Og Anunoby Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Notes: Trent Jr., Deadline Primer, Assets, Tiers

January 20th, 2023 at 5:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. says he’s grateful for the opportunity to earn an expanded role with the Raptors, writes Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Trent is averaging a career-high 18.5 points per night and boasts solid shooting splits (.438/.360/.831, including a .572 true shooting percentage).

“It’s just a lot of things, factors of being consistent in the NBA,” Trent said. “It’s your role, your opportunity, your coach’s trust. Do they believe in you? Do they run plays for you? Do they put you in certain positions to succeed. Just different type of things. Coach (Nick) Nurse and his team has been there for me. They’ve helped me. Gave me a platform and opportunity of a lifetime.”

Multiple reports over the past month have indicated that Trent is likely to be on the trading block, primarily because he’s expected to turn down his $18.8MM player option for next season to become a free agent. The 24-year-old is aware of the rumors, but he’s no stranger to hearing his name pop up in trade speculation and plans to keep working hard.

“I’ve been in trade rumors since I came into the league,” Trent said, per Hine. “With my contract and my situation, it’s almost complimentary to get off the books or to help a team or roster. But you can’t really focus on that. It is what it is. You continue to work. Somebody’s going to want you. Everybody is watching you, seeing how you work.”

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca recently released his in-depth trade deadline primer, including the team’s cap outlook for this season and beyond, player and non-player assets, and more. Murphy suggests the team might “prioritize young, rotation-ready players” rather than draft picks if they deal away Trent or Fred VanVleet, as that would allow Toronto to be more competitive next season.
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star spoke to multiple league sources who ranked the team’s most valuable player assets, in order of their value. OG Anunoby tops the list, followed by VanVleet, Pascal Siakam and Trent. I can sort of see having Anunoby over Siakam because he makes about half as much money and theoretically might be an easier fit on most teams, but having VanVleet over Siakam is…interesting. I assume Scottie Barnes isn’t included because he isn’t expected to be available.
Along those same lines, Eric Koreen of The Athletic breaks the players down into tiers, with Barnes in his own “almost untouchable” category. Anunoby and Siakam are in the “we’d rather not, but give us your best offer and we’ll think about it” tier, while Koreen thinks one of Trent or VanVleet will probably get traded.
At 20-26 and 1.5 games back of the Bulls for the No. 10 seed and the final spot in the play-in tournament, the Raptors don’t have the luxury of resting their best players, argues Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star. Nurse has been criticized at times for playing the starters heavy minutes, but Feschuk notes that group has been pretty healthy this season.
VanVleet is another player who hears the rumors swirling, Smith writes in another article for The Toronto Star. “The better you play and the better your team does, the lower the chance anybody getting shipped out of here,” VanVleet said. “If you (crap) the bed you set yourself up for anything to happen. So we’ve got to control the controllables.” As Smith notes, the Raptors have been wildly inconsistent this season, and have yet to “control the controllables,” as VanVleet put it, for a sustained period.

Raptors Rumors: VanVleet, Trent, McDaniels, Anunoby

January 17th, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Although Fred VanVleet and the Raptors previously agreed to shelve contract extension talks during the season, the two sides appear open to revisiting those discussions after the team’s season is over, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

VanVleet’s market is cloudier now than it was in the fall, given his struggles this season — his .376 FG% and .328 3PT% are both well below his career averages. Prior to free agency, he’s eligible for an extension worth up to about $114MM over four years, and he had seemingly outplayed that sort of deal entering this season. Is that still the case?

According to Fischer, people around the league still think VanVleet can get $30-35MM per year on his next contract, though it remains to be seen how many years he’ll be offered. As Fischer observes, former Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry signed a three-year, $100MM extension with the franchise prior to the 2017/18 season at age 31 and that contract worked out very well for Toronto — Lowry earned two All-Star nods and won a title during those three years. VanVleet will be 29 when his current contract expires this summer.

