Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Notes: Walter, M. Williams, Lyles, McLaughlin, Watson

September 28th, 2024 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors wing Ja’Kobe Walter, the No. 19 pick in this year’s draft, has been diagnosed with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, the team announced in a press release on Friday.

According to the Raptors, Walter – who sustained the injury during informal workouts this week – won’t be able to take part in on-court activities during training camp. An update on the rookie’s status will be provided by the club after camp has ended.

While it doesn’t necessarily sound as if Walter’s absence will be a long-term one, Toronto is now dealing with a pair of injuries on the wing that could impact the team’s depth in the early going. Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic knee surgery on Thursday and was ruled out for at least three weeks.

Here are a few more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

Hornets center Mark Williams, who missed much of the 2023/24 season due to a back issue, strained a tendon in his left foot during an offseason workout on Thursday, according to a press release from the team. Williams will be sidelined through training camp and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the club said in its statement.
The Kings announced on Friday that a pair of veterans won’t be available for training camp, as James Ham of The Kings Beat relays (via Twitter). Forward Trey Lyles will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks after straining his left groin during offseason workouts, while newcomer Jordan McLaughlin has been diagnosed with a grade 2 right ankle sprain and will be reexamined in about two weeks.
Nuggets guard Peyton Watson is dealing with a soft-tissue hamstring injury and likely won’t suit up for either of the team’s first two preseason games in Abu Dhabi next weekend, per Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscriber link). “I think it’s really important that we’re smart about his injury, his rehab, his recovery,” head coach Michael Malone said. “Because as much as we want him playing these games, the season opener in probably about four weeks is more important.”

And-Ones: G League Trade, Brissett, Future Power Rankings, Lowe

September 27th, 2024 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns‘ and Pacers‘ G League affiliates have completed a trade involving a former No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, per a press release from the Valley Suns. Phoenix’s new affiliate acquired the returning rights to guard David Stockton from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to forward Garrison Brooks and former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor.

Brooks and Okafor were among the Suns’ picks in June’s expansion draft, but it’s unclear if either one intends to play in the G League at all in 2024/25 — they both competed overseas last season.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Free agent swingman Oshae Brissett is believed to be drawing interest from a EuroLeague team, according to a report from Sportske.net. As Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays, the Serbian outlet says that the Belgrade-based club Crvena Zvezda has its eye on Brissett as a potential target. The five-year NBA veteran, who won a title last season with the Celtics, has been on the lookout for a new home since he turned down his player option with Boston in June.
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link) have published the latest installment of their annual “future power rankings,” which are based on each team’s projected on-court success for the next three seasons. The Thunder top this year’s version of the list, while the Celtics drop from No. 1 to No. 2 despite their 2024 championship, since their salary cap situation may get untenable in the near future. The Knicks (third) Sixers (fourth), Mavericks (fifth), Rockets (seventh), Timberwolves (eighth), and Spurs (10th) each rose five or more spots to claim a place in ESPN’s top 10.
Howard Beck of The Ringer sorts the NBA’s 30 teams into six separate tiers based on how clear their plans are going forward. The Nets and Wizards, in full-on rebuilds, are among the teams in the “ever-clear” top tier along with championship hopefuls like the Mavericks and Sixers, while clubs with less obvious goals, like the Hawks, Bulls, and Raptors, find themselves in the lowest “fun-house mirror” tier.
ESPN has laid off senior writer Zach Lowe, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Lowe is the second noteworthy NBA reporter to depart the network in recent weeks, joining Adrian Wojnarowski, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from the news industry last week.

Raptors Sign Jahmi’us Ramsey To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 26th, 2024 at 2:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors have signed free agent guard Jahmi’us Ramsey to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter links). The team confirmed the signing in a press release.

Ramsey, 23, was the No. 43 overall pick of the 2020 draft after one college season at Texas Tech. He spent the majority of his first two seasons with the Kings, but he didn’t receive much playing time (7.1 MPG in 32 total games), and Sacramento cut him loose in February 2022.

