Draft Workouts: Bucks, Knicks, Raptors, Kings, Lakers
With the lottery out of the way, pre-draft workouts are starting to intensify around the league. We bring you a roundup of several that we heard about today:
- Power forward Ivan Rabb of California will participate in a workout for the Bucks on Thursday, tweets Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. Projected as a mid-first-rounder, the sophomore is ranked 25th on the top 100 prospects list at DraftExpress. Milwaukee owns picks No. 17 and 48.
- Earlier today, we told you that North Carolina center Tony Bradley was working out for the Knicks. Other players involved in today’s session were Kobi Simmons, Kasey Hill, Tyler Dorsey and Omer Yurtseven, posts Ian Begley on ESPN Now. It was New York’s first day of workouts. The Knicks enter the draft with pick No. 8 and two second-round selections.
- Six players worked out for the Raptors today, relays Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Participating were Dylan Ennis, T.J. Williams, Rawle Alkins, Jeremy Hollowell, Rashawn Thomas and Tyler Lydon. Toronto has just one pick next month, at No. 23.
- The Kings will hold their first pre-draft workout on Thursday, the team announced on its website. Sacramento, which came out of Tuesday’s lottery with picks No. 5, 10 and 34, will welcome Landen Lucas, Naz Mitrou-Long, Brynton Lamar, Wesley Iwundu, Eric Mika and Tai Webster.
- The Lakers will host a Thursday workout for Isaac Hamilton, Zak Irvin, Davon Reed, Trevon Bluiett, Chance Comanche and Jaylen Johnson, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype. In addition to the No. 2 pick, L.A. holds the 28th selection.
Sixers Notes: Redick, Draft, Colangelo, Okafor
Clippers free agent J.J. Redick will get a lot of interest from the Eastern Conference, and the Sixers may be the leading contender, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. In a video posted on the Vertical website, several analysts offer their visions of the future for Philadelphia after winding up with the third pick in next month’s draft. Wojnarowski believes the Sixers will make a strong play for Redick, an 11-year veteran who would fill a position of need at shooting guard while bringing leadership to the locker room. Redick will probably receive offers starting at $16MM to $17MM annually, Wojnarowski predicts, and Philly’s strongest competition for him will come from the Nets, as well as the Knicks if they can clear enough cap room.
There’s more tonight out of Philadelphia:
- The Sixers may try to trade down in the draft, suggests The Vertical’s Bobby Marks in the same video, because there isn’t a perfect fit for them at No. 3. They are believed to have interest in Kentucky guard Malik Monk, who could be available a few picks later. Marks says the Kings, who own picks No. 5 and No. 10, might emerge as a trading partner. He adds that Philadelphia also owns an unprotected Lakers pick next season, an unprotected Kings pick in 2019 and a pick from the Thunder in 2020 that is top-20 protected, all of which could be used as trade assets.
- President of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo was planning a “measured, organic growth path” if the Sixers came away from Tuesday’s lottery with two picks, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Instead, the Lakers landed in the top three and got to keep their selection for another year, which leads Colangelo to a more aggressive approach that will involve seeking veteran help through trades and free agency. “We are going to have both opportunities available to us now,” he said. “We are going to look at all those alternatives, all those options.” Pompey lists Redick, Kyle Lowry, Otto Porter, Danilo Gallinari and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as free agents the team might target.
- Jahlil Okafor is an obvious candidate to be used as a trade chip, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. The second-year center has been a poor fit in Philadelphia since being drafted in 2015. Many observers expected him to be dealt at the February deadline, but Nerlens Noel was shipped to Dallas instead. “I want to find a situation that’s great for us and great for Jahlil, and if that means him staying here then that’s great,” Colangelo said. “He’s a great kid and a great player and we’re going to see how he fits with this group.”
Kyle Lowry Opts Out Of Contract
MAY 12: Lowry has officially opted out of his contract, according to his agency, ASM Sports (Twitter link).
MAY 8: As expected, Kyle Lowry will opt out of his contract with the Raptors and become a free agent this summer. Lowry confirmed the decision today to reporters in his exit interview following the Raptors’ elimination from the playoffs, though he’s not sure what his next move after that will be, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 tweets.
“Honestly I haven’t thought too far ahead of any of that,” Lowry said of his looming free agency. “I will be opting out, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten.”
