Raptors Waive Carlos Morais, Chris Wright
The Raptors have released Carlos Morais and Chris Wright, the team announced today in a press release. That will leave Julyan Stone as Toronto’s 15th man, and the only non-guaranteed player on the roster.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun had reported (via Twitter) that Stone was expected to survive this weekend’s roster cuts. The former Nuggets guard reached an agreement with Toronto earlier this summer, which was nixed when he failed a physical. It seems the team, and new GM Masai Ujiri, still liked him enough to offer a non-guaranteed contract and a regular season roster spot.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Sixers, Turner, Knicks
It appears the Celtics, Nets, and Knicks are all ready to get the regular season underway, having reduced their rosters to 14, 15, and 15 players respectively. The Sixers are also down to 14 players, though GM Sam Hinkie has been active enough in his first offseason that there’s no guarantee the roster is set in stone yet.
Only the Raptors still have to make their cuts — the team is currently carrying 17 players, so at least two players will need to be released. Carlos Morais, Julyan Stone, and Chris Wright are all on non-guaranteed deals, and according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter), Stone looks like the one most likely to survive until Monday and beyond.
Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic:
- Rodney Williams, whom the Sixers waived today, will play for the Delaware 87ers, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link).
- In a Saturday update to his Instagram account, Evan Turner sought to clarify his remarks from yesterday about how he’ll “get money regardless” of whether or not he signs an extension. Matt Moore of Eye on Basketball has the details.
- The Knicks have hired Idan Ravin, the personal trainer for Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, as a player development coach, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). It could be an effort by the Knicks to earn brownie points with their star player as he enters the final year of his contract.
- According to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, it’s hard to argue the Sixers will be tanking this season, since there isn’t much talent on the roster to begin with. I’d call that a question of semantics.
Raptors Exercise Team Options On Valanciunas, Ross
As per the team’s official PR Twitter account, the Raptors have exercised their third-year team options on center Jonas Valanciunas and swingman Terrence Ross, essentially guaranteeing their contracts through 2014/15. Though the terms of the deal were not officially released, Valanciunas and Ross are expected to earn roughly $3.7MM and $2.8MM respectively during that season.
The 6’11 Valanciunas, who averaged 8.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, and shooting 55.7% from the field in 24 minutes per contest in 2012/13, is arguably primed for a breakout season after winning the MVP award of the Las Vegas Summer League this year and some strong public support given by head coach Dwane Casey back in July:
“(The offense) will change quite a bit because (Jonas) has developed into the type of player that we can go to on a consistent basis far more than we did last year…He’s done a good job this summer not only scoring out of the low post, but of reading defences, understanding when to pass, when to score, when to attack…He’s going to get his big portion of the offence run through him, around him, not only just to score out of the low post, but to quarterback” (Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun).
As for Ross, who averaged 6.4 PPG in 17.0 MPG last year, there should be ample opportunities to continue to develop and see floor time, as he eventually became a trusted crunch-time defender in coach Casey’s rotation midway through last season. Through 7 pre-season games, Ross has come off the bench and emerged as the team’s third leading scorer, averaging 12,0 PPG in 21.0 MPG. The next step, according to Casey, is consistency:
“(He’s shown) that he can score the basketball, he can defend, but his key thing, like I’ve always said, is consistency, doing it over a long period of time…Youth is part of that, understanding what it takes to be an NBA player each and every night. It’s a grind, it’s a marathon — not a sprint. It’s not what you did on the last play, it’s what you do on the next play. He’s got to learn.”
Both Ross and Valanciunas will be eligible for fourth-year team options in 2015/16, and considering how much the Raptors appear to be committed to their development, it probably wasn’t likely that the two would have made it past this year’s deadline without having their options picked up.
Amico’s Latest: 76ers, DeRozan, Hawks, Hamilton
This week’s Amico Report from Sam Amico has been published at FOX Sports Ohio, and it features a few rumors and rumblings from around the NBA. Let’s check in on Amico’s latest updates….
- Jimmer Fredette and Omer Asik are among the potential trade candidates “generating whispers” around the league, says Amico. He adds that practically every Sixer, besides the team’s two 2013 lottery picks (Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams), could also be available.
- One GM tells Amico that there’s “strong league-wide interest” in DeMar DeRozan, though the Raptors don’t seem too interested in anything that’s been offered.
- When James Johnson was waived today by the Hawks, I speculated that he could explore overseas options, but Amico suggests there are a few NBA teams with Johnson on their radars.
- With the Hawks expected to keep either Royal Ivey or Shelvin Mack as their third point guard, the player that gets cut will likely be grabbed by another NBA club, according to Amico.
