Reaction To Terrence Ross Extension With Raptors
The three-year extension that the Raptors gave Terrence Ross is a compromise between what he’s produced so far and the player he has the potential to become, posits Raptors vice president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun relays. Various reports have pegged its value from $31MM to nearly $33MM.
“Any time you have a rookie contract the guys, just by definition, are at a stage in their career where they’re probably yet to realize their potential so you’ve got to find that middle ground between where you think the player will go and where he is now,” Weltman said. “That’s why a lot of extensions don’t get done. But, yeah, we like to feel we’ve found some middle ground with Terrence where we’re paying him in the hope that he becomes a great player and we think he has that in him.”
The team is impressed with Ross’ work ethic, and Weltman admits that the rising salary cap is reflected in the value of the deal, notes Ganter. See more about one of the most talked-about of the seven rookie scale extensions this year:
- Ross is most comfortable playing shooting guard, where the Raptors have him now as a backup after using him as a starter at small forward in the past, and the extension is a reasonable hedge against his value going up as he continues to develop, observes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.
- GM Masai Ujiri has shown that he’d rather set the prices of his players than have the market do that for him, but he’s taking a risk with Ross, who has yet to show that he has the mental toughness necessary to excel, opines Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The Ross contract appears to be one that Ujiri feels he’d be able to trade if the swingman doesn’t end up producing, Smith believes.
- The 3-point shooting ability Ross has, supply and demand, and the insurance it gives the team in the event DeMar DeRozan bolts are all reasons why the Ross extension wasn’t too much of a gamble for the Raptors, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange argues.
- Ross needs to show significant improvement and become more efficient and consistent to prove worthy of the deal, opines Eric Koreen of the National Post.
What do you think of the Ross extension? Leave a comment to give us your take.
Atlantic Notes: Green, D-League, Ross
Spurs shooting guard Danny Green acknowledged that the Knicks had reached out to him over the summer, but said that he couldn’t gauge their sincerity and he instead agreed to re-sign with San Antonio when the free agent signing period began back in July, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I was very much leaning towards [the Spurs] than anywhere else,’’ Green said. “New York reached out, but I don’t think they were as interested as I thought they’d be. My deal was done pretty quick.’’
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- The Celtics have assigned power forward Jordan Mickey and swingman James Young to the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). This marks the first assignment of the 2015/16 season for each player. The Red Claws don’t officially open their season until November 12th, so this is likely a move designed to get the duo more practice time, though that is merely my speculation.
- Terrence Ross, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Raptors on Monday, will earn $10MM in 2016/17, and $10.5MM per year for the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Nets have officially added Randy Ayers and Bob Bender to their player personnel scouting staff, the team announced. Ayers was named to the position of college scout, while Bender was named pro scout, according to the press release.
- Jared Sullinger, who failed to reach an agreement with the Celtics on an extension prior to Monday’s deadline, said that he’ll be playing the rest of the season with a chip on his shoulder, and added that even some of his own family members have doubted his abilities, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe relays (via Twitter).
NBA Teams Designate Affiliate Players
NBA teams cut as much as 25% of their rosters at the end of the preseason, but franchises that have D-League affiliates have a way to maintain ties to many of the players they release from the NBA roster. An NBA team can claim the D-League rights to up to four of the players it waives, as long as the players clear waivers, consent to join the D-League, and don’t already have their D-League rights owned by another team. These are known as affiliate players, as our Hoops Rumors Glossary entry details.
NBA teams allocated 46 affiliate players to the D-League at the beginning of the season last year, and this year, that number has risen to 56, according to the list the D-League announced today. These players are going directly to the D-League affiliate of the NBA team that cut them and weren’t eligible for the D-League draft that took place Saturday. Teams that designated fewer than the maximum four affiliate players retain the ability to snag the D-League rights of players they waive during the regular season, but for now, this is the complete list:
Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)
Cleveland Cavaliers (Canton Charge)
Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)
Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)
Golden State Warriors (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Houston Rockets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
Indiana Pacers (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Los Angeles Lakers (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
Memphis Grizzlies (Iowa Energy)
Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
New York Knicks (Westchester Knicks)
Oklahoma City Thunder (Oklahoma City Blue)
- Michael Cobbins
- Mustapha Farrakhan
- Michael Qualls
- Dez Wells
Orlando Magic (Erie BayHawks)
Philadelphia 76ers (Delaware 87ers)
Phoenix Suns (Bakersfield Jam)
Sacramento Kings (Reno Bighorns)
San Antonio Spurs (Austin Spurs)
Toronto Raptors (Raptors 905)
Utah Jazz (Idaho Stampede)
Also, several players who were on NBA preseason rosters are on D-League rosters through means other than the affiliate player rule. Most of them played under D-League contracts at some point within the last two years, meaning their D-League teams have returning player rights to them. Others entered through last weekend’s D-League draft, while others saw their D-League rights conveyed via trade. Most of these players aren’t with the D-League affiliate of the NBA team they were with last month, with a few exceptions.
