Ujiri Indicates Team Will Pick Up Casey's Option
- The Raptors have yet to pick up the team option on their contract with coach Dwane Casey for next season, but GM Masai Ujiri strongly signaled Wednesday that the team will, as expected, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). “He’s been phenomenal I think, whether it’s reading games or adjustments, or just growth overall as a coach,” Ujiri said. “To be honest, everyone makes such a big deal like ‘OK, if we don’t make it past the first round, what will happen to Casey?’ Well Coach Casey deserves to be our coach, that’s 100% and I stand by that. He deserves to be our coach in the future because he has put in the work I think to bring winning to our program. The players have responded well I think, and it has translated a little bit and we hope it translates to the playoffs and I’m very hopeful it will because he’s a defensive minded coach but he’s been tremendous for us.”
Ujiri Indicates Casey's Job Is Safe
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri noted that coach Dwane Casey‘s job was safe regardless of how the team performs in the playoffs, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports relays (via Twitter). “He’s been phenomenal, I think,” Ujiri said of Casey. “Whether it’s reading games, or adjustments and just growth overall as a coach. To be honest, everybody makes such a big deal about, like okay if we don’t go past the first round what’s going to happen? Coach Casey deserves to be the coach, that’s 100% and I stand by that. He deserves to be our coach in the future because he’s put in the work to bring winning to our program. Players have responded well and it’s translated a little bit. We hope that it translates to the playoffs and I’m very hopeful that it will because he’s a defensive-minded coach. I think he’s been tremendous for us.”
Atlantic Notes: Colangelo, Rozier, Raptors
New Sixers executive Bryan Colangelo believes that instilling the right culture is just as vital as finding talent in building an organization, pointing to the success that the Spurs have had using that formula, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “You win with talent,” Colangelo said. “But you also win with talent plus chemistry plus culture. Those are all the things that are put in place here and that we really look forward to building.” The executive said he would pick the brain of coach Brett Brown, who was a longtime assistant coach with San Antonio, for tips on how that franchise operated, Pompey adds. “I want to know more about that San Antonio … perhaps we can call it that secret sauce,” Colangelo said. “What creates that environment? I can tell you that, over the years, I understand a lot of what drove that was their thought process, but also the type of people that they had involved.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Celtics rookie Terry Rozier has impressed many around the league with his rebounding ability and he hopes to garner more playing time from the exposure, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com writes. “I think it’s a start. I think I can impact the game in a lot of ways and I appreciate a lot of people saying I’m getting better,” said Rozier. “I just feel I’m getting more comfortable. I know I’m capable of a lot of things [and] rebounding is definitely one of them. So if that’s going to help me get me in the game, help me with playing time, help this team out, then I’m all for it. It’s something that I’m always going to do, it’s an effort thing. It’s always going to be in me.” The 6’2″ point guard is averaging 1.6 rebounds in just 8.0 minutes per appearance on the campaign.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey believes his roster is better constructed to advance in the playoffs than previous seasons, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). “I am not predicting what we will do differently but … physically, we are better built for the playoffs with Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll is coming back,”Casey said. “Last year, we were a strictly offensive-driven team with Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams, who were great one-on-one offensive players but didn’t give it to us on the defensive end with the physicality. But we still have to go out there and do it … Everybody is curious and anxious [about how the Raptors will do]. A different feel with this year’s team [is we are] more confident in the grittiness and toughness of our team.“
Ujiri's Five-Year Deal Believed To Be Worth $15MM
- GM Masai Ujiri‘s contract with the Raptors is believed to be worth $15MM, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, so it appears the executive is seeing an average of $3MM annually on the five-year deal. Grange wonders whether the Raptors will explore restructuring the pact, which has two years left on it, now that the Knicks are reportedly eyeing him.
- DeMar DeRozan admitted Sunday to a fondness for playing in Madison Square Garden, but he said he didn’t know whether he would consider the Knicks in free agency this summer, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Of course, it’s par for the course that a soon-to-be free agent would praise the Garden, and all indications are DeRozan will re-sign with the Raptors, as Grange points out, given the shooting guard’s consistent praise for Toronto and the organization.
2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Toronto Raptors
The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Toronto Raptors, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:
- 2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
- 2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
- Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $72,214,887*
- Remaining Cap Room= –$2,214,887
- Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $12,525,113
*Note: This amount includes the $947,276 due Anthony Bennett, the $75,000 owed to Ronald Roberts, as well as the $25,000 each due Shannon Scott, Axel Toupane and Michale Kyser, all of whom were waived by the team.