If VanVleet and the Raptors don’t agree to an extension by June 30 and he becomes a free agent, look for the Suns and Magic to be among his suitors, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. Orlando may be better positioned than Phoenix to aggressively pursue VanVleet, since the Suns don’t currently project to have any cap space.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

While it remains to be seen which direction Toronto will take at the trade deadline, people around the NBA expect them to be active one way or another, Fischer reports. “What they’re not gonna do is be in the middle,” one Western Conference executive told Yahoo Sports.
If the Raptors look to buy, they’ll likely be focused on upgrading their perimeter play-making and interior rim protection, per Fischer.
Veteran swingman Gary Trent Jr. is, by a wide margin, the likeliest Raptor to be dealt, according to Fischer, who likens Trent’s situation to Norman Powell‘s in 2021, when Toronto traded away Powell for Trent. At the time, Powell and Trent were both in contract years, but the team felt more comfortable investing in a short-term deal with Trent than a long-term deal for Powell.
Sources tell Fischer that the Raptors have shown interest in Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, who is headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. People around the league believe McDaniels’ next contract could be in the neighborhood of $10MM per year, while Trent may be seeking $25MM annually, Fischer adds.
Referring to forward OG Anunoby as a “known favorite” of Raptors president Masai Ujiri, Fischer suggests it might take a Dejounte Murray-esque haul (multiple unprotected first-round picks) to pry Anunoby away from Toronto. “If the Raptors made him available for trade right now, every single team is going to call,” a general manager said to Yahoo Sports.
It’s possible the Raptors could become open to moving Anunoby if they’re unsure about their ability to sign him beyond his current contract (which expires as early as 2024) or if they’re concerned about their future payroll, but so far there have been no indications that they want to do anything but retain him, Fischer writes.

Raptors Notes: Trade Returns, Porter, Barnes, Achiuwa

January 13th, 2023 at 9:40pm CST by Rory Maher

If the Raptors become sellers at the trade deadline, what could they get in exchange for Fred VanVleet or Gary Trent Jr.? How about Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby? Eric Koreen comes up with hypothetical trades for all four players in a pair of articles for The Athletic, and his colleagues evaluate whether opposing teams would accept them.

Jovan Buha believes the Lakers would agree to a deal for VanVleet if the Raptors wanted Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, Max Christie and a 2027 first-round pick. As for the team’s All-NBA forward, Joe Vardon thinks the Grizzlies would package Tyus Jones, Danny Green, Jake LaRavia, Ziaire Williams, 2023, 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, a 2024 first-rounder (via Golden State), and a 2024 second-rounder (via Toronto) in exchange for Siakam.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

The Raptors’ current front office has generally drafted well, and they have done exceptionally well in trades, but they have not had success in free agency, and Otto Porter Jr. is the latest example of that, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Lewenberg points out that the Raptors have operated over the salary cap for several years, which limits their ability to sign pricier free agents, but the list of players the team has signed in the past several years is “uninspiring.” Porter is out for the season after undergoing foot surgery.
Scottie Barnes has had an inconsistent second season, but he’s played better of late, Lewenberg writes for TSN.ca. “He’s just settling in,” Siakam said after Thursday’s 124-114 win over Charlotte. “I see the confidence. He’s not forcing anything, he’s just playing basketball the way that he knows how to and it’s showing. I think that sometimes we get so caught up in the numbers and what people are expecting from [us]. You’ve just got to go out there and play, and I think he’s starting to understand that.” If Toronto is able to turn things around in the second half of the season, Barnes will likely be a big reason why, according to Lewenberg.
Precious Achiuwa missed a significant portion of the season with an ankle injury, but he’s helped stabilize the second unit since he returned to action, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The third-year big man is still working on his conditioning, but head coach Nick Nurse praised his aggression on Thursday. “I really liked the way Precious took the ball to the basket,” Nurse said. “He didn’t get a ton out of it, but that will come. I mean, he got one (foul call), maybe. He got another one where he got clobbered but (didn’t get the call); I like it. If he keeps going in there, he’s going to get rewarded and get a dunk or get to the free-throw line a little bit. I like the aggressiveness.”

Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Toppin, Sims, Durant, Harris, Harden

January 10th, 2023 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors aren’t shopping any of their core players but they’re willing to listen to any offers, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports writes.

