It's official! Dr. Kyle Lowry joins the Acadia University Class of 2021. #AcadiaUGrad21 #WeTheNorth Read his bio and full video here: https://t.co/23f2oOzyoP pic.twitter.com/xcR1fTCp3S
— Acadia University (@AcadiaU) May 9, 2021
Speaking of the Raptors president, his status is … interesting. His contract was originally supposed to run out on June 30, usually the last day of the NBA calendar. It’s not clear how the pandemic-influenced change of schedule impacted that, and all reports indicate it has been business as usual, with Ujiri leading the team’s process into all aspects of the offseason. Ujiri was spotted with general manager Bobby Webster when Team USA was in Las Vegas. At this point, it would be a surprise if Ujiri left the organization. Still, months after saying he was going to have serious discussions with MLSE’s board of directors, coming armed with “big asks,” there has been no word of a contract extension. At the very least, it is deeply strange for the head decision-maker of an NBA team to be so close to the end of the season with no contract in place for the next one, and his absence leads to the lack of a recognizable public-facing executive leading up to the biggest draft pick in recent Raptors history.
• Oh yeah: Kyle Lowry, only the greatest player in franchise history, will become a free agent on Aug. 2, and there figures to be plenty of competition for his services. That assumes the Raptors prioritize keeping Lowry with the franchise, making sure his last year with the club didn’t take place in coastal Florida.
Some of the above is unfortunate, some of it was avoidable, but all of it is reality, and contributing to a sense of uncertainty around the Raptors. Even heading into the bubble last year, the Raptors had a strong sense of identity, tied to the championship they were defending in unlikely, laudable fashion, a strong devotion to the social-justice issues which were prevalent during the summer and a cultural foundation Ujiri, Lowry, Dwane Casey and DeMar DeRozan had set years ago that seemed to support whoever joined the Raptors over the ensuing six years.
As a franchise, the Raptors were physically displaced last season, and that remains the case, given they have been conducting many draft workouts in Tampa. As Toronto and Canada have reopened slowly, though, the Raptors have been largely absent. Props to the organization for opening up Scotiabank Arena for the biggest single day of COVID-19 vaccinations late last month, but that was a corporate effort from MLSE. The lack of presence makes sense: Who, right now, is the right person to represent the Raptors, especially given Fred VanVleet has been back home and Nurse was, until recently, busy with Canada Basketball duties? It’s an awkward situation. More than that, it’s a bizarre situation. And it leaves that team identity that fans have rallied around ill-defined for the first time in so many years.
Again, some of that will be addressed in the coming weeks. The Raptors will have a shiny new draft pick. There will be clarity in the front office, maybe with Ujiri’s return. Even if Lowry isn’t back, there should be an obvious direction forward for the roster.
Still, the Raptors would be well served to remember that a brand only goes as far as the people that define and represent it. All fans really care about their favourite team is who they are, what they do and what they stand for. If the Raptors haven’t forgotten that, it’s about time they show they still know it.
The Raptors could conceivably be in the following situations:
- Under-cap team. This would require renouncing or losing multiple free agents, most notably Kyle Lowry and (probably) Chris Boucher. Theoretically, the Raptors could get to about $27.9 million below the cap ($112.41 million) without trading away one of their four players with guaranteed contracts or the No. 4 pick. They would also have the $4.91-million room exception in this case.
- Above-cap, below-apron team. This feels like the most likely scenario, given how quickly the cap space gets tight even if Lowry leaves or is sign-and-traded. Here, the Raptors would be able to retain whichever of the non-guaranteed players they choose, re-sign Gary Trent Jr. and have the $9.54-million mid-level and $3.73-million bi-annual exceptions available. They may not be able to do all of those things without ending up in the tax ($136.61 million), but tactically, that sequence of events is on the table.
