PHOTO: Potential Raptors Christmas Day uniform | Raptors Republic
Whether the Raptors have any chance at landing one of the five games was a bit of a sensitive subject for Raptors fans at the holidays last year. It seems unlikely, given their overall draw and the number of superstar- and rivalry-driven matchups the league already juggles, but maybe the Raptors gave LeBron James and company enough of a fight over nine meetings to earn a Dec. 25 rematch? We can dream.
Draft workouts notes: Gary Payton II, Kyle Wiltjer, Demetrius Jackson, and more | Raptors Republic
There’s obviously a lot up in the air for all teams, but that may be especially true for the Raptors given their cap and free agent situation. There’s been a strong belief that Toronto won’t use both picks, or will at least draft-and-stash someone if they use both, and coming off of a 56-win season will also inform how they make their pick. Not only does roster composition and fit come into play, but so, too, does the psychology of a player, and whether or not they can sustain the requisite intensity even when minutes might not be there.
“Yeah, I think even at No. 9, that’s kinda what we’re looking for,” Tolzman said. “We’re a team that who knows how much a rookie’s going to be able to play next year? Hopefully, we’re a good enough team to where it’s not really something we’re really looking for. At the same time, we need the guys that approach the game the right way, the same type of mental toughness and aggressiveness it takes to win a spot in a rotation for a good team. So that’s definitely a trait we’re trying to find in guys, and it’s these types of workout environments where you kind of get a good look at that.”
All of that is to say, it’s difficult to get a great read on where the Raptors may go. This is day two of what’s expected to be upwards of 10 workouts, and Toronto still hasn’t brought in a potential top-10 pick. It’s early in the process, but at least we know the Raptors are going to be putting a premium on cultural fit, which should surprise nobody.
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Raptors Salary Cap Update as the team heads to the Draft | Raptors HQ
Back to those draft picks. The Raptors actually have a huge arsenal of draft picks that could be included in a trade at the draft. There is a rule preventing teams from being without a first round draft pick in consecutive future drafts — so if you want to trade your 2018 draft pick, you have to have a first rounder in 2017. That only applies to future draft picks though. And draft day trades technically only get finalized after the draft is done. So teams are free to trade their 2016 pick on draft night, and also trade their 2017 pick, as only the 2017 pick would be a “future” pick.
What does this mean for the Raptors? Well, they have two picks in 2016 (#9 and #27), their own pick in 2017, and the LA Clippers’ first rounder in 2017 as well. All of which they can trade at the draft, if they have a blockbuster move planned. Not that they necessarily should look to move them all anyway, but it is good to know they have the option if the right deal turns up.
Anyway, trades at the draft take place in the current cap year (2015-16). So the cap is still at the $70 million level it’s been all year, and the salaries of players for the purposes of matching salary in trades are the same salaries they’ve had all year. It is not until July that next year’s cap and player salaries will apply.
Gary Payton II shows Raptors he’s a chip off the old block at NBA draft workout | Toronto Star
With the ninth and 27th picks in the first round and currently no second-round pick, it’s a stretch to see Toronto taking any of Payton, Gonzaga forward Kyle Wiltjer, Hawaii and Mississauga project Stefan Jankovic, Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson, Florida forward Dorian Finney-Smith or Texas A and M forward Jalen Jones with either of their selections.
“Draft night is such a crazy night where anything can happen,” Raptors scouting director Dan Tolzman said. “We may be looking at players where there’s no positional need for us right now, but anything can happen on draft night, and if it does, we just want to make sure we have our ducks in a row.
“We have rankings of players, regardless of position, that we like, and we know that if we end up making a move or changing up our roster a bit, we can plug in this guy and maybe not miss a beat. It’s definitely, this is kind of the fact-finding time of year.”
