Atlantic Division Second-Half Preview | Hardwood Paroxysm
Contention. These Raptors absolutely have what it takes to push the Cleveland Cavaliers in a seven-game series. As currently constructed, they don’t have the horses to win that series and would probably be out in six or seven games. Make the right move at the deadline for a player like Thaddeus Young, Markieff Morris, or Ryan Anderson, and Toronto may very well be right there with the Cavaliers. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have emerged as one of the top backcourts in the league on both ends. Even though DeMarre Carroll has missed most of the season due to injuries, the team has still continued to thrive in his absence. Additions this week could go a long ways to determining their playoff fate.
Quick Stat Hits: Constructing a New Raptors Rotation – Part 1 | Raptors HQ
Patterson and Valanciunas (+20.6). And here’s another trend-breaker. Another one of the bench players who has a better net rating away from the bench players (JV is also much better with Patterson than away from him). Let’s make sure to find JV some time with those two guys.
A photo posted by DeMarre Carroll (@demarrecarroll1) on
Who the Raptors could target in a trade | Toronto Sun
The question then becomes is a change worth it at this point?
Ujiri is not averse to making a move, but if he does make one, it will be because it makes his team better.
The only name thrown out there that definitively makes the Raptors better is Horford. In order to get him the Raptors would have to part with a significant portion of their depth and even then throw in draft picks of which they are well suited to do with two first-round picks in addition to their own over the next two years.
It’s a gamble because Horford’s a free agent after this season and because of the way you would have to gut your second unit to make it work financially, but it is in line with Ujiri’s stated desire to make whatever trade he feels makes his team better.
A note for those in the Raptors ‘go for it’ camp | Toronto Star
The rumours have already begun and one that gets me is the supposed interest here in Thaddeus Young from Brooklyn, who is sure to be mentioned all week.
Young, while kind of intriguing in some regards, is owed about $39 million for three years after this, does nothing for Toronto, I don’t think.
Even forgetting the money – it won’t be too stupid once the new cap levels are in play – the fact he’s a so-so player on a wretched Nets team who is shooting 22 per cent from three-point range this season and he’s never shot better than 34 per cent from three and that was in 2008-09 — it’s a stretch to even suggest he’s a stretch four.
Yeah, he may have some other skills but seeing how the cost would likely be Patterson, Ross and Brooklyn will ask for a pick, you tell me how that makes Toronto better? It doesn’t, that’s how.
Markieff Morris we’ve been through, he’s toxic and I’m told by people I trust that Masai has never spoken to the Suns about him anyway; I kind of like P.J. Tucker because his contract’s a bit better and he more fits what they do but I also do think he makes an already good team appreciably better.
A photo posted by DeMar DeRozan (@demar_derozan) on
Myth-busting: Are Raptors’ trade targets actually an upgrade? | Sportsnet.ca
Wow. That’s an unflattering shot chart. He’s not significantly above league average at any spot on the floor, and he’s well below at the rim. He’s taking a good number of triples—2.1 per game this season, but the shot-making just isn’t there. How much of this general funk is due to his ongoing rift with Phoenix management is anybody’s guess, but the reality is his career numbers aren’t great for a big man.
Long story short, you get Morris and you’re getting a higher-volume offensive player than Scola, but you’re not getting a more efficient one.
UPDATE: The Raptors have reportedly shown no interest in acquiring Morris…
Raptor fans pay attention as NBA trade deadline approaches | Toronto Star
Why he wouldn’t fit: It’s not that he wouldn’t fit in Toronto but the question for Horford is would be if he’d want to be a permanent fixture. ESPN has said a factor in Horford’s pending free agency is that the Dominican Republic native would like to play in a market that has a heavy Dominican population. He’d also command a ton of assets in a trade and/or a ton of money as a free agent this summer.
