With a midnight deadline looming for teams to extend players entering the fourth year of their rookie scale contracts, the Toronto Raptors continue to work on a potential deal with Terrence Ross, according to a report from Marc Stein of ESPN.
With the midnight deadline for contract extensions closing in for NBA’s 2012 rookie class, hearing Raps & Terrence Ross indeed still talking
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 3, 2015
Most extension business either done or on hold ’til summer, but Ross/Raptors is one deal that’s still alive. 50/50 is forecast we last heard — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 3, 2015
As you may expect with general manager Masai Ujiri at the helm, specifics of negotiations have been scarce. The situations for most players from the 2012 draft class have been reported as either done or dead by this point, and Ross is one of the few names with uncertainty about him entering the 11th hour.
No potential salary figures have been reported, but the Charlotte Hornets may have helped Ross’ case for a double-digit annual salary, inking Jeremy Lamb to a reported three-year, $21-million extension. Ross has proven far more than Lamb through three seasons, and he’ll almost surely be using Lamb’s deal as a benchmark. If $10 million annually for Ross seems ludicrous given his production to date, it’s worth remembering that the salary cap is projected to jump from $70 million this season to $90 million next season and $108 million the season following – $10 million for Ross in 2016-17 cap dollars is about $7.8 million in 2015-16 cap dollars, a more reasonable, if still player-friendly amount.
I’ve been skeptical that the Raptors can come to terms with Ross on an extension. An extension only behooves the Raptors if they feel they’re locking Ross in at a discount. Ross, meanwhile, will want to be paid as if a potential breakout has already happened, leveraging Lamb’s deal, the rising cap environment, and the general feeling that there will be enough money on the market next summer that he can command an even more substantial salary as teams miss out on top names. If the Raptors won’t cut the check, Ross, with his value at a perceived nadir, seems a candidate to bet on himself and test the market in a few months time.
It’s entirely fair on the part of Ross’ camp to negotiate as such, and they do have some leverage considering the 2016 market. At the same time, the Raptors aren’t going to jump to overpay a player who has been wildly inconsistent in his three seasons with the team, one who still doesn’t have a clear NBA role and who the team essentially saw fit to replace (or demote) in free agency this summer by signing DeMarre Carroll. From the Raptors’ perspective, waiting on a deal and then paying Ross if he does break out seems a more acceptable gamble than paying him now based on the chance that he could breakout.
Ross will be 25 next summer and has at least one obvious NBA skill: outside shooting. He has the tools to be a plus defender but has only used them on occasion, oscillating between potential stopper and sleepy pylon. Players who have plenty of physical potential but seem to lack on the awareness side are tough to figure. It’s entirely possible Ross never puts it all together and equally possible a switch turns on and Ross figures it out.
The first three games of the season have been encouraging, insomuch as three games can mean anything. Ross has had stretches like this before but eventually reverted to being Ross, a major concern to both the Raptors and William Lou. Still, his decisiveness and aggression attacking closeouts has been a revelation so far, his handle looks tighter, and he’s made a few passes off the bounce that he definitely wouldn’t have seen in previous years. The move to a reserve role may have helped some, either by putting him against weaker competition or by taking some pressure off, and the returns have been solid: Ross has 37 points in 51 minutes and has scored them with terrific efficiency, shooting 6-of-13 from outside, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing three assists, and even taking five free-throw attempts, small totals that would represent major steps forward on a per-minute basis if sustained for any amount of time.
Again, it’s three games, and Ross has done this before. His three years as a Raptor have been largely uneven, and right now it’s difficult to say with certainty that he’s anything beyond an athletic shooter. There’s a lot of potential still underneath the surface, but potential is a tough thing to pay for.
The next few hours should be interesting.
