- The Raptors sent Malachi Richardson to their Raptors 905 affiliate, according to a tweet from the G League team. Richardson has appeared in 19 games for Toronto, but is only seeing 5.0 minutes per night.
- The Raptors have bumped Serge Ibaka to the five and will make use of Greg Monroe to fill the void left by Jonas Valanciunas but versatile forward Pascal Siakam will also take on new responsibilities at center, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes.
The Raptors are about ready to start playing Kawhi Leonard in back-to-back games, relays Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Leonard was limited to nine games last season with a quad injury and Toronto hasn’t used him on consecutive nights since acquiring him in an offseason trade. However, coach Nick Nurse told reporters tonight that it will happen soon.
“I think we are there,” Nurse said. “I think, after we get here to the new year, we’ll be there. No promises, but I think we’re there.”
Leonard is posting MVP-level numbers in his first season in Toronto, averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He was inactive tonight after scoring 37 points Friday. It’s the ninth game he has missed this season, with five of those being classified as “load management.” The next back-to-back on the Raptors’ schedule will be January 5 and 6 against the Bucks and Pacers.
There’s more from north of the border:
- Leonard is still bitter over a comment from Kevin Durant four years ago, which could provide complications for any team hoping to add both star free agents, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. After Leonard was named MVP of the 2014 Finals, Durant seemed to dismiss the accomplishment, saying he was a product of the Spurs’ system.
- OG Anunoby provided a glimpse of the talent that some people have been raving about in Friday’s win over the Cavaliers, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. Starting for the fourth time this season, Anunoby tied his career highs with 21 points and eight rebounds. “I was planning on his growth being really a big leap forward this year,” Nurse said before the game. “For any number of reasons it hasn’t happened yet, but I still believe in the guy. I still believe we’re going to see that.” Anunoby is a versatile defender in addition to his offensive skills, but Smith notes that it’s hard to carve out minutes for him when the lineup is fully healthy.
- Norman Powell‘s return from injury could squeeze C.J. Miles out of the rotation, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. The 31-year-old has seen his production regress in his second season with Toronto, averaging 5.1 PPG in 28 games while shooting .315 from the floor and .286 from 3-point range. He has an $8.73MM player option for next season.
NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 15 players on their regular season rosters, plus two more on two-way contracts, for a total of 17 players. However, approximately half of the league’s clubs aren’t currently taking advantage of all their roster spots and have at least one open 15-man or two-way contract slot.
[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Roster Counts]
There will likely be more roster movement starting next month, since January features plenty of important roster dates and deadlines. Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts on January 5. Every player on a non-guaranteed contract will have his salary guaranteed if he’s not waived by January 7. And two-way contracts can’t be signed after January 15.
For now though, there are 11 NBA teams with openings on their 15-man rosters and three more with at least one open two-way contract slot.
Here’s a breakdown of those teams with open roster spots:
Teams with an opening on their 15-man roster:
- Charlotte Hornets
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Indiana Pacers
- Miami Heat
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
- Washington Wizards
Of the 11 teams with an open roster spot, six are projected taxpayers — the Warriors, Rockets, Heat, Thunder, Raptors, and Wizards are all over the luxury tax threshold and will be in no rush to fill the 15th spot on their respective rosters, since doing so would increase that year-end tax bill.
The other clubs are more likely to add a 15th man sooner or later, though the Hornets also aren’t far off from the tax threshold and may exercise some caution with that final roster spot. Teams like the Cavaliers and Suns figure to prioritize developmental players when they eventually fill their rosters, while potential contenders the Sixers and Pacers may focus on finding a immediate contributor.
Teams with an open two-way contract slot:
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Portland Trail Blazers (2)
The Trail Blazers have yet to add a two-way player to their roster this season, which is somewhat unusual, even given the club’s uncertain ownership situation. It’s not as if a two-way player requires a significant investment, so that seems like a signing Jody Allen would sign off on if the front office asked.
Portland doesn’t have its own G League affiliate, so maybe the club believes its ability to develop a young player on a two-way deal would be limited. Still, the other two teams without G League affiliates of their own – the Nuggets and Pelicans – have filled both of their two-way contract slots. Perhaps if the Blazers are plagued with injuries at some point this season, they’ll use those two-way openings to add a player or two who can help out immediately at the NBA level.
[RELATED: 2018/19 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]
Meanwhile, the Knicks recently promoted Allonzo Trier to their 15-man roster and haven’t yet filled his old two-way spot. The Celtics are in the same boat, having waived two-way player Walt Lemon Jr. at the end of November. Both teams will likely fill those openings before the January 15 deadline.