A photo posted by Toronto Raptors (@raptors) on
Do the Toronto Raptors have enough for Al Horford? | Raptors Cage
The Atlanta Hawks have decided to consider offers for their big man rather than lose him for nothing in free agency. The Hawks are supposedly asking for a lot, but the All-Star certainly warrants the price. This is the franchise changing talent that would push the Raptors over the top. Horford is that marquee player who can also anchor a defense. More importantly, he has some deep playoff experience. The drawbacks are at 29 years of age he doesn’t have anymore of a veteran presence than Kyle Lowry does. Lastly, he is an unrestricted free agent come July and may not be anymore than a half season rental if he cannot come to terms with the Toronto Raptors management. However, the Raptors would have a good chance in re-signing him if a deal was struck, according to sources. A deal would almost certainly need to include first round pick(s), Patterson, and one of the Raptors prospects (think Delon Wright). It is almost certain that the Raptors have had talks with the Hawks – if Atlanta decides they are going to break things up, expect Masai to be at the front door ready to buy.
Raptors Search For A Power Forward Dragging To The Deadline | Pro Bball Report
It’s obvious head coach Dwane Casey trusts “3-and-D” power forward Patrick Patterson’s defense despite the low offensive output that can be expected on a consistent basis. Patterson is mature for his age, reliable, and usually plays more like a 30-year-old veteran than a 26-year-old who is still developing many aspects of his game. Unfortunately for Casey and Patterson, he has the only contract over $5 million that Ujiri might entertain trading. As in any deal, you got to give something of value to get something of value.
Ujiri’s other obvious trade asset from Casey’s rotation is forward James Johnson. Johnson has settled into a tenth man role whose highest value to the Raptors is as an injury replacement. He has proven to be a very valuable fill-in for DeMarre Carroll and can step in for any of the Raptors wings or big men if needed. It’s been a long tough road for Casey to get Johnson to this point where he accepts his role and is productive in it without becoming sullen or a distraction. This is a guy worth keeping around next season to cover off the inevitable injuries that happen to every team every season.
Other general managers have likely noticed the change in Johnson’s attitude as well and this very versatile forward could be the “value” veteran Ujiri has to include to get a deal to happen.
Bulls have pitched Raptors on a Taj Gibson-for-Patrick Patterson swap, per report | Blog a Bull
So the idea seems to be that Patterson would give the Bulls another youngish stretch 4 for Fred Hoiberg while also trimming a bit of luxury tax bill. On the other hand, Patterson is having a down season by his individual standards, and this swap would weaken the Bulls’ defense/rim protection.
It doesn’t seem like this deal will happen, as Lowe also notes that the Raptors love Patterson, but it’s something to chew on. And you’d hope if it did somehow happen, the Bulls would also be getting something else back in return (would assume a pick so as not to add more salary.)
Report: Toronto Raptors Not Interested in Markieff Morris | Tip of the Tower
Considering how much character matters to Ujiri, I doubt he’d roll the dice on a guy like Morris unless he got him at a substantially discounted price, which is something the Suns do not want to do.
Another thing to consider with Ujiri is how tight of a ship he runs. How many times have rumours surrounding the Raptors came true? Not often. The whole Morris-to-Toronto rumour is probably something Morris’ agent put together to help spark interest in his client.
Morris to Raptors No Longer Being Discussed | TFB
While Morris and his $8 million/season contract have at times been considered a bargain, Morris’ considerable role in the implosion of this year’s Phoenix Suns team is understandably a deterrent for any team wishing to trade for him. Because of the unpredictability of Morris, it has also been speculated that the Detroit Pistons will end up trading for him: the Pistons acquired Markieff’s twin brother, Marcus, in a trade over the summer, and the Morris twins have repeatedly voiced their preference to play together.