Lowry, who called the prospect of entering free agency “fun, but stressful” (Twitter link via Sportsnet’s Michael Grange) had indicated way back in October that he’d likely opt out at season’s end. The decision is an easy one, as Lowry’s player option for 2017/18 is worth just $12MM. The 31-year-old will be able to easily exceed that on the open market.
Just because Lowry will opt out of his Raptors contract though, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave Toronto. The Raps will still have a leg up in contract negotiations, since they can offer him more years (five) and higher raises (8%) than any other team can (four years and 5% raises).
Still, Masai Ujiri and company will face some tough decisions this summer, with Serge Ibaka, Patrick Patterson, and P.J. Tucker also facing free agency. The Raptors front office will have to determine whether it’s worth potentially going into tax territory to keep the club’s current core together after a demoralizing second round sweep at the hands of the defending champion Cavaliers.
[RELATED: Community Shootaround: Raptors’ Free Agents]
For the 2016/17 season, Lowry averaged a career-high 22.4 PPG to go along with 7.0 APG, 4.8 RPG, and a .464/.412/.819 shooting line in 60 games. He was named an All-Star for the third consecutive year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Casey On The Hot Seat?
On the surface, Raptors GM Masai Ujiri may have sounded during his season-ending presser like he was considering a coaching change. However, Michael Grange of Sportsnet believes Ujiri’s comments suggest he has faith in head coach Dwane Casey to adjust his coaching style going forward.
Community Shootaround: Kyle Lowry And The Sixers
Kyle Lowry didn’t officially announce until this week that he would be turning down his 2017/18 player option in order to sign a new, longer-term – and more lucrative – contract. However, the decision had long been expected, and much of the speculation on Lowry’s potential destination in recent months has centered on the idea of a homecoming.
While the Raptors, who can offer more years and more dollars than any other suitor, are still considered the favorites to sign Lowry this summer, the Sixers will have plenty of cap room at their disposal and don’t necessarily have a long-term solution at point guard. Throw in the fact that Lowry is a Philadelphia native, and that the Sixers are being run by former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, and it’s easy to connect the dots.
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer made the case today for a union between the Sixers and Lowry, and Pompey’s report isn’t based entirely on speculation. The Inquirer reporter cited sources who have suggested that Lowry has been interested in playing for his hometown team “for some time.” Similarly, sources “have always said” that the Sixers intend to make Lowry a competitive contract offer this summer, according to Pompey.
While there’s a compelling case in favor of the Sixers seriously pursuing Lowry, there’s also plenty of reason to believe it won’t happen. Besides the fact that the Raptors head into free agency with the upper hand in negotiations, the Sixers and Lowry may not be looking for the same things this offseason, as Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Daily News argued this week.
While the Sixers haven’t found a long-term solution at point guard, they may have one on the roster already, as the team has announced its intentions to try No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons at that position this summer and fall. If Simmons can handle running the point and is better suited to that spot than a forward role, it may not make sense to bring in Lowry on a long-term deal.
Meanwhile, from Lowry’s perspective, the Sixers may be a little further from contention than he’d like. The All-Star point guard would certainly help Philadelphia become a legit playoff contender, particularly if Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Dario Saric are all healthy next season. But Lowry said in his exit interview this week that getting a championship ring is his top priority — Philadelphia still looks multiple years away from developing into a team of that caliber.
What do you think? If the Raptors and Lowry can’t work something out, would Philadelphia make sense as a landing spot, or is the fit not quite right? If not the Raptors or the Sixers, which team do you think signs Lowry this summer?
Jump into the comments section below to share your thoughts!