- Above-cap, above-apron team. This would only occur if the Raptors ran just about everyone back, re-signed Trent to a sizable deal and/or made a trade that added salary. They would have no cap space and could only use the $5.89-million tax-payer mid-level exception. As a procedural note, if the Raptors wound up above the apron, they would be ineligible to acquire a player via sign-and-trade. Similarly, if they acquire someone via sign-and-trade, they’ll be hard-capped at the apron amount ($143 million).
So, we want to make sure we have targets for all three scenarios — cap space, full MLE, mini-MLE/BAE — as well as minimum options.
Kyle Lowry’s free agency feels like the end of his Raptors tenure – Yahoo!
The main question will be what exactly Lowry’s priority is? If it’s to be on a championship timeline right away, Toronto will not be the first choice. Even with an incoming No. 4 pick, the Raptors do not project as serious title contenders next season. If it’s stability and money, Toronto can provide both.
It leads to the next question. Are the Raptors willing to pay whatever it takes to bring Lowry back? They can go over the cap to re-sign him. At the trade deadline, reports suggested Lowry was looking for an extension in the range of around $25 million annually. Given the number of suitors and the lack of other premium options in free agency, and the fact the league just watched two teams who were elevated by the acquisition of new point guards (Jrue Holiday and Chris Paul) in the Finals, you have to imagine that’s the starting bid and not the closing price.
From a sentimental standpoint, it would appear to be a no-brainer for the Raptors to outbid everyone on the market to bring Lowry back. But we know even though Ujiri loves to embrace and push the idea of the Raptors franchise as a family, he has never let those feelings get in the way of business. That’s how DeMar DeRozan left town in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and a legitimate shot at the championship. It’s why Serge Ibaka left for the Clippers.
In the end, it’s always business, never personal. Ujiri professed his desire to chase another championship at his own exit interview after a forgettable season in Tampa Bay, and scoffed at the idea of making a play-in tournament. Ujiri dreams big. He always has. On a team that has seen most of its championship roster turned over since 2019, does paying a 35-year-old point guard a premium price make sense?
In a perfect world, the two sides agree on a price and Lowry returns to Toronto, reunited with the city that has grown to worship him as the most important player in franchise history. Lowry remains on the team for the next three years while Ujiri reshapes the roster and gets the Raptors back into contention.
Or, Lowry decides to take a bigger payday elsewhere when the Raptors draw a line in negotiations, or he simply decides the desire to compete for a championship right away outweighs all of the other factors in consideration. And both sides agree to move on, and perhaps the Raptors recoup a few assets via a sign-and-trade on Lowry’s way out.
Set the sentiments aside, and the latter feels like the more realistic scenario. It doesn’t always have to end with a bitter fallout, a trade request or a failed negotiation. Sometimes, things just have a natural and logical endpoint. That’s what it felt like at the trade deadline in March for Lowry and the Raptors. As the start of free agency approaches, it still feels very much the same.
1) Heading into the offseason, where does acquiring Lowry stand among your team’s priorities (this part is not visible to Lowry and his team or other franchises)?
Raptors (Murphy): It is the single biggest domino in our offseason. We do not feel Kyle’s return is exclusive to any of our potential contention paths and timelines. Kyle’s plans, however, do affect whether we will operate as an above-cap or below-cap team. That might not seem particularly relevant, but if contending for a championship is his priority, as it is ours, we want to be upfront about the roster construction plans. Retaining Kyle would be our preference, but if he has eyes elsewhere, we will move swiftly to facilitate and then pivot.
HEAT™ (Hollinger): We the Miami HEAT™ have Kyle Lowry near the top of our board, in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS™. While we maintain fantasies about convincing Chris Paul or Kawhi Leonard to try South Beach, realistically we see our combination of cap room, attractive team and opening at point guard as an alluring option for Kyle. We’ll also be talking to Mike Conley, Lonzo Ball, John Collins and Paul Millsap, as well as our own free agents Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson.
