Mouhamadou Gueye

Raptors Notes: Olynyk, Carton, Gueye, Barnes

The contract extension that Kelly Olynyk reached with the Raptors had an added bonus: It clears the way for the longtime member of the Canadian Olympic team to play in the Paris Olympics, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports notes.

If he had been a free agent, it would have been difficult to secure insurance ahead of Canada’s training camp, which opens in Toronto in late June.

“That was definitely a big part of it, as well, getting this out of the way,” he said. “To not have [the contract situation] on your plate and your mind, just be able to play free and easy, and then obviously in the summer just be able to work out, train, and be present right at the start with no complications was a big factor. That also played a huge part in the decision.”

Olynyk, acquired from Utah, signed a two-year, $26.25MM extension. The Toronto native hopes to remain with the Raptors the remainder of his career.

“They traded for me, they wanted me here,” Olynyk said. “Just to reciprocate that love and show that I do want to be here, too – I’ve wanted to be here since I was four years old. It’s special, to create that trust and that bond. Hopefully I’ll be here for the rest of my career.”

We have more on the Raptors:

  • Securing Olynyk’s services on a reasonable contract was a savvy move by the franchise, according to The Athletic’s Eric Koreen. Olynyk’s first year salary of approximately $12.8MM is less than the $18.3MM cap hold he would have had as a free agent. That potentially will give Toronto $5.3MM in extra cap room. On the court, Olynyk’s skill set will help head coach Darko Rajakovic continue to build his movement-heavy offense, Koreen adds.
  • The two-way contracts for D.J. Carton and Mouhamadou Gueye are both two-year deals, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. They’ll get the full guarantee allowable (50% of a 2024/25 two-way contract) if they remain with the team on two-way deals next season. The Raptors also have option to convert their contracts to standard deals at any time over the two-year period.
  • Scottie Barnes hasn’t formally been ruled out for the season after he underwent hand surgery on Monday, Lewenberg tweets. “Everybody would like him to come back and finish the season,” Rajakovic said. “I know he’s eager but we just don’t have enough information at this time.”

Raptors Sign Gueye To Two-Way Deal, Waive Nowell

1:40pm: The Raptors have officially signed Gueye to a two-way deal. To create roster space, they waived Nowell.


11:02am: G League forward Mouhamadou Gueye will return to the Raptors on a two-way contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Gueye, 25, signed a 10-day deal with the team last month and appeared in one game. He was also in training camp on an Exhibit 10 contract, but was waived before the start of the season.

Gueye has been playing for the Raptors 905, where he’s averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 21 regular season games. This is his second season in the G League after spending last year with the Texas Legends.

After signing D.J. Carton to a two-way deal over the weekend, the Raptors have all three of their two-way slots filled, so another move will have to be made before Gueye’s contract can become official. Markquis Nowell and Jontay Porter are also on two-way contracts and Toronto has an open roster spot, so one of them could be converted to a standard deal.

This is the last day of the season that players can be signed to two-way contracts, so any move will have to be finalized today.

10-Day Contracts Expire For Knicks, Raptors

Taj Gibson‘s second 10-day contract with the Knicks expired overnight, making him an unrestricted free agent once again. The 10-day deals signed by Raptors forwards Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye on February 10 also expired overnight.

Both the Knicks and Raptors are now below the NBA-mandated minimum of 14 players on standard contracts and will have to re-add players to their roster in the near future.

[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]

Teams are permitted to dip below 14 players for up to two weeks at a time, but because Gibson was only the Knicks’ 13th man and New York has actually been carrying fewer than 14 players since February 8, the club will have to make two roster additions by this Thursday (Feb. 22).

One of those additions could be Gibson, but since he has already signed two 10-day contracts with the Knicks, the team would have to give him a rest-of-season deal to bring him back.

The Raptors, meanwhile, are now at 13 players and will have until March 5 to fill at least one of the two openings on their 15-man roster. Given that Toronto has a good amount of flexibility below the luxury tax line and will likely want take a longer look at some young players, I wouldn’t expect the team to take the full two weeks to fill one or both of those open roster spots. For what it’s worth, both Winslow and Gueye are eligible to sign one more 10-day deal with the team.

Three other 10-day contracts around the NBA remain active — Zhaire Smith‘s deal with the Cavaliers runs through this Thursday, as does Tosan Evbuomwan‘s agreement with the Pistons. Jordan Goodwin‘s contract with the Grizzlies will cover one extra day, running through Friday.

All three of those contracts will actually remain active for more than 10 days, since 10-day contracts must cover at least three games. Smith, Evbuomwan, and Goodwin each only got two games before the All-Star break, so their “10-day” deals will actually cover 11 or 12 days. That wasn’t the case for Gibson, Winslow, or Gueye, as the Knicks and Raptors each played three contests between Feb. 10 and the start of the All-Star break.

