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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, SGA, Porter, Sixers, Hartenstein

September 28th, 2022 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors were repeatedly tied to big-name trade candidates this offseason, rumored to be possible suitors for Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Kevin Durant. Toronto ended up having a relatively quiet summer, making only minor tweaks to its roster, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the club is counting on internal growth from its own players, including Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.

Still, while the Raptors didn’t take a big swing in the last few months, that doesn’t mean they’re not willing to make a major trade at some point to move closer to title contention. A league source tells Lewenberg that one situation the Raptors are “closely monitoring” is in Oklahoma City, in case Thunder star and Toronto native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eventually seeks a change of scenery.

The Thunder have only won a total of 46 games in the last two seasons and appear headed for another lottery finish in 2022/23, but there’s no indication Gilgeous-Alexander is seeking an exit ramp out of town. He said this week that he knew what he was getting into when he signed a five-year extension with OKC a year ago and that he doesn’t think the team will keep losing for much longer.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • When he became a free agent and was weighing his options this summer, Otto Porter Jr. got in touch with forward Thaddeus Young to seek his opinion on Toronto, tweets Lewenberg. Young helped convince his former Bulls teammate to sign with the Raptors. “He’s one of my better friends in the league,” Young said. “He asked me questions and I said, ‘Come on through, sign the deal and let’s go.'”
  • Head coach Doc Rivers is pleased with the moves the Sixers‘ front office made this offseason, telling reporters this week that the team addressed the holes it was hoping to fill. “We had a targeted summer, and we hit pretty much what we’re looking for,” Rivers said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “… We have to learn how to become a team first, and if we do that, I love who we are.”
  • Center Isaiah Hartenstein explained on Tuesday that he signed with the Knicks as a free agent this summer because they made him feel “wanted” and because he believes his ability to shoot and make plays from the center position will add a new dimension to the team. “I felt like I can bring something that they didn’t have, to help them win,” Hartenstein said, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
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Raptors Notes: VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam, Hernangomez

September 26th, 2022 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has the ability to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he turns down his player option for the 2023/24 season. At Monday’s Media Day, he and team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri were noncommittal about whether a contract extension will get done in the coming weeks, but both sides expressed enthusiasm about continuing the relationship, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter links).

“I’ll just say I love being a Raptor,” VanVleet said. “… There’s nothing I could ever complain about being on this team. You guys will know when it’s time to know, but I’m happy with where I am and I think it’s a mutual love.”

Ujiri stated that the team is in a “good place” with VanVleet after some initial extension conversations.

“Whether it’s now or later on, Fred is beloved to us,” Ujiri said. “… Hopefully we’ll figure (it out).”

Here are a few more notes out of Toronto:

  • O.G. Anunoby told reporters today that he was “surprised” by an offseason report claiming that he was unhappy with his role on offense, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I haven’t really talked about role with (head coach) Nick (Nurse),” Anunoby said. “We’re all just trying to get better and everything will fall into place.”
  • After making an All-Star team and earning a pair of All-NBA nods, Pascal Siakam is setting even higher expectations for himself, telling reporters today that his goal is to become a “top-five” player in the NBA. “I want to be one of the best and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there,” Siakam said, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). “I’m ready for it. It’s time.”
  • Before he signed with the Raptors, Juancho Hernangomez spoke to fellow Spaniards Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon, and Sergio Scariolo about the franchise and the city of Toronto, tweets Lewenberg. The input Hernangomez received from former Raptors assistant Scariolo, in particular, played a major part in his decision.
  • The Raptors let their tender window for Jalen Harris lapse, which made him an unrestricted free agent and allowed the Knicks to sign him outright, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet and The Fan 590. Toronto had the ability to retain Harris, but the team already had a full camp roster and opted to let him go.
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Knicks Sign Jalen Harris

September 25th, 2022 at 8:46pm CST by JD Shaw

The Knicks have signed free agent guard Jalen Harris, the team’s public relations department announced (via Twitter). The details of the agreement weren’t released, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal designed to get Harris to play for New York’s G League affiliate.