2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Toronto Raptors
Having acquired Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker at the trade deadline, the Raptors looked well-equipped to make a run in the Eastern Conference playoffs and perhaps even challenge the Cavaliers, a year after falling to Cleveland in the Eastern Finals. However, the Raps got all they could handle from the Bucks in the first round, then were thoroughly dominated by the Cavs in a second-round sweep. With a handful of key players – including Ibaka, Tucker, and All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry – eligible for free agency, a “culture reset” may be on tap for the franchise.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Raptors financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:
Guaranteed Salary
- DeMar DeRozan ($27,739,975)
- Jonas Valanciunas ($15,460,675)
- DeMarre Carroll ($14,800,000)
- Cory Joseph ($7,630,000)
- Lucas Nogueira ($2,947,305)
- Jakob Poeltl ($2,825,640)
- Bruno Caboclo ($2,451,225)
- Delon Wright ($1,645,200)
- Pascal Siakam ($1,312,611)
- Total: $76,812,631
Player Options
- Kyle Lowry ($12,000,000)
- Total: $12,000,000
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Norman Powell ($1,471,382)1
- Fred VanVleet ($1,312,611)2
- Total: $2,783,993
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Cap Holds
- Serge Ibaka ($18,375,000)
- Kyle Lowry ($18,000,000) — If player option is declined
- Patrick Patterson ($11,495,000)
- P.J. Tucker ($10,070,000)
- No. 23 overall pick ($1,645,200)
- Total: $59,585,200
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $20,910,939
- With nine players on guaranteed salaries and a cap hold for a first-round pick, the Raptors could add two cap charges for empty roster spots for a total team salary of $80,089,061. However, that scenario would involve waiving Powell and VanVleet, not to mention renouncing Lowry, Ibaka, Patterson, and Tucker. That’s not realistic. It’s far more likely that Toronto stays over the cap and makes an effort to re-sign some of its own free agents, forgoing potential cap room.
Footnotes:
- Powell’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 29.
- VanVleet’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 20.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post.
Cory Joseph Ready To Take On Larger Role
- Although Cory Joseph would prefer to see Kyle Lowry remain in a Raptors uniform next season, he said on Monday that he’s ready to step up and take on a larger role should Lowry sign elsewhere, writes Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun.
- The Sixers have frequently been mentioned as a probable suitor for Lowry in free agency, but Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Daily News makes the case for why a homecoming for the veteran point guard doesn’t make a ton of sense for either the player or the team.
Ujiri: Not Realistic For Raptors To Re-Sign All FAs
Speaking to local reporters today at his end-of-season press conference, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri admitted that it’s not “realistic” for the team to retain all four of its key free agents this offseason (Twitter link via Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050). In addition to Kyle Lowry, who confirmed on Monday that he’ll opt out of his contract, veteran Raptors forwards Serge Ibaka, P.J. Tucker and Patrick Patterson are all eligible for free agency this offseason.
That admission from Ujiri isn’t surprising. Lowry appears to be in line for a max deal or something close to it, and Ibaka will get a big payday as well. Tucker and Patterson figure to land more reasonable deals, but they’ve positioned themselves for raises of their own. Add it all together, and the Raptors would be going way into tax territory to retain a roster of players who were bounced in the second round of this year’s playoffs.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examined the Raptors’ free agency situation earlier today, suggesting that Tucker and Patterson may be the odd men out, despite the fact that Toronto would – in theory – like to re-sign them both. According to Kyler, the framework for a multiyear deal for Ibaka that starts around $20MM is “basically done,” though nothing is finalized yet and rival suitors could still attempt to pry away the big man.
Meanwhile, even though Ujiri didn’t sound optimistic about bringing back all the Raptors’ free agents, he had plenty of praise for Lowry, calling the veteran point guard “a huge part of our success here” and asserting that “we want him back” (Twitter link via Eric Koreen of The Athletic).
Ujiri also weighed in on several other subjects during his presser, so let’s dive in and round up some highlights…
- The Raptors’ performance against the Cavaliers was eye-opening, according to Ujiri, who suggested that the franchise may need a bit of a “culture reset” (Twitter link via Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic). Ujiri also acknowledged that the question of how to evolve from a “good” team to an “elite” team will be at the forefront for him this summer (Twitter link via Koreen).
- One of Ujiri’s primary talking points today revolved around his desire to evaluate and re-think the Raptors’ style of play. The Raps president said he has told head coach Dwane Casey the team may need to change its approach on the court, rather than continuing to change its players (Twitter links via Lewenberg). Ujiri also hammered home the need to keep thinking progressively rather than getting stagnant. “We’ve tried what we’ve done so many times and it hasn’t worked. That’s the simple answer.” Ujiri said. “It’s easy to defend one-on-one” (Twitter links via Murphy).
- While Ujiri’s comments on the Raptors’ style of play weren’t necessarily a direct indictment of the club’s head coach, Lewenberg left the presser feeling that Casey’s job may be in jeopardy (Twitter link).
- Ujiri said today that team ownership is fully on board with whatever direction he and the front office choose to go, whether that means going into the tax, rebuilding, or something in between (Twitter link via Lewenberg).