- While no teams have stepped up with a commitment to him yet, free agent guard Richard Hamilton is “drawing loads of interest,” writes Amico.
Raptors Notes: Leiweke, Ujiri, Valanciunas
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is high on offseason pickup Dwight Buycks and says that he’s better than any of the guards selected in the late first round or second round of June’s draft. If that’s true, the Raptors made a heck of a deal when they gave him a deal worth $700K in July. The Marquette product has bounced around France, Belgium, and the D-League, but it looks like he has a home in Toronto. Here’s more on the Raptors.
- Raptors president Tim Leiweke is confident that the club is headed towards becoming a serious and relevant franchise, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. “We’ve made it clear to all of our players, we’re going to win championships here,” Leiweke told season ticket holders. “I believe in Masai [Ujiri]. My trust, my faith is in this man. He’s going to lead us to the next level, and he will lead us to a championship here in Toronto.”
- Meanwhile, Ujiri says that the club will make more of an effort to scout Canadian basketball because it has improved so much. Of course, the top prospect in the 2014 draft, Andrew Wiggins, comes from north of the border.
- In today’s mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star is asked if the Raptors need to fix their backup center situation with Jonas Valanciunas still developing and uninspiring play from Aaron Gray. Smith would like to see a new backup 5 in Toronto, but he’s not sure where they could find a quality young big since they’re generally unavailable.
- Zach Lowe of Grantland (Twitter links) wrote that Casey is on the hot seat this year, but he believes that he’s the victim of circumstances and likes him as a coach.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Carmelo, Fields
The New York Post’s Marc Berman (via Twitter) thinks it was a bad sign for C.J. Leslie’s chances of making the Knicks roster after the rookie forward didn’t receive any playing time during tonight’s pre-season game against the Wizards. On the other hand, Berman and Newsday’s Al Iannazzone both made note that Knicks head coach Mike Woodson was particularly pleased with training camp invites Toure Murry and Ike Diogu (Twitter links). It should be noted that Murry and Diogu are playing on non-guaranteed contracts, while Leslie has a partially-guaranteed deal.
Here are some more links to pass along out of the Atlantic Division:
- ESPN New York’s Ian O’Connor writes that unless the Knicks are clearly the best option for a chance to win a ring, Carmelo Anthony would be foolish to not test the waters in free agency next summer. O’Connor argues that opting out would put pressure on GM Steve Mills to come up with a viable championship vision and abandon the idea of relying on J.R. Smith and Andrea Bargnani as the next best options on offense.
- Raptors head coach Dwane Casey tells Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that he wants the second unit to be able to increase leads or hold serve when they enter the game, and added that Landry Fields‘ ability to knock down shots – in addition to the other intangibles he brings to the table – would be a huge plus for the team.
- Casey also had this to say about training camp hopeful Julyan Stone: “He reminds me of a younger Nate McMillan with that long, lanky body that can defend. He showed that he can play,”
- Though ESPN had originally reported that Allen Iverson plans to officially announce his retirement before the 76ers host the Heat in their home opener, a team spokesperson could not confirm the report (Tom Moore of Bucks County Courier Times).
Eastern Notes: Kleiza, Robinson, Nets
Former Raptors forward Linas Kleiza told lrytas.lt – a Lithuanian media outlet – that he has no interest in returning to the NBA after being amnestied by Toronto this past July (hat tip to RealGM.com). The 6’8 forward now plays for Fenerbahçe Ülker of the Turkish Basketball League.
Here are some more news and notes from around the Eastern Conference:
- One source tells Ridiculous Upside’s Keith Schlosser that former NBA veteran Cliff Robinson has landed an assistant coaching job with the Springfield Armor of the NBDL, which serves as an affiliate with the Nets. The one-time All-Star’s 18-year playing career included stops in Portland, Phoenix, Detroit, Golden State, and most recently New Jersey.
- Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy looks at how the Nets have become a legitimate title contender after an offseason overhaul that brought in three former All-Stars in Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Andrei Kirilenko to go with new head coach in Jason Kidd.
- Sam Amick of USA Today checked in with TNT’s Charles Barkley and Steve Kerr along with ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy to get their opinions on some of the biggest storylines of the upcoming season. As far as the East is concerned, Barkley views center Greg Oden as the key to the Heat’s quest for a third-consecutive title, Kerr predicts that the Bulls will unseat Miami in the playoffs, and Van Gundy thinks the jury’s still out as to how the new additions in South Beach could hurt or help the Heat.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Twitter) notes that plenty of scouts are in attendance at tonight’s pre-season game between the Wizards and Knicks to get a look at potential cuts. With Knicks GM Steve Mills’ recent comments about lack of depth at center, Berman believes New York will certainly be scouting too.