Harris, 24, was banned for one year from the NBA in July of 2021 for violating the terms of the anti-drug program. He appeared in just 13 games with the Raptors before that. Toronto drafted him No. 59 overall in 2021 after he played collegiately at Louisiana Tech and Nevada.

Harris averaged 7.4 points in 13.2 minutes with the Raptors, shooting 50% from the floor. While serving his suspension, Harris also played in Italy and Canada.

The Raptors reportedly gave Harris a two-way qualifying offer after he was reinstated by the NBA in August. That qualifying offer would theoretically have given Toronto the right to match any rival offer he received, so it seems the team either dropped the QO or opted not to match the Knicks’ deal.

The Knicks now have 19 players under contract with training camp set to start this week.

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Juancho Hernangomez Could Be A Preseason Surprise

September 25th, 2022 at 11:57am CST by Arthur Hill
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Precious Achiuwa Has New Mindset Entering 2022/23 Season

September 21st, 2022 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams
  • Raptors big man Precious Achiuwa believes he has done a lot of growing up since being sent from Miami to Toronto in the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade in 2021, per Colin Udoh of ESPN. Following an offseason trip to his home country of Nigeria and a summer of working out with his trainers, Achiuwa says he’s “really focused” and has a new mindset entering the 2022/23 season. “I mean, something happened to him where he now understands what playing in the NBA is about, and he is on a mission,” head coach Nick Nurse said of Achiuwa.
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Koreen Considers Which Raptors Will Play Most Minutes In 2022/23

September 20th, 2022 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams
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Spain Wins EuroBasket 2022

September 18th, 2022 at 5:18pm CST by JD Shaw

After defeating France 88-76 in the championship game, Spain has officially won EuroBasket 2022, as announced on social media (Twitter link). This is the fourth time Spain has won the tournament.

Spain was led by Raptors forward Juancho Hernangomez, who finished with 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting. His seven three-pointers were the second-highest mark in a EuroBasket final, trailing only Aleksander Djordjevic in 1995, according to EuroHoops. He also won the game’s MVP award.

“Spain played better from start to finish, they had a clear gameplan and we didn’t execute ours well enough, we never really had control of the game,” France guard Evan Fournier said, per EuroHoops.

Hernangomez’s brother, Willy Hernangomez, finished with 14 points and eight rebounds for Spain, while Lorenzo Brown recorded 14 points and 11 assists. France was led by Fournier’s 23 points and only led once during the contest — when Rudy Gobert made a free throw to make it 1-0.

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And-Ones: Top Under-25 Players, Wade, EuroLeague, More

September 14th, 2022 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Fifteen NBA executives polled by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype unanimously picked Mavericks star Luka Doncic as the NBA player under 25 years old whom they’d most want to build a team around. While Doncic’s selection comes as no surprise, there are some interesting picks further down Scotto’s list, which was derived from asking those 15 NBA execs to name the five players under 25 they’d most want to build around.

Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Grizzlies guard Ja Morant ranked second and third, with Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley following them at No. 4. Former first overall picks Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) and Zion Williamson (Pelicans) came in at Nos. 5 and 6, with last season’s Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes (Raptors) rounding out the top seven. You can check out Scotto’s full story to see the other seven rising stars who received votes.

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

  • After spending three years in an analyst role with the network, Dwyane Wade won’t return to TNT for the 2022/23 NBA season, reports Andrew Marchand of The New York Post. According to Marchand, TNT made an offer to retain Wade, but he decided to leave his position to focus on other business ventures.
  • Euroleague Basketball has appointed Dejan Bodiroga as its new president and Marshall Glickman as acting CEO, per a press release. They’ll replace Jordi Bertomeu, who served as president and CEO for 22 years and was a co-founder of Euroleague Basketball, which operates and oversees the EuroLeague and EuroCup, two of the world’s biggest non-NBA basketball leagues.
  • Former NBA star Baron Davis and ex-NBPA executive director Michele Roberts are among the backers of the new Fan Controlled Hoops league, which is scheduled to launch in February of 2023, as Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic outlines. The league, which will follow in the footsteps of Fan Controlled Football, will feature 4-on-4 games played on an LED floor, with fans getting the opportunity to illuminate parts of the court to create zones where players get extra points when they score.
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2022/23 NBA Over/Unders: Atlantic Division