- Although he didn’t want to use it as an excuse, Ujiri acknowledged that the Raptors – having acquired Ibaka and Tucker at the deadline – didn’t spend a lot of time together in their current form, which makes it tricky to evaluate how all the players fit together (Twitter link via Murphy).
- Asked whether the Raptors need more from their small forward spot, Ujiri said they do, but expressed optimism that DeMarre Carroll, who has never really been fully healthy since arriving in Toronto, will have a big summer (Twitter link via Murphy).
Raptors Notes: Offseason Options, Rebuild
After suffering a humbling sweep at the hands of the reigning champion Cavaliers, the Raptors are in limbo heading into the offseason, Zach Lowe of ESPN writes. In front of them are several options ranging from full on teardown to attempted recovery.
One of the options Lowe lays out is letting Kyle Lowry sign elsewhere lest the Raptors get bogged down in a five-year, $200MM contract. If that happens, Lowe posits that there isn’t much point bringing Serge Ibaka back either.
Ultimately, he continues, it would only make sense to trade DeMar DeRozan as well and fully embrace a tank.
That said, the scribe notes that the franchise could choose to bite the bullet and sign Lowry to a lofty five-year deal and then let Ibaka walk with the intention of replacing him with cheaper, shorter term players.
At the end of the day, Lowe argues that retaining the current core in its entirety would put the club well over the luxury tax threshold, the only problem being that their on-court performance doesn’t necessarily warrant it.
Regardless of the path team president Masai Ujiri chooses to pursue, he’s built up enough goodwill and ownership trust to see it through.
There’s more from the Raptors:
- In the same piece, Lowe wonders if making a coaching change and letting Dwane Casey go could help “unstick” Toronto’s notoriously disappointing postseason offense.
- Amid talk of an uncertain summer, DeRozan said that tearing everything down would be difficult. “It’s hard to break down a team that won 50-plus games two years in a row,” he told the media, including Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
- The Raptors were headed toward a full on rebuild before a late-season surge following the trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings in 2014 boosted them into Eastern Conference contention, Scott Stinson writes for the National Post.
Community Shootaround: Raptors’ Free Agents
As the Cavaliers attempt to complete a sweep of the Raptors in Toronto, the Raps could be experiencing their final moments with Kyle Lowry, P.J. Tucker, Serge Ibaka, and Patrick Patterson playing north of the border.
Lowry, in particular, likely won’t go out on a high note, having missed Games 3 and 4 due to a left ankle sprain. The 31-year-old was also sidelined for 18 games due to right wrist surgery toward the end of the 2016/17 campaign, so he enters free agency as a dynamic guard who is north of 30, coming off an injury-riddled season.
Still, Lowry has averaged 18.2 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 4.7 RPG over the past five seasons in Toronto, racking up three consecutive All-Star appearances. Also, the Villanova University product set career-highs in PPG (22.4) and RPG (4.8) while adding solid totals in APG (7.0) through 60 games this season. Premium facilitators are coveted in today’s game and Lowry has been one of the game’s best at his position.
After spending his first seven seasons with the Thunder, Ibaka split 2016/17 between the Magic and Raptors. Ibaka is regarded as one of the NBA’s premier defenders and while his blocks have seen a drop, his RPG (6.8) were identical to last season and he posted his best PPG total (14.8) since 2013/14. Still just 27 years old without a history of serious injuries, the versatile swingman will be plenty popular on the market.
Much like Ibaka, Tucker was a trade deadline acquisition, but was acquired more for his defensive intensity and rebounding. With 11 professional seasons under his belt at 32 years old, Tucker figures to draw interest as a solid reserve, a role he has excelled in since returning to the NBA in 2012/13. In 81 games between the Suns and Raptors this season, Tucker posted totals of 6.7 PPG and 5.8 RPG.
Finally, Patterson has — just like Tucker — been a solid role player in recent seasons, the last three-and-a-half as a member of the Raptors. This season, Patterson averaged 6.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG through 65 games (eight starts). At 28, he still has relative youth on his side and will have no shortage of suitors.
With four departures there are major questions to be answered: Will the Raptors let Lowry walk and lose All-Star level production from a position of strength? Is Ibaka worth a long-term investment? Also, will Toronto be willing to pay above average salaries to career reserves who contribute solid, yet unspectacular, numbers?
Share your thoughts on the Raptors’ offseason outlook in the comments section below!