Scottie Barnes remains the Raptors’ only untouchable, though a source told Lewenberg it would take a “king’s ransom” to trade either Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby. The rotation player most likely to be moved is Gary Trent Jr., since he could become a free agent this summer and his next multi-year contract could top $100MM.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks forward Obi Toppin returned to action on Monday night after missing a month due to a leg injury. Jericho Sims was the odd man out of the rotation, as he never left the bench, Greg Joyce of the New York Post notes. Sims has appeared in 32 of the team’s 41 games this season. Toppin only played eight minutes.
Even before knowing that Kevin Durant would be out for approximately a month, Nets forward Joe Harris said it would be a “massive blow” to the team if he missed significant time, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “Obviously [it changes] a lot. He’s a focal point for us, offensively, defensively he’s been an elite rim protector this year. He guards the best players. [It would] be obviously a massive blow for us,” he said. “But at the same time, it presents opportunities for everybody else, and we have a lot of depth for reasons like this for everybody just to step up and collectively try and fill that void.”
Sixers guard James Harden admitted to Yahoo Sports’ Vince Goodwill that he misses the days when he was counted on to be the primary scorer and posted huge stats, but indicated that winning a championship is his top priority. “I would love that, but not as much — if that makes sense,” Harden said. “In Houston, I was doing that every single night. It was expected. It’s a lot of times I feel like I can have that same impact on games. But you see the bigger picture. I’m just focused on one thing, man. That’s all that matters.”

Stein’s Latest: Raptors, Hardaway, Clarkson, Turner

January 9th, 2023 at 8:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors appear unlikely to tear down the foundation of their team before the trade deadline, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column. Sources tell Stein that Toronto is open to parting with Gary Trent Jr., who has an $18.56MM player option for next season and could be headed for free agency, but it would take a significant offer to pry away OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam.

The player to watch might be Fred VanVleet, according to Stein. VanVleet reportedly received a four-year, $114MM extension offer before the start of the season, and he and the team decided to delay any further extension talks. Stein believes that if the Raptors keep VanVleet past the deadline, it’s an indication that they plan to commit to a longer deal.

Toronto has slipped into a tie for 11th in the East at 17-23 and could be headed for a spot in the lottery. A source indicated to Stein that the team might be content with taking a shot at Victor Wembanyama or another elite draft prize rather than trying to reconfigure its roster on the trade market.

There’s more from Stein with the deadline just one month away:

The Mavericks are making Tim Hardaway Jr. available, and the Cavaliers can get him if they’re willing to take on his contract, which has two years remaining at a total of $34.1MM. Stein points out that Hardaway has been shooting much better since moving into the starting lineup, which would make him a valuable asset for a Cleveland team that’s in the race for the best record in the East. Caris LeVert‘s expiring $18.8MM contract is an easy way for the Cavs to match Hardaway’s current $19.6MM salary, Stein notes.
After reporting on Saturday that Jordan Clarkson turned down an extension offer from the Jazz, Stein clarifies that he doesn’t expect the shooting guard to be traded. Stein explains that Clarkson is significantly underpaid at $13.3MM with a $14.3MM player option for 2023/24, and CBA rules limit what Utah can offer him before the current season ends. Stein hears that Clarkson wants an annual salary in the $18-20MM range, and the Jazz appear willing to give him that when they’re able to.
The Pacers are in a much better position to work out an in-season extension with Myles Turner, since they can restructure his current-year salary up until a March 1 deadline, Stein adds. He says the team has discussed an extension with Turner’s representatives, but they haven’t been able to reach an agreement.

Cavaliers Eyeing Tim Hardaway Jr.

January 8th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have interest in Mavericks wing Tim Hardaway Jr., Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said during an appearance on Jake Fischer’s Please Don’t Aggregate This podcast. Fedor identified Hardaway as a possible target for Cleveland after Fischer discussed the team’s interest in Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.

“I would add another name,” Fedor said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “The Cavs believe this player is available, and my sources tell me that he could be had. It’s, again, at the right price. And it’s a little bit tricky, because he’s on a team that’s fourth place currently in the Western Conference.

“Tim Hardaway Jr. is somebody that the Cavs have been watching and they’ve been keeping an eye on. And I think if the Cavs had their choice, it would be very, very close. And they’re not going to have their choice, it doesn’t work that way, but if they had their choice, it would be between Bojan and Tim Hardaway Jr.”

The Cavaliers have two All-Stars (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell) in their backcourt, with All-Star center Jarrett Allen and last year’s No. 3 overall pick Evan Mobley up front. The small forward spot is the only one in the starting five that remains a question mark, with players like Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Lamar Stevens, and Dean Wade cycling through it this season.

Fischer, having reported earlier this week that the Cavs are in the market for a defensive-minded wing who is also an outside shooting threat, likes the idea of Hardway for Cleveland, especially since LeVert would probably have to be included in a hypothetical trade (his $18MM+ salary is within $1MM of Hardaway’s). The Mavs kicked the tires on LeVert before Cleveland acquired him from Indiana a year ago, according to Fischer, who also suggested that Dallas has been seeking another shot creator to complement Luka Doncic.