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Draft Notebook: Raptors’ workouts indicate Ujiri looking to trade down | Sportsnet.ca
AND THE SIGN SAID…
While there were some intriguing talent on hand at the BioSteel Centre Wednesday, all of the prospects currently project to be mid-late second-round picks (or, depending on who you talk to, undrafted altogether).
So why is that significant? The Raptors currently do not own a second-round pick. Couple that with Ujiri’s openness in stating he’s not interested in adding more developmental projects to his NBA roster (and it can be hard to justify sending a top-10 pick to the D-League for his entire rookie season) and I think it’s safe to go ahead and read between the lines, where it says that Ujiri and the Raps are looking to trade down in the draft. Hey, the front office and scouting department seem to have hit a home run with Norman Powell, last year’s second round pick, and could be looking to replicate that formula.
The team will hold more workouts on Thursday.
Toronto Raptors Round Table: Previewing the Offseason | Tip of the Tower
Jake Middleton: I do not think DeMar is worth a max-deal, but I also think there are very few players who are truly worthy of a max-deal distinction, but in today’s marketplace, with the money available to players, almost everyone is willing to spend max money on even fringe All-Star players. With DeMar, he is a legitimate All-Star, and should be paid around $20-22 million a year, but to think he is worth the same as Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Anthony Davis is foolish.
So while I don’t think he is worth it, I still would have no issues with the Raptors signing him to a max contract, or slightly less than the max if he is open to a slight hometown discount. DeMar deserves every penny. He’s slightly improved his game each season and I think he still has not reached his ceiling. Rewarding his loyalty isn’t a bad thing either.
Toronto Raptors Should Let Bismack Biyombo Walk | Hoops Habit
The Toronto Raptors already have their center of the future in Jonas Valanciunas, and letting DeMar DeRozan walk for nothing or cutting enough salary elsewhere to sign their backup center to a large contract just doesn’t make sense.
The Raptors have pressing needs at the power forward position and could use more depth on the perimeter. There are a few free agent centers that the Raptors could consider for considerably less money and not really lose much ground, especially if they go out and improve other positions.Timofey Mozgov, Zaza Pachulia, a Tyler Hansbrough reunion, Henry Sims or Chris Kaman are all viable options for a backup center role. Or they could turn to Lucas Nogueira, the 7-foot Brazilian center that they have spent the last two years developing.
For all the great things Biyombo did for Toronto in his year with them, they cannot make sentimental moves if they want to elevate themselves to the level of a contender.
The Most Overvalued 2016 NBA Free Agent at Every Position | Bleacher Report
“With the way free agency could wind up going, three years and $60 (million) would be my guess,” another Eastern Conference executive surmised, per Deveney.
Either way, that’s a ton of money for an undersized center (6’9″, 245 lbs) whose shooting range extends about four feet from the hoop.
There’s still plenty to like about Biyombo, though. The 23-year-old averaged 7.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and two blocks during his 22 regular-season starts. He also posted similar numbers (8.2 points, 11 rebounds, 2.1 blocks) across his 10 postseason starts.
For a team that needs an energetic defender, rebounder, shot-blocker and finisher to complement skill players at other positions, Biyombo could be a good fit, albeit at a steep price.
But for the Raptors, who’ve already committed $64 million over the next four seasons to Jonas Valanciunas, paying top dollar to retain Biyombo doesn’t make much sense—even less so when factoring in DeMar DeRozan’s free agency.
With that said, if Biyombo wants to return to Toronto on the cheap, the Raptors would have to consider it.
The NBA’s Most Lopsided 1-Way Players – Defensive Edition | TFB
Another player who made his impact felt during the postseason is Bismack Biyombo. After a rocky start to his career, he went from the Charlotte Hornets to the Toronto Raptors last year. While it was already clear he’d improved his lot in life from his regular season performance, he turned it up another level in the postseason, after Jonas Valanciunas was injured. He defended 134 shots at the rim, surrendering a field-goal percentage of 43.3. Regarding success and frequency, only the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green was better.
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