The 6’3″ shooting guard caught on with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, following his stint with the Kings. Ramsey spent the entire 2022/23 season with the Blue and most of last season as well, having inked an Exhibit 10 deal with the Thunder last October before being waived to secure a bonus.

Ramsey, who earned a spot on the All-NBA G League Third Team in 2023/24, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Raptors in March. He appeared in seven games with Toronto, averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 1.0 SPG on .439/.273/.833 shooting in 17.3 MPG.

As a three-year veteran, Ramsey remains eligible for a two-way contract for one more season. However, all three of the Raptors’ two-way spots are currently occupied, so they’d have to release someone for Ramsey to be converted.

If Ramsey is waived before the season begins and reports to the Raptors 905 (Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate) for at least 60 days, he could earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his regular G League salary.

The Raptors’ 21-man offseason roster is now full.

Raptors Sign, Waive Kennedy Chandler

September 25th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

2:58pm: As expected, the Raptors have waived Chandler, according to Murphy (Twitter link).

12:33pm: The Raptors have signed former second-round pick Kennedy Chandler to an Exhibit 10 contract, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

A 6’0″ point guard, Chandler was selected 38th overall out of Tennessee in the 2022 draft and played for the Grizzlies as a rookie. However, he had a disappointing first season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists in 7.8 minutes per game across 36 outings while shooting just 42.2% from the floor (including 13.3% on three-pointers) and 46.2% from the free throw line.

Memphis waived Chandler in April 2023 even though he still had two fully guaranteed years left on his contract.

Chandler spent the 2023/24 season with the Long Island Nets in the G League, appearing in 49 total Showcase Cup and regular season contests for Brooklyn’s affiliate. He averaged 13.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 3.3 RPG with a shooting line of .477/.361/.758.

The Raptors have been signing and quickly waiving free agents in recent days in order to put them in line for Exhibit 10 bonuses worth up to $77.5K if they spend at least 60 days this season with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL team. That may be the plan for Chandler too, though the 905 will have to acquire his returning rights from Long Island to make that happen.

Toronto, at least for now, once again has a full 21-man preseason roster.

Raptors Sign, Waive Quincy Guerrier

September 24th, 2024 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

2:59pm: The Raptors have waived Guerrier, putting him on track to become an affiliate player for the Raptors 905, tweets Murphy. The team once again has an open spot on its 21-man preseason roster.

10:49am: Nearly three months after his agreement was initially reported, undrafted free agent forward Quincy Guerrier has officially signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Raptors, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca.

Guerrier spent two years at Oregon and two more at Syracuse before finishing out his college career by playing for Illinois as a “super-senior” in 2023/24. In 38 games (all starts) for the Fighting Illini last season, he averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 24.1 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .476/.374/.569.

After going undrafted in June, Guerrier quickly agreed to terms on a training camp contract with the Raptors and joined the club for the Las Vegas Summer League. He played a limited role in three games in Vegas, averaging 4.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG in 12.9 MPG.

In all likelihood, Toronto expects Guerrier to suit up this season for the Raptors 905, their G League affiliate. Assuming he’s waived before the NBA season tips off and then spends at least 60 days with the 905, his Exhibit 10 deal will entitle him to a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard NBAGL salary.

The Raptors now have a full 21-man roster, though there’s still plenty of time to continue making tweaks before training camp gets underway next Tuesday.

Raptors Sign, Waive Dylan Disu

September 23rd, 2024 at 3:02pm CST by Luke Adams

3:02pm: Just hours after signing him, the Raptors have waived Disu, according to Murphy (Twitter link). They now have 20 players under contract.

9:10am: The Raptors have signed free agent forward Dylan Disu to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link).

Disu, 23, began his college career at Vanderbilt in 2019 before transferring to Texas in 2021. Knee surgery limited his effectiveness during his first year with the Longhorns, but he eventually became a crucial part of Texas’ lineup, averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 25.8 minutes per game across 25 outings (20 starts) as a super-senior in 2023/24. He posted a shooting line of .465/.451/.812 last season.

After going undrafted in June, Disu joined the Raptors’ Summer League roster in July and saw action in three games in Las Vegas.