Raptors guard Norman Powell made his return Wednesday after missing six weeks with a separated shoulder, seeing 14 minutes of action and working hard to regain his usual game shape. His return gave a much-needed boost of energy to a team already dealing with injuries to Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and others.
“Yeah, (Powell) just was really doing a good job of fulfilling a role, playing hard on (defense), taking the open situations on offense, not forcing the issue as much (as he has in the past),” coach Nick Nurse said postgame, according to Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
“It’s what we need him to do, especially now coming off the injury. He just needs to kind of play hard and settle in on the offensive end.”
Powell gave a solid effort in his first 12 games this season, with the 25-year-old suffering his shoulder injury on Nov. 5. Powell has averaged 4.8 points per game this season, shooting 46% from the field and 38% from behind the arc.
His return gives Toronto another backcourt option behind Lowry and Danny Green when healthy, with Fred VanVleet and C.J. Miles earning more playing time in his absence.
Here are some other notes from the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Locating trades to improve a struggling bench could be difficult for the Sixers, Rich Hofmann of The Athletic writes. Philly sports a dominant core three of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid in their starting five, but the team’s bench has mostly struggled this season. The Sixers currently hold a 21-12 record and could look to deal second-year guard Markelle Fultz as the Feb. 7 trade deadline nears.
- Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was fined $15K by the NBA on Wednesday for public criticism of the officiating, the league announced in a press release. Nurse’s comments came after Toronto’s 95-86 loss to the Nuggets on Sunday. “It’s ridiculous,” Nurse said at the time, upset that Kawhi Leonard wasn’t getting more calls on drives to the rim. “The guy is one of the best players in the league. He doesn’t complain. They just turn their head and go the other way, and it’s been going on all year.”
- Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports compares the Nets to the hungry, inexperienced Lakers team before LeBron James joined the franchise, describing the similarities between the two in detail. Brooklyn, recovering from several underwhelming seasons, has won seven straight games around their young core as they await a potential future star free agent.
The Clippers continue to be obsessed with the top of the 2019 free agency class and with a recent report reiterating Kawhi Leonard‘s desire to be in Los Angeles, Steve Ballmer‘s squad isn’t likely to let up anytime soon. The Raptors are not concerned with the Clippers’ efforts, as aggressive as they may be, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Raptors officials have previously claimed that a Clippers’ employee has attended about three-quarters of Toronto’s games this season but a source tells Amick that the figure is closer to 25%. Still, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank and his team in the front office are doing everything within the league’s rules to up the odds of the franchise landing the former NBA Finals MVP.
NBA squads are allowed to gather as much intel about rival players as possible that might shape their free agency pitch, including both on and off court information. There’s a grey area when it comes to distinguishing the lines between research and recruiting, Amick explains. Teams are not allowed to recruit directly, though they can build relationships with people around a free-agent-to-be.
Up until recently, Leonard was unaware Clippers’ officials had been attending his games nor did he know what Frank even looked like, as Amick details. The scribe was with the head of the Clippers’ front office directly after last week’s game between the two squads. Leonard briefly embraced Amick while ignoring the front office executive and although some may see this as a case of Leonard and Frank consciously creating a ruse in front of a media member, Leonard simply isn’t wired that way, Amick writes.
Many within the league believe that the next six months will play a big part in determining Leonard’s decision. How far Toronto goes in the playoffs and how well he clicks with his coach, teammates, and the city will be factors. One source close to the situation pegs Leonard’s chances of staying up north as “50-50.”
Teammate Kyle Lowry isn’t sure if Leonard will call Toronto home long-term but the point guard is certain that Leonard is enjoying his time on the court.
“We don’t have to read him, because he talks to us,” Lowry said of Leonard. “He’s our teammate. He’s a guy we talk to every day. He’s awesome. He’s enjoying being back on the floor playing basketball at a high level. That’s what he’s really enjoying. I think he missed playing basketball last year, and I think people take that [for granted] When you lose the game for a little while, you’re like, ‘Man, that’s a tough thing.’ But when you get it back, it’s like, ‘Wow.’
“I don’t know [if Toronto fits him]. That’s a question where his individualized personality is going to have to step in [and determine it].”
- The Raptors have their core for the future regardless of what Kawhi Leonard chooses to do in free agency, Shams Charania explains in a video for Stadium. Leonard will become a free agent on July 1, and could consider joining the Clippers if he leaves Toronto. Outside of Leonard, the Raptors currently sport a core group of Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas.