Mavericks (Cato): The way we operate is similar to the famed Texan motto: Everything’s bigger here. As such, we will always first target the biggest free agent available, no matter how unlikely it is to win him over, even if it costs us mid-tier players. (Andre Iguodala recently recounted how he was set to sign with the Mavericks in 2013 before they dallied around, waiting on Dwight Howard and causing Iguodala to choose Golden State instead.) This summer, the main target is Kawhi Leonard, someone who we’re set to pursue even despite his major ACL injury. If he swiftly re-signs with the Clippers, we have Plan Bs ready to go, including Kyle (as well as Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan and perhaps John Collins). But we’re optimistic to a fault, and we’re always going to pursue the star first.
Knicks (Vorkunov): We are certainly in need of a starting point guard. Any assertion otherwise would be a fabrication. But there are options. This free-agent class has a glut of them, and have you seen that trade market? Kyle is obviously a well-regarded and still productive player. He would be a great fit in New York — Thibs and Lowry would be the Shawn and Gus of a new generation — but the Knicks do not need to overpay for him. The organization will be monitoring Mike Conley, Chris Paul, Lonzo Ball, and many others.
Sixers (Hofmann): Kyle is not our No. 1 priority. That would be finding a fair-value deal for Ben Simmons, who everyone internally believes could use a change of scenery for everyone’s sanity. Internally, we know that finding a satisfactory deal could be difficult. Initially, we’re going to swing for a younger player than Lowry in those trade talks. The best player returning in a Simmons deal might be a point guard, which makes it less palatable to acquire Kyle. And the other problem is that a sign-and-trade for Kyle could cause us some trouble staying under the apron. So in a lot of ways, the decision on Simmons has to happen before we get to Lowry. But there is an acknowledgment that surrounding Joel Embiid with players who can dribble, pass and shoot generally works out. So Kyle is a person of interest.
Raptors Rumour Roundup: What are Toronto’s plans for the NBA Draft and free agency? – Raptors HQ
Thanks to the Los Angeles Times and Broderick Turner, the NBA blog aggregation machine sprung to life over the past week, linking every top free agent in the league to — wouldn’t you know it — the Lakers. A story like this is easy to write, and it is just as easy to dismiss as a non-story. The key here is understanding the dynamics at play, both from the team in question and the players mentioned in the story, including Kyle Lowry and our old friend DeMar DeRozan.
First, yes, of course, the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in signing all of the top free agents of 2021 — every team wants to do that! Now, you could argue the Lakers may have an easier time attracting said free agents, what with the presence of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and that beautiful weather we keep hearing about. But this is not really news, per se. They’ll have to figure out their salary cap and roster balance just like every other team and then work out what they can afford to pay to whom.
On that note, I could definitely see DeRozan making a grand return to his hometown to make a title run with LeBron. Does he help the two key areas (shooting and defense) the Lakers need to win it all? No, not really, but they do so love their star power in Los Angeles, the big names all lined up there on the bench. The idea that DeRozan is interested in going to LA is reportedly coming from “people not authorized to speak publicly on the matter,” so, yeah, I wouldn’t invest too much into the idea just yet. Ultimately, like Lowry, it may come down to what kind of pay-cut DeRozan would be willing to take from his previous year’s salary of $27 million.
Meanwhile, the case for Lowry is different. He could very much help Los Angeles win it all — and the argument can still be made that they should have traded for him at last season’s deadline to avoid their embarrassing first round defeat. There also has to be some bonus appeal for Lowry if DeRozan does end up on the Lakers. In that scenario, he can enjoy a low-gear season, hang out with his best pal, and then power up for some sort of playoff and title push. The only question really is whether the Lakers can make all the salaries fit.
Oh, and we have to decide how real the “interest” is from Lowry. Just like every team is interested in acquiring the best players, every player is interested in getting paid well in a comfortable and/or competitive situation. The Raptors are a comfortable and relatively competitive situation for Lowry and they can pay him well too. That’s not to say Toronto has the inside track, it just suggests he could be just as interested in returning as he is in leaving. Unfortunately, it really is as vague as all that.