In all likelihood, the Raptors are planning on having Disu eventually join their G League team, the Raptors 905. His Exhibit 10 contract will make him eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Toronto’s affiliate. While Exhibit 10 deals can also be converted into two-way contracts prior to the season, the club doesn’t currently have a two-way spot available.

The Raptors now have a full 21-man roster, though that doesn’t necessarily mean the team won’t make additional moves between now and the start of training camp next Tuesday.

Raptors To Retire Vince Carter’s No. 15 Jersey

September 23rd, 2024 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Vince Carter‘s jersey will be retired by two separate NBA franchises during the 2024/25 season. After the Nets announced last week that they’ll retire Carter’s No. 15 at a ceremony in January, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca reports that the Raptors will do the same with his No. 15 jersey when they host the Kings on November 2.

It will be the first time in Raptors history that the team has retired a player’s jersey.

The fifth overall pick in the 1998 draft, Carter spent his first six seasons in the NBA with Toronto. He was traded to the Nets midway through his seventh season and spent the next four-and-a-half years with New Jersey before bouncing around the league and playing for six different teams during the second half of his 22-year Hall of Fame career.

As a Raptor, Carter became the first true star in the history of a franchise that began play in 1995, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 and making the All-Star team six consecutive times beginning in 2000. He averaged 23.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in 403 total regular season appearances for Toronto and put on one of the all-time great shows at the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest in 2000.

As Lewenberg writes, Carter’s emergence as an NBA superstar and his role in leading the Raptors to the first three postseason appearances in team history helped spur the growth and popularity of basketball in Canada, leading to a significant uptick in the number of Canadians playing in the NBA. The 6’6″ wing still ranks fourth overall on the Raptors’ all-time scoring list, despite coming in at just 12th in games played.

Despite the impressive résumé he compiled during his time with the Raptors, Carter’s legacy in Toronto is a complicated one, Lewenberg notes. When he requested a trade, there was a widespread perception among many Raptors fans that he had given up on the team. When he returned to Toronto as a visitor, he was loudly booed for several years after the deal.

Within the organization, the decision to retire Carter’s No. 15 wasn’t a given, according to Lewenberg, who says there were “high-ranking members” of the organization who felt that Kyle Lowry should be the first Raptor to have his jersey hung in the rafters.

With Lowry still active, however, and the Nets indicating back in the spring that they planned to retire Carter’s jersey, there was a “strong push” made on the 47-year-old’s behalf in Toronto, per Lewenberg. The relationship between Carter and Raptors fans has also healed significantly within the last decade — he received a standing ovation as a member of the Grizzlies when the Raptors honored with him a tribute video during their 20th anniversary season in 2014/15, Lewenberg adds.

According to Lewenberg, the Raptors considered the idea of retiring Carter’s No. 15 on October 25, when Lowry and the Sixers will be in town. However, they ultimately settled on the Nov. 2 game vs. Sacramento. DeMar DeRozan, another longtime Raptor who will likely have his jersey retired eventually, will be in town as a member of the Kings that night.

G League Notes: Swirsky, Gueye, Dotson, Johnson, Smith

September 22nd, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Dana Gauruder

T.C. Swirsky has been named head coach of the Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Grizzlies, the Hustle announced (via Twitter). Swirsky was an assistant with the team last season.

Danielle Boiago, Nick Covington, Jack Hostetler and Rob Sanicola have been named assistant coaches, while former Hustle head coach Jason March has been promoted to Taylor Jenkins‘ Grizzlies staff.

We have more G League news:

The Raptors 905 have traded the rights to Mouhamadou Gueye to the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ affiliate, for the rights to Devon Dotson and a first-round pick in the 2025 G League draft, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. Gueye appeared in 11 Raptors games last season. He was waived by Toronto in June. Dotson didn’t appear at all in the NBA last season but saw action in six Wizards games in 2022/23.
The Valley Suns have received the returning player rights to guard Kaleb Johnson from the Austin Spurs in exchange for the returning player rights to Justin Smith, according to Phoenix’s affiliate (Twitter link). Johnson appeared in 24 regular-season games with the Austin Spurs last season.
The Hawks’ G League affiliate has a new head coach. Get the details here.

Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Raptors, Ujiri, Simmons, Dolan

September 20th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked this week during a radio appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto whether he’s interested in eventually returning to the Raptors to finish his NBA career, DeMar DeRozan expressed interest in the idea, though he made it clear that he doesn’t want to spend his final season as a benchwarmer in Toronto.

“You always want a poetic ending (in) that way,” DeRozan said. “Granted, most people don’t get to write their own ending. But what a better ending than being able to end where you start. Not just end, by just putting on the jersey. It has to be in a sense of me still being myself. I wouldn’t want to come back and be (Hakeem) Olajuwon (who spent an underwhelming final season in Toronto after 17 years in Houston). It has to just make sense. You kind of want to go out like you came in. That’s what people kind of remember you as.”

DeRozan, who was drafted ninth overall by the Raptors in 2009, spent his first nine seasons with the club before being sent to San Antonio in 2018’s Kawhi Leonard blockbuster trade. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in points (13,296) and games played (675), among other statistical categories.

DeRozan is under contract with the Kings for the next three seasons after joining the team via sign-and-trade this offseason.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

What does it mean for Masai Ujiri‘s future in Toronto that Rogers has bought out Bell’s stake in the Raptors and gained majority ownership control? Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores that question, noting that Rogers chairman Edward Rogers III and Ujiri, the team’s longtime president of basketball operations, have had a “strained relationship” in the past. Rogers reportedly opposed the terms of the contract extension that Ujiri signed with the club in 2021, which has two years left on it.
Nets guard Ben Simmons, who underwent back surgery in March, is on track to fully participate in training camp next month, agent Bernie Lee tells veteran NBA reporter Chris Haynes (Twitter link). “Ben is fully cleared and is a full participant for the start of camp,” Lee said. “He is excited to get started.”
A U.S. District Court judge in California has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a woman who accused Knicks team owner James Dolan of sexual assault, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. The suit, which was filed in January, referenced incidents that took place in 2013 and 2014 allegedly involving Dolan and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein. A Dolan spokesperson referred to the suit as “a malicious attempt to assert horrific allegations by an attorney who subverts the legal system for personal gain,” while the accuser’s attorneys said they’ll be appealing the court’s decision and will continue to pursue their client’s sexual battery claims against Dolan and Weinstein.

Raptors’ Bruce Brown Had Knee Surgery, Out At Least 3 Weeks

September 20th, 2024 at 10:42am CST by Rory Maher

Veteran swingman Bruce Brown underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery on Thursday and will be reevaluated in three weeks, the Raptors announced in a press release.

Brown will miss most — if not all — of training camp and preseason. Three weeks from today would be Oct. 11, and that’s when he’ll be checked out again, not when he’ll be ready to play. The Raptors will head to Montreal for camp from Oct. 1-5, then will stay in Montreal for their preseason opener vs. Washington on Oct. 6. The preseason schedule concludes Oct. 18.

As Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca tweets, Brown has been dealing with a right knee injury for the better part of a year, and had hoped that resting and rehabbing over the summer would be a suitable solution. Obviously, that didn’t go as planned. Brown told Lindsay Dunn of CityNews Toronto (Twitter link) after the season ended in April that the injury was “very frustrating.”

“It’s been tough,” Brown said. “I mean I really couldn’t bend my knee much I really played on one leg the entire time. I just wasn’t myself since December, but next year I will be fine.”

After playing a crucial role off the bench for the Nuggets during their 2022/23 championship season, Brown drew significant interest as a free agent last summer and eventually signed a two-year, $45MM contract with the Pacers. Indiana sent him to Toronto in January as part of a trade package for Pascal Siakam.

In 67 total appearances (44 starts) for the Pacers and Raptors, Brown averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27.9 minutes per game, posting a shooting line of .478/.323/.824. Brown is considered a solid, versatile perimeter defender who is a good fit next to more ball-dominant players on offense.

The Raptors picked up their $23MM team option on Brown’s contract at the end of June. The 28-year-old, who has been the subject of several trade rumors since Toronto acquired him, will be a free agent again next summer.