Things are going well for Kawhi Leonard in Toronto, but he hasn’t given up on the idea of playing in Los Angeles, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a broadcast today that focused on trade and free agency rumors. (Hat tip to Real GM.)
Leonard’s desire to return to his home town and his refusal to commit to a long-term deal after this season were the main reasons the Spurs decided to trade him away during the summer. Leonard is considered certain to opt out of his $21.3MM salary for next season and become a free agent in July.
The Raptors, who are off to a 23-8 start, worked out a deal in hopes that a successful season could convince Leonard to stay in Toronto, but Wojnarowski suggests that may not be enough.
“They can’t change the geography. They can’t change the weather in Toronto. Those were always be things against them in this,” he said. “Home and L.A. has been the focus for Kawhi Leonard through all of this.”
The Lakers and Clippers should both have enough cap space to offer max contracts next summer, but there have been reports that Leonard doesn’t want to accept a supporting role to LeBron James. That makes the Clippers the favorites if Leonard decides to leave Toronto, and they have been acting the part with a visible contingent at many of the Raptors’ games, including president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank.
“They’re treating this like a college recruitment,” Wojnarowski added. “… To have the president of the organization show up in Toronto, in Milwaukee, just sitting there, players are seeing him. … It’s a unique way they’re going about this.”
Despite being unhappy with his playing time in October, Furkan Korkmaz has received more opportunities in the past few weeks with the Sixers. Korkmaz has played in 15 of the 76ers’ last 16 games, scoring 18 points in 34 minutes against the Nets on Wednesday.
Korkmaz admitted that he wasn’t ready to see significant playing time last season, but took leaps forward as an all-around basketball player during the offseason. There was an expectation entering the 2018/19 season that he would see more time on the court, as has been the case recently.
“At the time I was telling to people, even like my agent, my parents, my sister, it doesn’t matter who, I was telling them I want to play this year,” Korkmaz told Jessica Camerato, who profiled him for an in-depth Basketball Insiders story. “It was my goal. It was my second year … I knew that I wasn’t ready last year. I wasn’t ready. I knew that. I just worked hard, even when I got injured.
“But I feel like I improved a lot then, not as basketball, physically, as my body. I was saying to people, ‘I want to play,’ … I never got down mentally. I knew that my time will come, but I didn’t know when.”
Korkmaz, 21, was drafted by the Sixers with the No. 26 pick in 2016 after spending multiple seasons overseas. He’s scoring 5.8 points per game on 43% shooting from the floor, 34% from 3-point range and 86% from the charity stripe so far this season, and could earn more minutes as the season progresses if he doesn’t get traded.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Kyrie Irving has embraced his leadership role with the Celtics this season, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. “He’s really taking guys under his wing — very vocal, encouraging when he needs to be. He’s really embracing that role,” teammate Al Horford said of Irving. The Celtics are winners of seven straight games and have a 17-10 record nearly two months into the season.
- Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News projects which players will have a future with the Knicks, detailing talents such as Trey Burke, Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr. The Knicks agreed to a two-year deal with Allonzo Trier and waived Ron Baker on Thursday.
- Raptors star Kawhi Leonard has been the MVP the team hoped for this season, our own Mark Suleymanov writes for The Sporting News. Leonard has guided the Raptors to a league-best 23-7 record this season, holding per-game averages of 26.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals.
After suffering a dislocated left thumb during Wednesday night’s win over Golden State, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas underwent surgery today at Stanford Medical Center, the team announced in a press release.
Valanciunas, who had his thumb relocated and the damage caused by the dislocation repaired, will remain in a cast for four weeks and will be re-evaluated at that point, according to the Raptors. In other words, it sounds like the veteran big man will miss at least the next month and will likely remain on the shelf beyond that.
It’s a tough loss for the Raptors, who have an NBA-best 23-7 record. Although Valanciunas had been primarily coming off the bench, he was playing a key role for the club, splitting minutes at the five with Serge Ibaka.
In Valanciunas’ absence, Ibaka may see a slight uptick in minutes. Greg Monroe, who has been out of Toronto’s rotation for most of the season, figures to play a more regular role too, while Pascal Siakam could also see some action at center in smaller lineups.
The Raptors have an open spot on their 15-man roster if they want to sign another frontcourt player. For now though, they’ll probably just rely on two-way player Chris Boucher for added depth up front. Boucher has been putting up huge numbers for Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905, averaging 29 PPG and 11.6 RPG in 14 games. He scored 47 points on Wednesday.