- Keith Appling, Magic — Magic affiliate
- Jordan Bachynski, Pistons — Knicks affiliate
- Earl Barron, Hawks — Suns affiliate
- Sampson Carter, Grizzlies — Cavaliers affiliate (D-League draft)
- Patrick Christopher, Grizzlies — Grizzlies affiliate
- Bryce Cotton, Jazz — Spurs affiliate
- Michael Dunigan, Cavaliers — Cavaliers affiliate
- Jarell Eddie, Warriors — Spurs affiliate
- C.J. Fair, Pacers — Pacers affiliate
- Jimmer Fredette, Spurs — Knicks affiliate
- Stefhon Hannah, Bulls — Pistons affiliate
- Jaron Johnson, Wizards — Rockets affiliate
- Omari Johnson, Trail Blazers — Celtics affiliate
- Perry Jones III, Celtics — Grizzlies affiliate (D-League draft)
- Tre Kelley, Heat — Heat affiliate
- Jordan McRae, Sixers — Sixers affiliate (D-League draft)
- Cartier Martin, Pistons — Grizzlies affiliate
- Toure’ Murry, Wizards — Mavericks affiliate (traded with Rockets affiliate for his D-League rights)
- Dan Nwaelele, Grizzlies — Warriors affiliate
- Marcus Simmons, Bulls — Pacers affiliate
- E.J. Singler, Jazz — Jazz affiliate
- DaJuan Summers, Knicks — Knicks affiliate
- Adonis Thomas, Pistons — Pistons affiliate
- Sam Thompson, Hornets — Pistons affiliate (D-League draft)
- J.P. Tokoto, Sixers — Thunder affiliate (traded for his D-League rights)
- Talib Zanna, Thunder — Thunder affiliate
Roster information from Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor and freelancer and Hoops Rumors contributor Mark Porcaro was used in the creation of this post.
Raptors Ink Terrence Ross To Three-Year Extension
The Raptors and swingman Terrence Ross have reached an extension deal for three years and nearly $33MM, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets. It comes closer to $10.5MM than $11MM, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange (on Twitter). In any case, Sam Amick of USA Today confirms the agreement (Twitter link) and the team’s media relations department later tweeted the extension was formally signed.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri believes Ross is developing into a core player, Wojnarowski adds in a subsequent post. He started 61 games last year, averaging 9.8 points, and had a 21-point game against the Celtics on Friday.
Ross is currently serving as a backup to All-Star DeMar DeRozan and DeMarre Carroll. Ross is the second Raptors player to sign a rookie extension before the deadline, Wojnarowski notes, joining center Jonas Valanciunas, who signed a four-year, $64MM extension during the offseason.
The Raptors made a business decision to extend Ross and Valanciunas because they would have had to spend as much or more in summer to retain them, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets.
Ross, the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft, said this weekend that it would be “an honor” to receive an extension. The Raptors planned in July to pursue the idea, and they began talks over the summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reported.
Projecting that Ross’ salary for 2016/17 will be in the range of $10.5MM, Toronto now has more than $70MM in salary committed against a projected $89MM cap, though some executives and agents reportedly think the cap will go up to $95MM.
Is this deal better for the Raptors, better for Ross, or did they arrive at a fair number for both sides? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Latest On Raptors, Terrence Ross Extension Talks
9:45pm: An extension deal is unlikely as the deadline nears, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets.
