games with the Clippers, Gortat averaged 5.0 PPG and 5.6 RPG.

To be playoff eligible, players had to be waived by their previous club ahead before March 1, so Gortat would qualify if he signs with a new team.

Eight 10-Day Deals To Expire By End Of Weekend

February 27th, 2019 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

Several teams around the NBA signed new players last week in order to get back to the league-mandated roster minimum of 14 players after slipping below that number at the trade deadline. While those clubs are complying with NBA rules for the time being, many of them just signed players to 10-day contracts and will have to consider additional moves once those deals expire.

At the moment, there are 11 active 10-day contracts around the league, with one more – B.J. Johnson to the Hawks – reported but not yet official. Eight of those 11 active deals are set to expire by the end of this weekend, so here’s a quick look at each of those situations:

February 27

Corey Brewer (Kings)
- Brewer’s 10-day contract, his second with the Kings, will expire after Sacramento’s Tuesday matchup against Milwaukee. So, as of tomorrow, the team will have to decide whether to re-sign him for the rest of the season or let him go. If the Kings don’t bring back Brewer, who has appeared in two of their last three games, they’d be down to 13 players and would have two weeks to get back up to 14.

March 1

Henry Ellenson (Knicks)
- Ellenson played a key role in the Knicks‘ comeback win over Orlando on Tuesday, filling the box score with 13 points, nine boards, five assists, and two steals. He’s still on his first 10-day deal, and the Knicks would dip to 13 players without him, so I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get a second contract from the club.
Jordan Sibert (Hawks)
- The Hawks are reportedly poised to sign B.J. Johnson to a 10-day contract, which would keep them at 14 players even if they don’t bring back Sibert. Sibert has yet to play in a game for Atlanta, so it’s hard to get a sense of which way the team is leaning on a possible second 10-day deal.
Emanuel Terry (Heat)
- The Heat are flirting with the luxury tax line, which is probably bad news for Terry. Miami figures to be very careful about not signing players earlier than they have to for the rest of the season, which means Terry may not be re-signed right away – or at all – once his first 10-day contract expires this Friday night.
Jodie Meeks (Raptors)
- Meeks has come out firing in his first two games with the Raptors, putting up 13 shot attempts in just 24 minutes. Toronto’s production from beyond the arc has been inconsistent this season, so Meeks’ outside shot may earn him a longer look from the team. However, like Terry in Miami, he may not be re-signed immediately when his first 10-day contract expires, since the Raptors will want to do all they can to minimize their tax bill.

March 2

Ray Spalding (Suns)
- For a lottery-bound team like the Suns, it makes sense to use their open roster spots to audition young prospects who might prove worthy of sticking around on next season’s team. It’s not clear if Spalding, who is on his first 10-day contract, fits that bill, since he hasn’t seen any action so far. If Phoenix doesn’t re-sign him, the roster count will be at 13 players, and the club would be required to add someone eventually.

March 3

Chris Chiozza / Terrence Jones (Rockets)
- Like the Heat and Raptors, the Rockets are very aware of where their team salary is in relation to the tax line, and will likely avoid carrying more players than they have to. When Choizza’s and Jones’ deals expire on Sunday night, Houston may be happy to drop below the roster minimum for a little while again before getting back up to 14 later in the month.

The other three active 10-day contracts around the league belong to Isaiah Canaan (Bucks), Tahjere McCall (Nets), and Cameron Reynolds (Timberwolves). Those deals will run through March 6, March 7, and March 8, respectively.

Meanwhile, it’s also worth keeping an eye on the Thunder, who have been carrying 13 players since Scotty Hopson‘s and Richard Solomon‘s 10-day contracts expired on Saturday night. Oklahoma City projects to be the NBA’s biggest taxpayer this year, and will likely be patient when it comes to filling that 14th roster slot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Checking In On Protected 2019 First Round Picks

February 26th, 2019 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

With only about a month and a half left in the 2018/19 regular season, we’re getting a clearer picture of what this year’s draft order might look like. We’re also getting a clearer sense of which of the traded 2019 picks with protections will or won’t change hands this spring.

Using our 2018/19 Reverse Standings as a reference point, here’s our latest check-in on where things stand for those traded 2019 first-rounders, based on their protections.