Then again, like I said off the top, this is the season of intrigue.
Toronto Raptors: What’s next for Malachi Flynn after promising rookie year? – Yahoo!
For one, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse disagrees with the idea that Flynn is a finished product. After a 26-point game from Flynn late in the season, Nurse left Flynn with an extensive list of things to improve as if he were an overzealous teacher handing out homework over the summer.
“I think he’s at a stage where shooting needs to improve. He’s got to really get to work to get those percentages up,” Nurse said. “His finishing, I have mentioned that I want him attacking the paint a lot … We will do our best to get him in some group settings that he can work on each read out of the pick-and-roll, how do you hit the roller from the pocket pass, how do you hit the roller on the lob, how do you fire it out to the corner, if nothing is there how do you Nash out and hit the slot cut, all the reads that he needs to make as well.”
It’s not surprising that Nurse pointed out the scoring first because Flynn is going to need that aspect to open up the rest of his game. Flynn is not a traditional point guard who calls out the set and then dumps it off to the scorer. He is a modern guard who looks for his own offence and will distribute based on how the defence reacts. In order for his game to work, Flynn needs to establish himself as a threat in the pick-and-roll, where he showed good tools with the pull-up three and the ability to burst to the rim and finish with either hand, along with two counters in the occasional floater and a short turnaround jumper on the baseline. But to be clear, none of those moves stand out nor are they at the level where Flynn would even feature in a scouting report.
Flynn’s shortcomings are common to most small guards. He shot 50 percent within five feet of the hoop, which is a step up from VanVleet’s 43 percent (he really needs to improve here), but still below league average. Flynn’s quickness is his main advantage in getting downhill and he’s slippery when attacking bigger players, but he doesn’t impact the rim enough as a main playmaker especially when facing a set defence. This led to prolonged stretches in many games where Flynn was passive and unable to generate offence for himself or his teammates.
The other aspect for Flynn to improve is his shooting. He couldn’t buy a basket in the first half of the year, shooting just 9-for-36 on jumpers despite only two attempts being contested, but his percentages evened out as he got extended run. Flynn’s shot selection could have been better — he took 72 pull-up midrange shots compared to 76 pull-ups from three — but the percentages were acceptable while his form and footwork looked good. He was confident in taking the three when defenders went under screens which is an absolute must for someone who mostly operates in pick-and-roll.
But the area Flynn is most lacking is his ability to play without the ball, which is hardly surprising since this was the first time in his career he played with better playmakers. Flynn hit 40 percent of his catch-and-shoot scenarios after the all-star break, which is a solid mark, but most of those were standstill looks where the ball rotated out to him. Flynn doesn’t yet have the feel for hunting his looks away from the play using screens and by relocating like Lowry or VanVleet can, and it’s a hugely important skill given that Nurse likes to play dual point lineups. Flynn would also really benefit from extending his range to give himself more space, an addition that helped Lowry and VanVleet elevate their games.
Canada has uphill battle after falling to Serbia in women’s basketball at Tokyo Olympics | The Star
Down four with just under two minutes left, Canada’s Bridget Carleton missed two free throws and the Canadians committed a turnover on the ensuing possession.
Then after a Nirra Fields three-pointer pulled Canada within two with 51 seconds left, Serbia broke a Canadian press for an easy layup that sealed the win.
Fields had 19 points and Kia Nurse 16 for Canada, which faces Korea on Wednesday.
Only the top two teams in the preliminary round group are guaranteed spots in the knockout quarterfinals and Canada can’t advance without a win over Korea.
They would then need to beat No. 3-ranked Spain on Saturday night, Toronto time, to ensure moving on. There is a possibility of advancing as one of the top two third place teams out of group play but that will depend on results in other groups as well.