September 14th, 2022 at 7:56am CST by Luke Adams

The 2022/23 NBA regular season will tip off next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to continue an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites – including Bovada, BetOnline, and Betway – we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2021/22, our voters went 16-14 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’22/23?

We’ll keep our series going today with the Atlantic division…

Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets

Philadelphia 76ers

Toronto Raptors

New York Knicks

Previous voting results:

Central

  • Milwaukee Bucks (52.5 wins): Over (75.5%)
  • Cleveland Cavaliers (47.5 wins): Over (73.4%)
  • Chicago Bulls (44.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
  • Detroit Pistons (28.5 wins): Over (51.6%)
  • Indiana Pacers (23.5 wins): Under (62.8%)

Southeast

  • Miami Heat (50.5 wins): Under (56.6%)
  • Atlanta Hawks (46.5 wins): Over (53.6%)
  • Charlotte Hornets (36.5 wins): Under (63.0%)
  • Washington Wizards (35.5 wins): Under (50.8%)
  • Orlando Magic (26.5 wins): Over (55.3%)

Pacific

  • Golden State Warriors (53.5 wins): Over (69.2%)
  • Phoenix Suns (53.5 wins): Over (60.2%)
  • Los Angeles Clippers (52.5 wins): Over (58.0%)
  • Los Angeles Lakers (45.5 wins): Under (66.6%)
  • Sacramento Kings (34.5 wins): Over (62.0%)

Southwest

  • Memphis Grizzlies (49.5 wins): Over (68.7%)
  • Dallas Mavericks (48.5 wins): Over (63.7%)
  • New Orleans Pelicans (44.5 wins): Over (61.2%)
  • Houston Rockets (24.5 wins): Under (61.8%)
  • San Antonio Spurs (23.5 wins): Under (67.5%)
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Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Raptors, Celtics, Sumner

September 8th, 2022 at 8:19pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Knicks are hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2021/22 NBA season, with a $104MM new lead guard on the roster in Jalen Brunson. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News assesses the club’s roster, projecting starters and the likely first names off the bench.

Bondy also notes that, in terms of potential future deals, 2019 lottery pick Cam Reddish, acquired in a midseason trade with the Hawks, seems to want to move on. “It’s clear Cam has no place there,” a source close to the 6’8″ small forward told the Daily News. Bondy writes that the big question mark in the team’s starting lineup is at the shooting guard position, where the battle for suiting up as Brunson’s new backcourt mate looks to be between Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Following a return to the playoffs in 2021/22, the Raptors will be looking to build off their 48-34 season. Eric Koreen of The Athletic identifies paths to improvement for Toronto, including All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam‘s pull-up three-pointers, second-year forward Scottie Barnes‘s defense on the wing, and swingman OG Anunoby‘s scoring in isolation.
  • The Celtics returned to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years last season. Jared Weiss of The Athletic examines ways in which head coach Ime Udoka could look to preserve the health of injury-prone starting center Robert Williams and 36-year-old starting power forward Al Horford, including giving more minutes to reserve Luke Kornet.
  • New Nets wing Edmond Sumner has cleared an injury recovery hurdle, he announced in a tweet. The nature of the step Sumner took was not clarified. “Hit a big milestone today!” Sumner wrote in part. “Been patiently waiting to get up and down. Been grinding and trusting this process not rushing it.” Sumner signed with Brooklyn on a veteran’s minimum deal this offseason, after missing all of 2021/22 with a torn left Achilles tendon.
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