Locks to change hands:

Kings‘ pick to Celtics or Sixers (unprotected)
- Current projection: No. 14
Nuggets‘ pick to Nets (top-12 protected)
- Current projection: No. 27
Raptors‘ pick to Spurs (top-20 protected)
- Current projection: No. 29

The Nets and Spurs may not be thrilled by how well the Nuggets and Raptors are playing this season, since it assures those first-round picks will fall in the mid-to-late 20s. But Brooklyn and San Antonio can at least be confident that they’ll actually receive those selections this year, which will allow them to better prepare for the draft.

As for the Kings‘ pick, it will almost certainly end up with the Celtics, but the Sixers will still be keeping an eye on it — if Sacramento ends up in the lottery, there will be a very slim chance of that pick vaulting up to No. 1 overall. In that scenario, Philadelphia would receive it and Boston would instead get the 76ers’ first-rounder.

At this point, the far more likely scenario is the Sixers keeping their own pick and the Celtics getting a Kings pick in the teens.

Locks to be protected:

Cavaliers‘ pick to Hawks (top-10 protected)
- Current projection: No. 3
Bucks‘ pick to Suns (top-3 and 17-30 protected)
- Current projection: No. 30

The Cavaliers have been playing better lately, but there’s still essentially no way their pick will fall out of the top 10 — there are 13 games between Cleveland and Miami, the 10th team in the reverse standings. So the Cavs can rest assured that they’ll retain their 2019 first-rounder. Subsequently, they’ll owe the Hawks their top-10 protected 2020 first-round pick.

On the other end of the draft, it’s the Bucks‘ success this season that guarantees they’ll keep their selection. The pick they agreed to trade to Phoenix has unusual reverse-protection criteria that provides only a small window for the Suns to snatch it. Since that pick won’t change hands this season, the Bucks will owe the Suns their top-7 protected first-rounder in 2020.

Still up in the air:

Grizzlies‘ pick to Celtics (top-8 protected)
- Current projection: No. 6
Mavericks‘ pick to Hawks (top-5 protected)
- Current projection: No. 8
Clippers‘ pick to Celtics (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 19
Rockets‘ pick to Cavaliers (top-14 protected)
- Current projection: No. 21

Of these picks, the Grizzlies‘ and Mavericks‘ selections are the most intriguing. Both project as top-10 picks, and neither has full top-10 protection. For now, Memphis appear likely to keep its pick rather than sending it to the Celtics, while the Hawks have a good chance to receive Dallas’ pick. That outlook could quickly change though, if the Grizzlies get on a hot streak and/or the Mavs slump.

It’s worth noting that the new lottery format could be a wild-card factor here. Let’s say the Grizzlies finish seventh in the reverse standings. In previous years, the likelihood that their pick would slide to ninth from that spot would be less than 2%. This year, those odds would increase to over 14%.

Similarly, suppose the Mavericks finish seventh in the reverse standings. Under the old system, the Hawks could be confident of receiving the Mavs’ selection, since Dallas would only have a 15% of moving up into the top three and retaining the pick. In the new system, those odds are all the way up to 32%.

Meanwhile, the Clippers and Rockets will surrender their first-rounders if they earn playoff spots. After some early-season struggles, Houston looks like a fairly safe postseason bet at this point, meaning the Cavaliers should be confident they’ll get the Rockets’ pick. The Clippers, who moved up to seventh in the West on Monday, are less certain of a spot, so the Celtics will be closely watching the playoff race.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

Meeks Hoping To Stay With Raptors Beyond 10-Day Deal

February 25th, 2019 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Jodie Meeks played in an NBA game on Sunday for the first time in approximately 10 months, making his first appearance as a member of the Raptors. The veteran shooting guard was hit with a 25-game suspension at the end of last season for violating the league’s anti-drug program, was traded from the Wizards to the Bucks in the offseason, and was ultimately cut by Milwaukee. Meeks didn’t get another NBA offer until last week, when the Raptors signed him to a 10-day contract.

“When I got the call this past week, I was really excited and knew that I was ready for the opportunity,” Meeks said, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca. “I’m just looking at it as a chance to prove myself again. I’m trying not to look at it as a 10-day. Don’t put any pressure on yourself — just go out there and play hard. Just come in ready when your number’s called, like any other player on this team. (The Raptors) have treated me very well here. I know I’ve only been here a few days, but it’s a first-class organization. I hope to stay.”

Meeks made a good first impression with the Raptors on Sunday, scoring 10 points and making a pair of three-pointers in 17 minutes off the bench. His 10-day deal will expire this Friday night, but if he keeps knocking down shots, he should get another opportunity in Toronto or elsewhere.