Cap Exceptions Available:
- None
Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000
Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000
Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Knicks See Ujiri As Potential Jackson Successor?
Knicks owner James Dolan is exploring potential successors for team president Phil Jackson, with Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believed to be among them, as Frank Isola of the New York Daily News indicates and as fellow Daily News scribe Stefan Bondy confirms via Twitter. Jackson can opt out of his contract after next season. The Zen Master is currently pushing for a new multiyear deal for Kurt Rambis that would remove the interim tag from his head coaching title, sources tell Marc Stein and Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
Dolan confidant Irving Azoff supports Jackson and is close with Rambis, according to Isola, who points out that Azoff also has ties to Ujiri. Former Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, who brought Ujiri to the Raptors, is a business partner of Azoff, Isola notes.
It would be no shock for Ujiri to become heavily sought after given his success with Toronto, which has already set a franchise record with 52 wins this season and is poised to enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, and in Denver, where Ujiri’s final team also set a franchise record with 57 wins. Still, it remains to be seen whether he would have interest in leaving the Raptors for New York, particularly given the strong pull he felt toward the Toronto organization when he left the Nuggets. Plus, his Raptors contract runs for two more years, Isola points out.
Jackson, 70, has been vague about whether he intends to finish the five-year contract he signed to run the Knicks in 2014, though comments he made last month seemed to indicate he doesn’t intend to go anywhere soon. People close to him even reportedly raised the idea he would coach on a part-time basis next season, though Jackson shot that idea down.
Instead, Jackson appears ready to formally give the coaching job to Rambis, an outcome Jackson has reportedly hoped for ever since naming Rambis interim coach in February. New York is just 8-16 since firing former coach Derek Fisher, and sources indicated to Marc Berman of the New York Post that Fisher drew more respect from Knicks players than Rambis does. Carmelo Anthony has said he’d like Jackson to at least listen to other candidates for the head coaching job.
Raptors Value Jersey Ads At $4MM-$5MM Per Season
The NBA is giving serious consideration to allowing advertising on the jerseys of teams beginning in 2017/18 and the Raptors have suggested to potential advertisers that the on-jersey ads will cost between $4MM and $5MM per season, Rick Westhead of TSN.ca relays. During their sales pitches, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment executives have discussed the prospect of ads of about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, which would be the same size as the Kia Motors Corp. ad that appeared on the NBA All-Star Game jerseys this year in Toronto, Westhead notes. MLSE is looking to set the precedent that advertisements are worth as much as $5MM per season because officials are concerned that marketers might try to use contract values secured by smaller-market teams as a bargaining chip, the TSN scribe adds.
Carroll Could Be Back For Last Three Games
The Raptors are hopeful of getting small forward DeMarre Carroll back in action for the final three games of the season, Mike Ganter of the National Post reports. Carroll, who hasn’t played since January 3rd after undergoing knee surgery, practiced in full on Monday and coach Dwane Casey wants him to scrape off some rust before the playoffs, Ganter adds. “The last three or whatever games there are when he comes back, we will use those as his test lab,” Casey told Ganter and other media members. “No disrespect to those teams but to get some work in, get some run in, get knocked down a few times, get hit a few times and see where he stands.”
Caboclo Draws Praise From Raptors D-League GM
- Raptors D-League GM Dan Tolzman is pleased with the progress of Bruno Caboclo, who’s played 37 D-League games and five NBA games this season, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star relays. Caboclo, the 20th pick in 2014, will reach the midpoint of his rookie scale contract at season’s end. “The fire that he’s now playing with is something you’d never see out of the guy before and he’s now building a little bit of confidence … he knows that he’s good enough and he’s getting closer and closer to being ready for the NBA level,” Tolzman said. “He’s still playing catch-up but the strides he made are so large from what it would have been had we not had this opportunity for him.”
Assistant: Patterson Most Improved Raptor
- Raptors assistant coach Nick Nurse picks Patrick Patterson as the team’s most improved player this season, relays Mike Ganter of The National Post. The sixth-year power forward only averages 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, but Nurse said the improvement shows up in his overall play. “I would say he has made more strides defensively, but I would also say he has made strides consistently producing the same thing night in and night out,” Nurse said. “I think there were a little more extreme peaks and valleys with him [before].” Patterson is signed for one more season at slightly more than $6MM.