Atlantic Notes: Celts, Nets, Smith, Buycks, Raptors
The Celtics are in Brooklyn tonight to take on the Nets and there is already word that Paul Pierce has made his way into the visiting locker room to greet his old teammates, thanks to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston (via Twitter). Let’s take a look at some of the rumblings out of the Atlantic division, including a couple of new nuggets about the deal that sent Pierce and Kevin Garnett south to the rival Nets:
- Details about one of the summer’s biggest trades are still trickling out, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that no one took being traded to the Celtics harder than Gerald Wallace. Meanwhile, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter) that Reggie Evans was never a part of the Nets‘ outgoing package, and that MarShon Brooks had conveyed a desire to be moved prior to the deal.
- While most non-guaranteed contracts don’t become fully guaranteed until January, Chris Smith would be assured a full-season salary if he makes the Knicks‘ opening night roster, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN New York. We outlined when the non-guaranteed deals of Smith (October 29th) and other minimum-salary players will become guaranteed here.
- Grabbing Dwight Buycks was a steal for the Raptors according to head coach Dwane Casey, who said that the point guard is better than any of the guards taken in the late first or second rounds of June’s NBA Draft, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Toronto added Byucks, a Marquette product, as a free agent in July and guaranteed him $700K after he spent the last two seasons playing in the France, Belgium and the D-League.
- Casey expects Buycks to compete with D.J. Augustin for the team’s back-up point guard position and also get time off the ball as well. The Raptors didn’t have a draft pick in June, but Wolstat says they tried aggressively to move into the late lottery to take Greek phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo. (via Twitter)
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Celtics, Sixers, Bucks
Mike Dunleavy was one of the first free agents to come off the board this July, inking a two-year deal with the Bulls worth the taxpayer’s mid-level exception. And as he tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, he isn’t regretting his decision.
“Everything I was hoping for, whether it be playing for [Tom Thibodeau] or playing with Derrick [Rose], has been better than I expected,” Dunleavy said. “And I had heard great things.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Within that same Tribune piece, Johnson suggests that Mike James is the probable frontrunner to be the Bulls‘ 13th man, while Dexter Pittman is also a candidate.
- The Bulls are prepared to move on from Marquis Teague, who probably could be had for cheap, according to Mark Deeks at The Score. Deeks says that Teague’s increased playing time in the team’s most recent preseason game was meant to be a showcase for potential suitors.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines the Celtics and Rajon Rondo in his latest column, wondering if keeping Rondo through the 2013/14 season could slow down Boston’s rebuilding plan.
- Hollis Thompson is a long shot to make the Sixers on his non-guaranteed deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who examines the former Georgetown Hoya’s quest to beat the odds.
- Meanwhile, after tweeting yesterday that Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt may be battling for a single Sixers roster spot, Tom Moore of Calkins Media goes into more depth on the competition, with quotes on both players from head coach Brett Brown.
- Not only is Larry Drew in his first year on the Bucks‘ bench, but he’ll have to “bring a whole new team together,” as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team has yet to finalize its 15-man roster, but when it does, 11 of Milwaukee’s 15 players figure to be new additions.
- Julyan Stone is making a strong case to be the Raptors‘ 15th man, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Evans, Celtics
Knicks GM Steve Mills tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe that one of the reasons the team hired him was because he believed the team should preserve its cap room for the summer of 2015 and focus on developing young players rather than pursue Glen Grunwald‘s strategy of inking aging veterans. Lowe cautions that waiting around for free agents to come calling in two years is a risky strategy, and advocates for the Knicks to gauge the trade market for Carmelo Anthony. Mills has nonetheless made it clear that keeping Anthony is a priority, so it’s unlikely he’ll heed the Grantland scribe’s advice. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- One of the deciding factors that led Kevin Garnett to waive his no-trade clause and OK his move to the Nets was Reggie Evans‘ continued presence in Brooklyn, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Evans initially appeared headed for Boston, but the final version of the deal included MarShon Brooks instead.
- The Celtics expressed interest in bringing swingman Omar Reed to camp, as he recently told Bob Redd of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, but the team got in touch with Reed two days after he’d signed to play in Japan. The Celtics will nonetheless keep tabs on the 26-year-old who spent last season with Boston’s D-League affiliate, as Ridiculous Upside’s Keith Schlosser details.
- Sixers coach Brett Brown says shooting guards Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt could be in a head-to-head battle for a roster spot, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Media.
- Julyan Stone might be the favorite to win the final spot on the Raptors roster, but the competition between him, Chris Wright and Carlos Morais will be a tight one, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (All Twitter links).