Wade Baldwin, Devon Hall Sign NBAGL Contracts

February 25th, 2019 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA guard Wade Baldwin is headed to the G League, according to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days, who reports (via Twitter) that Baldwin has signed an NBAGL contract and been claimed off waivers by the Raptors 905.

Baldwin, who will turn 23 next month, was the 17th overall pick in the 2016 draft and has spent most of the last three seasons in the NBA, but hasn’t developed into a reliable rotation player. In 56 career contests, he has averaged 3.1 PPG and 1.4 APG in just 10.3 minutes per game.

Baldwin played for the Trail Blazers for the last season and a half before being traded to Cleveland in a deal for Rodney Hood several weeks ago. Baldwin was subsequently flipped to the Rockets and then the Pacers before being waived. Now, he’ll look to earn another shot in the NBA by suiting up for Toronto’s G League affiliate.

Meanwhile, another notable name will join the G League ranks, according to Johnson, who tweets that 2018 second-round pick Devon Hall has signed an NBAGL contract. The Thunder used the 53rd overall pick in last year’s draft to select Hall and still hold both his NBA and G League rights.

Hall’s professional career began when he signed with the Cairns Taipans of the Australian National Basketball League last August. At the time, there was an expectation that he’d join the Thunder for the 2019/20 season, which still looks like a viable possibility — Oklahoma City only has nine players on guaranteed contracts for next season, and will likely be looking to fill out the roster with inexpensive contracts.

Danny Green Talks Raptors, Future, More

February 24th, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by JD Shaw

Raptors guard Danny Green discussed a variety of subjects with HoopsHype’s Alex Kennedy, including Toronto’s new additions of Marc Gasol and Jeremy Lin, the future of Kawhi Leonard, his post-career plans and more. Green is in his first season with the Raptors after spending the last eight years with San Antonio, which included an NBA championship in 2014.

G League Assignments/Recalls: 2/23/19

February 23rd, 2019 at 9:07pm CST by Arthur Hill

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

The Wizards recalled rookie forward Troy Brown Jr. so he could play in tonight’s game against the Pacers, Washington announced in a tweet. It’s the 30th NBA game of the season for Brown, who entered the night averaging 2.4 PPG in about seven minutes per game.
The Raptors assigned Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller for today’s game against Long Island, according to a tweet from Raptors 905.

Raptors Notes: Gasol, DeRozan, Ujiri

February 23rd, 2019 at 10:52am CST by marksuleymanov

Leading into the trade deadline, the Raptors‘ biggest splash was the acquisition of veteran center Marc Gasol. The three-time All-Star has appeared in four games with Toronto since the trade, all off the bench.

After over a decade in Memphis, Gasol has had to not only adjust to a new team but also playing in a new country and learning a new playbook. Speaking to Sportsnet.ca’s Dave Zarum, Gasol explained how he has adjusted to his new surroundings.

“We’ve had three games with three different point guards [Fred VanVleet, Patrick McCaw, and Jeremy Lin]. That alone is an adjustment within the adjustment that you have to make on the fly,” Gasol said. “Thankfully, I know now 100% all of the plays. OK, 90% all of the plays. But I know them pretty well, so now it’s trying to understand what the team is looking for. How can I be effective within the flow of the game?”

Gasol admitted that it was tough to part with the Grizzlies but the opportunity to compete for a championship eases that burden. In his four appearances, the Spaniard has played just under 20 minutes per game, averaging 8.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. As he becomes more acclimated to his new digs, Gasol expects his contributions to follow suit.

“I’m not a rah-rah guy, I’m not somebody who will get into anybody’s business,” Gasol said. “I’m pretty laid back and I stay in my lane a lot. But I want to win. At the end of the day it’s about winning and competing and making this team the best possible.”

Check out more Raptors notes below:

DeMar DeRozan played his first game at the Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre) as a visitor on Friday with the Spurs. The former face of the franchise has detailed his roller-coaster emotions following last summer’s trade but his return to Toronto was about acceptance rather than vengeance, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright writes.
The Raptors have been a perennial postseason team that has been on the verge of a potentially championship-winning run. However, under Masai Ujiri this season, Toronto has shown the willingness to go for it with shrewd moves to put the franchise on the brink of a title, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders opines.
Speaking of Ujiri — the first African top executive of any of North America’s top four major sports leagues — his initiative to help those on his home continent has become part of his basketball goals, ESPN’s Anthony Olivieri writes.