8:42pm: The two parties are still in negotiations and it’s 50-50 whether an extension will get done before the deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
MONDAY, 11:27am: The Raptors remain open to giving Terrence Ross an extension by tonight’s 11pm Central deadline, but the team isn’t about to overspend and would prefer to wait to see how he performs this season before signing him, reports Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter links). That leads Lewenberg to suggest that an extension between the sides is unlikely, even as they reportedly continue to discuss the matter.
Most people around the league, including the Raptors brass, have questioned the motor of the former No. 8 overall pick, according to Lewenberg, and the team is concerned about his consistency, Lewenberg adds. Comments that coach Dwane Casey made this weekend point to Toronto’s worry about Ross’ up-and-down performances. Still, the Raptors are confident that he can thrive in his new sixth-man role, Lewnberg writes, and it’s one that the Aaron Mintz client says he likes.
Ross said this weekend that it would be “an honor” to receive an extension. The Raptors planned in July to pursue the idea, and they began talks over the summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reported. They signed a four-year, $64MM extension deal with Jonas Valanciunas, the team’s other player up for a rookie scale extension, but a deal for Ross has never appeared a likelihood. It appeared a 50-50 proposition as of several days ago, as Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote at that point.
Toronto already has more than $59.9MM in salary committed against a projected $89MM cap for 2016/17, though some executives and agents reportedly think the cap will go up to $95MM. In any case, the total for the Raptors doesn’t include any salary for Ross or for DeMar DeRozan, who can turn down a $10.05MM player option to hit free agency in July.
Atlantic Notes: Ross, Thomas, Lopez, Fisher
The Raptors have had talks with Terrence Ross but had made no offer as of late Sunday, Sportsnet’s Michael Grange reports. The Aaron Mintz client presents a conundrum because his skill and athleticism don’t always show up in his performance, as Grange examines.
“Consistency is the key on both ends of the floor, not just his offense but his defense,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey. “And that’s a huge question with him.”
Ross said he likes his new role as a bench player, but despite his status as a reserve, Grange believes $10MM is not out of the question if he and the team agree to terms. As the hours dwindle in advance of tonight’s rookie scale extension deadline at 11pm Central, see more from the Atlantic Division:
- Langston Galloway is continuing to thrive for the Knicks on his partially guaranteed deal this season, and the same is true for Lance Thomas, as Marc Berman of the New York Post examines. Thomas re-signed with New York on a one-year deal of nearly $1.637MM, slightly above the minimum. It doesn’t hurt that Thomas is an ex-teammate of Kevin Durant, Berman posits.
- The roster the Nets put together for this season is thin on three-point shooting, and that allows defenses to focus on stopping Brook Lopez inside, which has forced Lopez to take far fewer shots from close to the basket than he did last season, fellow Post scribe Tim Bontemps observes. Brooklyn re-signed Lopez this summer for three years at the max.
- Knicks coach Derek Fisher is stepping out from team president Phil Jackson‘s shadow as he’s moved away from the triangle somewhat during the team’s first few games this season, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Extension Rumors: Sunday
It seems unlikely that Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal and Warriors center Festus Ezeli will receive rookie-scale contract extensions and thus will be restricted free agents come July, barring an unexpected late turnaround in negotiations, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports.
The news regarding Beal does not come as a surprise because though the Wizards fully intend to sign him to a maximum-salary contract, they prefer to do so next summer. Stein adds that the Wizards have been consistent with their message that they see Beal as a future and long-term star for the franchise. Reports have conflicted about how much negotiating has occurred between Ezeli and the Warriors, but an extension never seemed imminent.
The window for former first-round picks to sign contract extensions during the fourth and final year of their rookie contracts is Monday.
Here is more news on extensions:
- Players known to still be in negotiations entering the deadline include Raptors shooting guard/small forward Terrence Ross, Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard and Thunder shooting guard Dion Waiters, according to Stein. Regarding Ross, it’s likely to go down to the wire and the Raptors would be open to giving him an extension, if the price is to their liking, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. reports. “I mean it would be an honor to get an extension,” Ross told Lewenberg. “If that doesn’t happen then we’ll take it from there.”
- Extensions at this point are looking unlikely for Sixers shooting guard Tony Wroten and Celtics big men Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger, according to Stein.
Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Conley, Hollis-Jefferson
The Raptors‘ DeMar DeRozan told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News he has no regrets about signing a four-year, $40MM extension in 2012. The deal came just before DeRozan’s break-out season that saw him raise his scoring average to 18.1 points per game. Even though DeRozan could have made much more by waiting for restricted free agency, he doesn’t wish he had taken the gamble. “I don’t regret anything,” DeRozan said. “Everything happens for a reason, man. This is the place I wanted to be, so that’s where I wanted to be. I never second-guessed or thought twice about anything.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Mike Conley could be the Nets‘ answer at point guard, according to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com. The columnist says Brooklyn seems certain to pursue the 28-year-old Grizzlies star when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. He concedes it will be a difficult sell, as Conley is part of a successful franchise in Memphis and the Grizzlies will be able to offer an additional year and roughly $30MM more in salary.
- The Nets had Rondae Hollis-Jefferson rated 12th on their draft board, tweets NetsDaily.com. As he began to slide, Brooklyn made a deal with Portland, which selected him with the 23rd pick.
- The Sixers will endure a year of criticism from fans and the media as they go through what is likely to be another 60-loss season, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Alth0ugh the columnist said the team has been successful in its plan to stockpile assets, cap space and draft picks, the on-court product looks terrible again. The latest public heat on the front office came after this week’s decision to pick up the third-year option on Joel Embiid, who hasn’t played an NBA game and is out for the season after bone-graft surgery in his right foot. Pompey noted that the Sixers have bright spots in Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas, but speculates it will take at least three years to build a contender around them.
Raptors Rumors: Bennett, Ross, Johnson, Carroll
After disappointing stops in Cleveland and Minnesota, Anthony Bennett feels at home in Toronto, writes Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. The third-year player, who was taken with the top pick in the 2013 draft, signed with the Raptors as a free agent over the summer after reaching a buyout agreement with the Wolves. He is hoping to make an impact after averaging 4.2 and 5.2 points per game in his first two NBA seasons. “He’s not worried about anything about himself and the success of the team,” said teammate Cory Joseph. “Everyone saw how well he did this summer with the Canadian team, and I feel like people are going to get a chance to see an athlete they don’t know yet.”
There’s more news from north of the border:
- With the deadline looming Monday, Terrence Ross is hoping he and the Raptors can work out an extension deal, tweets Josh Lewenburg of TSN Sports. “We’re working on it,” Ross said, “so we’ll see what happens.”
- Former Raptor Amir Johnson had discussions about staying in Toronto before signing with the Celtics in July, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Johnson received a two-year, $24MM deal to come to Boston, with only the first season guaranteed. “They did talk to me, but they obviously chose a different route,” Johnson said of the Raptors. “I really had no idea with free agency what was going to happen. I just had no clue. But I like the situation I’m in now. It was just the best decision for me and my family, so that’s all that was in my head.”
- Free agent addition DeMarre Carroll is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Toronto, writes Eric Koreen of The National Post. The former Hawk signed a four-year, $58MM deal with the Raptors in July, becoming the team’s highest-paid player until Jonas Valanciunas‘ extension takes effect next season.
Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Sixers, Friisdahl
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is close to acquiring majority control of the Nassau Coliseum, sources have informed Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The plan is for Brooklyn’s future D-League team to eventually be situated at the refurbished arena, Mazzeo notes. The Nets hope their future D-League team begins play in time for the 2016/17 campaign, but for now they are one of the 11 NBA teams without an affiliate to call their own this season.
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- It’s difficult to know for sure, given GM Sam Hinkie‘s unpredictability, but the pairing of No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor with Nerlens Noel appears to give the Sixers a glimpse at what their team will look like in the future, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the Raptors‘ parent company, went in a different direction with their hire of Michael Friisdahl as the new president and CEO, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. “Quite frankly they [MLSE] looked at it in totality and said what we need is an overall executive to lead the whole organization,” said Friisdahl. “And then we’re going to rely on the very strong leadership in each of the sports organizations and have them focus on that. You will not see me heavily involved in any kind of sports decisions, which is fairly obvious from my background.”
- Knicks coach Derek Fisher, speaking about the draft day trade of Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Hawks in return for the draft rights to Jerian Grant, said that Grant has more skills as a guard than Hardaway, which is why the deal was made, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv tweets.
- Point guard Scottie Wilbekin, who was waived by the Sixers on Monday, has signed a two-year, $780K deal with the Turkish club Darussafaka, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter links). The contract does include an NBA out clause, Pick adds.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.