Toronto Raptors Have Found A Star In DeMar DeRozan | Hoops Habit
He’s reduced the number of shots that have come from between 10 feet and the three-point line by 10.7 percent and increased his shots within 10 feet by nine percent as well as upped his three-point attempts. In addition to taking better shots and more threes, he’s also shooting a career high 33.7 percent from three. Better decision making has been a large contributing factor to this change, but his improved ball handling has made the biggest impact to his overall game. Not only has his improved handle allowed him to consistently get where he wants on the court, it’s allowed him to keep his head up with the ball and pass out of trouble before it’s too late. He’s averaging a career high 4.1 assists a game and his turnovers a game stayed steady at 2.3 despite taking on a larger scoring role and play-making role.
A career high 23.4 points per game for DeRozan is second only to James Harden when it comes to shooting guard scoring. For a player that’s always shouldered a considerable load, he’s finally found a way to do so efficiently and take the next step to join the league’s most deadly offensive threats. He’s maximized what he does well while masking his flaws and that’s one of the biggest reason the Toronto Raptors have separated themselves as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference.
Raptors quietly becoming talk of East — and only getting scarier | New York Post
“I’m not surprised but it’s been tough,” DeRozan said. “We’ve been without a key starter, DeMarre Carroll, for a while. We were without Jonas Valanciunas for five weeks with a broken hand. It’s been tough. We haven’t really had our full roster. We proved we’re a dominant team in the Eastern Conference. But nobody’s place is promised.”
DeRozan, averaging 23.4 points, ranks eight in scoring while Lowry, at 21.0, is 15th. There’s more, of course. Valanciunas (9.4 rebounds) can be a load inside. Bismack Biyombo (8.1 rebounds) anchors a terrific bench that has Cory Joseph behind Lowry. The Raptors are looking for wing help have had some feeler talks about the Nets’ Thaddeus Young.
But everything starts with the All-Stars.
“What Toronto has done is put the keys into two guys’ hands, DeRozan and Lowry, and those guys hold everybody accountable,” LeBron James said. “They have a great balance of scoring and defense and they’re playing at a high level.”
Toronto Raptors: Can They Avoid a Second Half Slump? | Hoops Habit
Lowry and DeRozan have never been better and both have helped get the team to where they are today, but the lack of a consistent third scoring option for the Raptors still lingers.
They could have one in DeMarre Carroll, who has yet to make an impact on the team since he’s been hurt for the majority of the season or Jonas Valanciunas, who still remains an intriguing fit even after signing a contract extension last fall. Additionally, the days of making a deal are numbered but there’s still a possibility the Raptors could make a big trade before the deadline this Thursday.
Fortunately, the questions on the team’s defense have mostly disappeared due to how well it’s been this year and it will only be bolstered once Carroll returns.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Raptors approach the second half of the season. It could be a time for experimentation, to see what you have with your more unproven players. However, you could make a case for how that would be a bad idea for the Raptors as they have a chance to snatch the first seed away from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Basketball agents are diving into a deeper, expanding pool of talent | The Globe and Mail
“My goal is to have one, maybe two players in the [NBA] next year,” said Durrant. “You can’t sign a kid until after he’s done university, but you have to create the relationships really early.”
There are 12 Canadians currently in the NBA, and most chose American agents. Canadian star Andrew Wiggins hired well-known U.S. rep Bill Duffy, whose list of stars includes Klay Thompson and Joakim Noah.
But as more Canadians make it to the NBA, the more likely they will look for local representation. Toronto agent Mike George has Canadian NBA players Tyler Ennis, Anthony Bennett and Dwight Powell among his NBA and D-League clients. George is the former teacher and coach who co-founded CIA Bounce, the powerhouse club that has sent several to the NBA in recent years, including Wiggins.
The most lopsided-sided trades in NBA history | USA Today
The result: On paper, Vince Carter’s trade from Toronto to New Jersey doesn’t seem as lopsided as it actually turned out to be. But, traded in the midst of his prime, Carter proved to be worth much more than the Raptors traded him for. Mourning and Balkman never played a game for Toronto, while neither the Williams duo nor Graham ever averaged more than eight points per game during their time with the Raptors.
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