Morning Coffee – Mon, Jun 27

DeMar free agency | Making the case for Durant to Toronto (video)

Report: DeMar DeRozan not scheduling meetings with other teams | Raptors Republic

As a side note, Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports lists the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Heat, Knicks, and Magic as teams with interest in DeRozan. (Amick also says Bismack Biyombo is willing to be patient as the Raptors figure out DeRozan’s situation, but the broad strokes that are painted without acknowledging the realities of the Raptors’ cap situation are borderline irresponsible. Because of salary cap rules, rights, and sequencing, DeRozan’s deal has almost no impact on Biyombo’s, something I’ll expand on in a separate piece because it’s too much to get into here.)

And again, Toronto can offer way more money, and I’m not sure Nike’s going to come correct enough with a P.E. if he goes to L.A. to make up for that difference. (As a reminder, there’s little value to a sign-and-trade in the new cap economy – players can’t receive a fifth year in a sign-and-trade, nor can they get as large a raise, and with so many teams possessing cap space, there aren’t many scenarios where it would make sense for cap circumventing, either.)

From there, it’s a matter of the Raptors deciding if they want to retain the biggest star who’s ever wanted to stay. A two-time All-Star, the team’s No. 9 overall pick in 2009 ranks second in franchise scoring and third in games played, records he’d hold with one more season in Toronto, and he’s also, of course, been a key part of the best single postseason and the best three-season stretch in team history. It’s not quite a black-and-white decision given how much DeRozan could command, particularly if he’s set on earning the full max (and not, say, taking a slight annual discount on a deal that still pays him more over it’s life than another team could offer), but the franchise has long believed something will get done.

 

Clippers, Warriors, Heat, Knicks, and Magic interested in DeRozan

Should DeRozan be willing to shave some off the top of his salary as a way to help Biyombo stay on board, as it seems he possibly will, then there is a very real interest on Biyombo’s part of making it all work. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of the situation.

As for DeRozan, he has plenty of options on hold as well. The Lakers, who could wind up getting a meeting with DeRozan, in part, because he still resides there during the summer, are widely known to be very interested in making him part of their young core. The Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Orlando Magic are also hoping to lure him stateside.

But it’s the Raptors first for DeRozan, and then all the rest – with a few wrinkles to be ironed out along the way.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHH4Gu3g7cm/

Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan Focused on Staying in Toronto | Tip of the Tower

The 2009 ninth overall draft pick is arguably the top shooting guard available in free agency. However, the source advised he has no interest in speaking to other teams, unless contract talks break down with the Raptors.

In that respect, Masai Ujiri and company are in a position to offer DeRozan a maximum deal worth $153 million over four years. The most any other team can pay is $114 million over a period of four years.

Although there is no way of knowing for sure if this is true, it follows on from the 26-year old’s comments earlier this season. During All-Star weekend, he said he wanted to stick with Toronto.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHIQaU6hsBh/

NBA Free Agency 2016: Latest Rumors and Signing Predictions for Top Stars | Bleacher Report

DeRozan has been quite adamant in his desire to stick with the Raptors, no matter what. But he could hit the market and get a max deal, maybe even by going to his hometown Lakers after he played college ball at USC.

Such theories seem to have cooled, though. If DeRozan was going elsewhere, the rumors market would have picked up on visits by now one way or another. But it seems he has stuck with his word, and it makes plenty of sense for him to stick with a contender rather than chase status as the star player in a big market that is still years away from competing for a title.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwEeCXuh-vU

Toronto Raptors: 5 Players You Forgot the Team Drafted | Tip of the Tower

P.J. Tucker’s path to becoming an NBA starter has been anything but ordinary. After being drafted by the Raptors in 2006, Tucker would bounce back and forth between the Raptors and their D-Leauge affilitate team, the Colorado 14ers.

He would only play a total of 83 minutes with the Raptors and would eventually be released in 2007 to open up a roster spot for Luke Jackson.

From there, Tucker would play for seven different teams across the world until he returned to the NBA in the summer of 2012 with the Phoenix Suns. Since then, he’s started the majority of the Suns games and signed a three-year, $16.5 million contract in 2014.

Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors-related article/video/anything to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com