Fedor believes a trade centered around Hardaway and LeVert would be a “logical stylistic swap,” though he acknowledged that there could be some obstacles. Hardaway is under contract for two seasons beyond this one, so the Cavs may be reluctant to make that sort of commitment before seeing how he fits (LeVert is on an expiring deal). Both Fischer and Fedor also agreed that the Cavs may want an extra asset as opposed to making a one-for-one trade.

Here are a few more Cavs-related notes from the podcast:

“I’ve been told that the Cavs are not going to trade Isaac unless they get a significant piece back in return,” Fedor stated, referring to Okoro. Fedor initially said he’s not quite sure what sort of player would fit that profile, but agreed with Fischer when he suggested Raptors forward OG Anunoby. It’s difficult to imagine the Cavaliers having enough ammo to land Anunoby even if they were willing to include Okoro, since they can’t currently trade any of their future first-round picks.
The Cavaliers are about $2.5MM below the luxury tax threshold and are unwilling to go into the tax this season, per Fedor. That will be a factor to watch as Cleveland consider possible deals.
Neither Fischer nor Fedor gets the sense that Suns forward Jae Crowder is a target for the Cavaliers, and Fedor said he also heard that the club is “not all that interested” in Magic wing Terrence Ross.
The Cavs won’t make a trade just to make one, Fedor said, adding that some people within the organization want to see what it looks like if Wade gets an extended shot at the starting small forward job. Wade made nine starts earlier in the season, but has been out since December 2 due to a shoulder injury.

Eastern Rumors: Bucks, Bogdanovic, Raptors, Wizards, Hampton

January 6th, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Bucks are tied for the NBA’s second-best record, they’re in the bottom five in offensive rating, having relied on one of the league’s best defenses during their strong first half. As they look to upgrade their offense, they’re expected to be in the market for help on the wing at the trade deadline, according to Matt Moore of ActionNetwork.com.

The Bucks, Suns, and Rockets reportedly discussed a three-team trade involving Jae Crowder, but it didn’t get done because Houston wanted more draft compensation than Milwaukee and Phoenix were willing to offer. Some league sources who spoke to Moore suggested they wouldn’t be surprised to see the three teams return to that framework and eventually get something done.

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic is another player who is on the Bucks’ radar, per Moore, and he’d certainly provide the club’s offense with a boost. However, Detroit doesn’t appear eager to move Bogdanovic, Moore adds. Jake Fischer reported earlier this week that the Pistons are believed to be seeking a first-round pick, plus additional draft assets or a young player with upside.

Here are a few more rumors from around the Eastern Conference:

Sources who have spoken to Moore have indicated that the Raptors are willing to discuss a variety of players but have been seeking a substantial return for their potential trade candidates. Moore says the words “insane,” “astronomical,” and “far-fetched” have been used by his sources to describe Toronto’s asking prices. He adds that the price for OG Anunoby is believed to be higher than it was in the offseason, when the Raptors were reportedly seeking a top-10 pick.
Although there has been some trade speculation this season centered on Wizards guard Bradley Beal and especially forward Kyle Kuzma, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype has heard that the front office would like to build around Beal, Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis long-term and would ideally find a fourth core player to complement that trio.
As he did last month, Magic wing R.J. Hampton requested and was granted an assignment to the G League in order to get more playing time, reports Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Hampton played a couple games with the Lakeland Magic last month before returning to Orlando, but has been a DNP-CD in four of eight contests since then and logged more than five minutes just once.

Raptors Notes: Trade Deadline, Siakam, Ujiri, Tanking

December 21st, 2022 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors have received phone calls about their core players, multiple sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN. And while the front office has been listening to all the trade offers, no deals are close right now.

Rival teams are paying close attention to Toronto, which had lost six straight games before winning in New York tonight. Lewenberg considers everyone except Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes to be available, although it would take a significant offer to land some of the other players. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are both All-Stars who are still in their prime, Lewenberg points out, while OG Anunoby is even younger and has become an accomplished two-way player.

Even if the Raptors decide to become sellers, Lewenberg doesn’t expect them to bottom out completely. He notes that the organization has worked hard to build a winning culture and isn’t likely to jeopardize that for a small chance to get one of the top picks in the lottery.