Raptors Sign Mouhamadou Gueye To 10-Day Contract

4:32pm: Gueye has officially signed his 10-day contract, according to a press release from the team.


12:39pm: The Raptors have agreed to sign forward Mouhamadou Gueye to a 10-day contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Gueye and Justise Winslow, who is also signing a 10-day deal with Toronto, will fill the two open spots on the team’s standard 15-man roster.

Not to be confused with Hawks rookie Mouhamed Gueye, the Raptors’ newest addition went undrafted out of Pitt in 2022 and spent his rookie season with the Texas Legends in the G League a year ago. Toronto signed Gueye to an Exhibit 10 contract during the 2023 offseason and acquired his G League rights from the Legends, setting him up to spend this season with the Raptors 905 after he was waived by the Raptors in the fall.

In 28 total Showcase Cup and regular season games for the 905, Gueye has averaged 14.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, and an impressive 2.7 blocks in 30.9 minutes per game, making 56.0% of his shots from the floor.

Gueye will earn $64,343 over the course of his 10 days on the Raptors’ roster and will be eligible to play in the team’s final three pre-All-Star games before his deal expires.

Raptors Notes: Lineup, Schröder, Trent, Siakam, Gueye

Prior to Friday’s game against Charlotte, Eric Koreen of The Athletic and Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca both made the case that the Raptors should make a lineup change. Koreen advocated for Gary Trent Jr. to replace Dennis Schröder in the starting five, with Murphy acknowledging that’s the “most obvious immediate move.”

The logic, as Murphy explains, is that the trio of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes would benefit from playing with at least one outside shooter, if not two. Instead, the three forwards have spent most of the season alongside Schröder, an inconsistent marksman (he’s at 33.3% on threes this season) and Jakob Poeltl, a non-shooter. The five-man unit had a minus-3.1 net rating entering Friday, which isn’t acceptable for the team’s top lineup, writes Murphy.

However, head coach Darko Rajakovic stuck with his usual group against the Hornets. The starting five spent 17 minutes on the floor together and was outscored by three points during that time while making just 2-of-11 outside shots. The rest of the Raptors’ lineups played Charlotte to a draw, but the starters’ three-point deficit was ultimately reflected in the final score: Toronto lost 119-116 to fall to 9-13 on the season.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

  • The Raptors are at a familiar crossroads, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca, who says the team has failed to properly judge the level of its roster and where it stands relative to its competition in recent years. The franchise can’t afford to make that mistake again and will need to be prepared to make difficult personnel decisions at this season’s trade deadline, Grange writes.
  • Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca explores the same subject as Grange, suggesting that time is running out for the current roster to prove it deserves to be kept intact. Within his story, Lewenberg cites league sources who say the Raptors still haven’t opened extension negotiations with Siakam but also haven’t discussed him in trade talks since the summer. Siakam will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
  • Mouhamadou Gueye has gotten off to a strong start for the Raptors 905 this season, averaging 15.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in 32.4 minutes per game through his first nine contests with Toronto’s G League affiliate. Gueye would’ve been the most logical in-house candidate to fill the two-way contract slot that opened when the Raptors waived Ron Harper Jr., according to Murphy, but he’s currently dealing with a neck injury. Using that two-way spot to sign Jontay Porter away from another organization will provide the banged-up 905 with some additional depth.

Raptors Waive Jeff Dowtin, Justise Winslow, Mouhamadou Gueye

The Raptors have waived Jeff Dowtin, Justise Winslow and Mouhamadou Gueye, the team announced (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca).

Winslow and Gueye were on Exhibit 10 deals and will be headed to the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate. They’ll each be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with the 905. Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca first reported (via Twitter) that Winslow and Gueye were expected to be cut following Friday’s preseason finale vs. Washington.

As for Dowtin, his non-guaranteed standard contract would have become partially guaranteed for $900K had he remained on the roster past tomorrow’s cut-down day. However, he had an uphill battle to make the team, with 15 players signed to guaranteed standard deals.

Fifteen Raptors got into Friday’s win against the Wizards, and Dowtin wasn’t one of them, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca noted during the game (Twitter link). That made it pretty obvious that he was going to be cut.

It’s unclear what’s next for Dowtin, Murphy adds (via Twitter). The 26-year-old guard spent last season on a two-way contract with Toronto, appearing in 25 games (10.4 MPG). With only two years of NBA experience, he’d be eligible to sign a two-way deal with any team as a free agent if he clears waivers.

The Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers’ affiliate) control Dowtin’s G League rights, so if another NBA opportunity doesn’t come, returning to the G league could be an option.

The Raptors currently have 18 players on their roster, with all three two-way slots filled. As Murphy tweets, they’ll likely have one more Exhibit 10 sign-and-waive coming on Saturday.

Raptors Sign Mouhamadou Gueye To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Raptors have signed forward Mouhamadou Gueye, the team announced in a press release. According to Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy, Gueye’s deal with Toronto is an Exhibit 10 contract (Twitter link).

