The Toronto Raptors have recalled Lucas Nogueira and Delon Wright from Raptors 905 of the D-League, the team announced.
Both players appeared in the 905’s 102-98 victory on Friday, and Wright, in particular, was impressive. Playing primarily off the ball on defense in a two-point guard look, Wright was a huge difference maker on the glass and approached a triple-double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and three blocks in 37 minutes. Nogueira had a much quieter night coming off the bench against a stretchy Iowa Energy frontcourt, scoring eight points with two rebounds in 17 minutes.
Both were always expected to get recalled quickly, as the Raptors host the Miami Heat on Saturday night. The 905 play simultaneously in Mississauga, and Bruno Caboclo will remain with the D-League squad for the evening.
It’s unclear what the organization’s plans may be for Monday’s Air Canada Centre double-header, when the 905 tip off at noon followed by the parent club at 7:30. The guess here is that only Caboclo remains with the 905, in part because the Raptors won’t want to risk their depth in a double-header situation and in part because the 905 may already be working several recovering players back into the fold, improving their depth and accounting for some minutes.
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Speaking of injury recoveries, John Jordan could be ready to return from a minor knee injury any time now. He was available in the event of an emergency on Friday but wasn’t needed with Wright on assignment and Shannon Scott and Ashton Smith also active.
DeAndre Daniels could make his debut with the 905 as soon as Saturday, too. He hasn’t played since March 1 of last year, with his summer and 2015-16 season delayed due to a Jones fracture suffered during the offseason. He’s been inching closer since early January, but foot injuries are fickle, so it’s been tough for the team to peg down a firm timeline.
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In other 905 news, the Minnesota Timberwolves are signing Greg Smith to a second 10-day contract, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press.
Smith was picked up on March 1 and has appeared in six games, averaging 2.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 10.7 minutes. That’s a lot of run for someone on a 10-day, but Smith’s combination of experience – 137 NBA games played over five seasons – and youth – he just turned 25 – made him an ideal plug-in for the Wolves.
My own personal expectation is that Axel Toupane will receive a second 10-day deal from the Denver Nuggets when his current deal expires. He’s looked really good in three of his four appearances with Denver, providing some really solid defense across multiple positions and flashing the corner three he was developing with the 905.