There’s more on the Raptors:

Siakam, who scored 52 points tonight against the Knicks, may be the only thing preventing Toronto from being a definite lottery team, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. Koreen considers a Siakam deal to be a sign that the Raptors are “blowing it up,” while a trade of VanVleet or Anunoby wouldn’t be on that level. Siakam understands that the best way to quiet the trade talk is to start winning. “At the end of the day, I don’t care about the schemes or this or that,” he said after Monday’s game. “We’ve just got to win. That’s the only thing. I don’t know the difference compared to (past) groups. I just know this group right now, we’re struggling. It’s really bad. We have to get out of it.”
Team president Masai Ujiri has built a reputation for patience since he took over the Raptors, but that might be tested heading into this season’s trade deadline, suggests Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Grange points out that Ujiri had a two-year plan — last season and this one — to evaluate the players and decide who to build around.
Tanking should be on the table, argues Dave Feschuk of The Toronto Star, because the Raptors don’t have enough talent on their roster to rise above the middle in the East. The primary need, according to Feschuk, is to find someone who can penetrate into the paint and either score or create an open shot for a teammate.

New York Notes: Anunoby, Knicks Front Office, Robinson, Claxton

December 20th, 2022 at 5:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Prior to the team’s hot streak, someone within the Knicks organization reached out to the Raptors to inquire about a potential deal for OG Anunoby, Ian Begley of SNY TV reports. That would have signaled a major roster shakeup. Anunoby is averaging 18.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. The Knicks would have needed to surrender serious assets to acquire Anunoby, who has two years left on his four-year, $72MM contract.

We have more from the New York teams:

In the same piece, Begley reports that the Knicks were a few defeats away from a major shakeup after getting blown out by Dallas on Dec. 3. Even before that loss, a top Eastern Conference executive tried to convey through back channels that he would be an ideal candidate for team president if Leon Rose lost his job.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t always seemed particularly enamored with center Mitchell Robinson. But Thibodeau feels Robinson has been a major catalyst during the seven-game winning streak. “Every game, it’s protecting the rim, making good decisions, guarding the pick and roll and then offensively, his offensive rebounding, then putting pressure on the rim,” the coach said. Robinson is in the first year of a four-year, $60MM contract.
Nets center Nic Claxton recently declared he should be a prime candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. His coach and teammates certainly value his rebounding and defense, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “He guards multiple positions for us … coming over to the weak side, blocking shots, putting pressure on the rim, rebounding,” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “The games he doesn’t play, we miss him; it puts an extreme amount of pressure on other guys — there’s not another guy on our team that can do the things Nic does.”

Raptors Notes: Core, Trade Options, Poeltl, Shooting Woes

December 14th, 2022 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors remain high on their core of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby and believe that quartet is a strong foundation for an elite team, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

If the front office is sincere in that belief, it would make sense to aggressively seek out an upgrade on the trade market prior to this season’s deadline to complement those core players, perhaps using a future draft pick or two, Grange argues.

Grange points to Spurs center (and former Raptor) Jakob Poeltl as an ideal target for Toronto, based on his ability to protect the rim on defense and finish at the rim on offense. Poeltl is also on an expiring contract and has full Bird rights, making him a logical option for the Raptors, who want to maintain their cap flexibility while having the ability to invest in a player they like. Given Toronto’s shooting woes, the team could also talk to San Antonio about veteran forward Doug McDermott, Grange notes.

Here’s more on the Raptors:

Within his Sportsnet.ca story linked above, Grange says the Raptors are believed to be making calls with “some more urgency than would otherwise be expected from a management group that tries to keep things low key.”
The Raptors are one of the NBA’s lowest-ranked teams in terms of both three-pointers per game (25th) and three-point percentage (26th), prompting Eric Koreen of The Athletic to explore what they can do address their shooting woes. While it would help if certain players – like VanVleet, Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. – bumped their three-point rates to their career averages, acquiring another shooter should also be something the team seriously considers, as Koreen outlines.
Despite falling below .500 following two ugly losses in Orlando, the Raptors remain optimistic that better days are ahead, writes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. “We can’t hit the panic button. I know that a lot of people do hit that panic button real quick but (we’re) not doing that,” Siakam said. “… There’s no finger pointing. We’re all in this together. No matter what’s happening, those guys in here, I love them and I want everyone to succeed, I want us to succeed as a team. I think we’ve all got to do it together. Everyone’s in this together and we’ve gotta get out of it together.”
In case you missed it, we passed along a series of injury updates on Raptors frontcourt players on Tuesday.