The Raptors have had talks with Terrence Ross but had made no offer as of late Sunday, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reports. The Aaron Mintz client presents a conundrum because his skill and athleticism don’t always show up in his performance, as Grange examines.
“Consistency is the key on both ends of the floor, not just his offense but his defense,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “And that’s a huge question with him.”
Ross said he likes his new role as a bench player, but despite his status as a reserve, Grange believes $10MM is not out of the question if he and the team agree to terms. As the hours dwindle in advance of tonight’s rookie scale extension deadline at 11pm Central, see more from the Atlantic Division:
- Langston Galloway is continuing to thrive for the Knicks on his partially guaranteed deal this season, and the same is true for Lance Thomas, as Marc Berman of the New York Post examines. Thomas re-signed with New York on a one-year deal of nearly $1.637MM, slightly above the minimum. It doesn’t hurt that Thomas is an ex-teammate of Kevin Durant, Berman posits.
- The roster the Nets put together for this season is thin on three-point shooting, and that allows defenses to focus on stopping Brook Lopez inside, which has forced Lopez to take far fewer shots from close to the basket than he did last season, fellow Post scribe Tim Bontemps observes. Brooklyn re-signed Lopez this summer for three years at the max.
- Knicks coach Derek Fisher is stepping out from team president Phil Jackson‘s shadow as he’s moved away from the triangle somewhat during the team’s first few games this season, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.