Gueye, a 6’10” forward who played college ball at Pitt, went undrafted in 2022 before joining the Mavericks on a training camp contract last season. Gueye was waived before the regular season began and played for Dallas’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. Gueye averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 29 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Legends as a rookie.

The Pitt product went on to play for the Raptors in Summer League this offseason. Toronto’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905, traded for Gueye in exchange for a 2024 G League first round pick last week, which is often a precursor to an Exhibit 10 deal for that player.

With Gueye, alongside the finalized additions of Garrett Temple and Kevin Obanor, the Raptors now sit at the offseason maximum of 21 players for their training camp roster. Gueye and Obanor are on Exhibit 10 contracts, Toronto’s three two-way spots are filled, and 16 players are on standard contracts.

Of those 16 standard contracts, at least 14 are fully guaranteed. Jeff Dowtin is on a non-guaranteed contract with a partial guarantee if he makes the opening day roster. Temple’s details aren’t yet known.

Texas Notes: Irving, Cuban, Gueye, Spurs

Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban is confident that newly re-signed point guard Kyrie Irving understands his hierarchical relationship with regard to All-NBA teammate Luka Doncic.

Irving inked a three-year, $120MM+ deal to remain with Dallas this summer. Though he played well on offense, the Mavericks’ defense collapsed after trading for his services, and they finished outside of the play-in picture in the West.

Cuban spoke with NBASiriusXM Radio (YouTube video link) about the dynamics of his two All-Star backcourt.

“I think Kyrie is mature to the point now where he knows it’s Luka’s team,” Cuban said. “Luka knows this [too]. He knows, and that’s what’s important, and he’s willing to play more of a shooting guard role. When Luka is out, we have a point guard who can score and create for other guys, they’re both players who make their teammates better, and we didn’t have that before.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

  • The Mavericks‘ G League team, the Texas Legends, sent the returning player rights to combo forward Mouhamadou Gueye to the Raptors‘ NBAGL club, the Raptors 905, in exchange for a first-round selection in the 2024 G League draft, the team has announced in a press release. After going undrafted out of Pittsburgh, the 6’9″ forward averaged 8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.9 BPG, and 1.5 APG across 29 contests with the Legends.
  • The doors are about to open on a spiffy new $500MM Spurs practice facility, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Team president RC Buford spoke about San Antonio’s fresh digs, dubbed The Rock at La Cantera. “We’re not trying to build this to be the best in the NBA,” Buford said. “We’re going to build this for our needs and to have the best environment we can to help develop the Spurs’ culture. It’s not about being better or worse than anybody.”
  • In case you missed it, 2021 No. 2 Rockets lottery pick Jalen Green was one of the intriguing young names added to the USA Select Team in the lead-up to this summer’s FIBA World Cup. Green is essentially an alternate for Team USA’s 12-man roster. The shooting guard could be pressed into service as an injury replacement when the action gets underway next month.

Mavericks Waive Four Camp Invitees

The Mavericks have cut four players who were in training camp on Exhibit 10 contracts, the team announced today in a press release. Marcus Bingham, Mouhamadou Gueye, Tyler Hall, and D.J. Stewart Jr. have been placed on waivers, according to the Mavs.

Bingham and Gueye signed with Dallas this summer after going undrafted in June and are good candidates to end up with the Texas Legends, the Mavs’ G League affiliate. Hall and Stewart were veteran free agents, though Hall has only appeared in one NBA game and Stewart has yet to make his NBA debut.

The series of moves leaves the Mavs with just 16 players under contract, at least for the time being. Of those players, 14 have guaranteed contracts, one (Tyler Dorsey) is on a two-way deal, and just one (McKinley Wright IV) still has an Exhibit 10 contract.

The fact that Wright survived this round of cuts may signal that he’s the leading candidate to have his deal converted to a two-way contract before the regular season begins, though it’s possible more moves are coming in Dallas.

McKinley Wright IV, Mouhamadou Gueye Sign With Mavericks

AUGUST 15: The Mavericks have officially signed both Wright and Gueye to Exhibit 10 contracts, Hoops Rumors has learned.


AUGUST 14: The Mavericks will sign McKinley Wright IV and Mouhamadou Gueye to training camp deals and will give them a chance to compete for roster spots, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Wright, a 23-year-old point guard, signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves last August after going undrafted out of Colorado. He appeared in just five games for Minnesota, spending most of the season with the team’s G League affiliate in Iowa, where he averaged 19.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 18 games. Wright played for the Suns in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League and is on Team USA’s roster for the World Cup qualifiers later this month.

Gueye, a 24-year-old forward, is a free agent who played last season at Pittsburgh after transferring from Stony Brook. He averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Panthers during his lone season in the ACC.

Dallas has 14 players with guaranteed contracts and just one of its two-way slots filled, so there will be opportunities for whoever is impressive during training camp and the preseason.