Toronto Raptors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Have Reportedly Offered Hunter, Griffin, Draft Compensation For Siakam

August 8th, 2023 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks have been the strongest suitor to date for star forward Pascal Siakam, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Atlanta has offered the Raptors a package that includes forward De’Andre Hunter, swingman AJ Griffin, and draft compensation in exchange for Siakam.

The Raptors have resisted the Hawks’ overtures and are “believed to have upped the price on any possible deal at each turn,” Charania says.

As Charania outlines in his story, it has become increasingly rare for a player of Siakam’s caliber to enter a contract year without some sort of clarity on his long-term future. However, he and the Raptors have yet to seriously engage in negotiations on a potential contract extension, and the 29-year-old also hasn’t requested a trade, sources tell The Athletic.

Siakam has been considered a trade candidate since well before February’s deadline due to his contract situation and his positional and skill-set overlap with rising star Scottie Barnes, the 2022 Rookie of the Year.

Charania suggests that Siakam’s trade value has been limited to some extent by the fact that the two-time All-NBA forward has privately expressed a desire to remain in Toronto and an unwillingness to sign an extension with any team that acquires him.

Siakam is currently eligible for a maximum-salary extension worth up to 30% of the cap — earning another All-NBA nod in 2024 would make him eligible for a super-max contract that starts at 35% of the cap, but he would only be able to sign such a deal with the Raptors. A trade would make him ineligible for a super-max contract.

Atlanta isn’t the only club to express interest in Siakam, Charania notes, but it doesn’t appear that any other suitor has made significant headway with the Raptors. The Pacers are among the other clubs previously reported to be interested.

For what it’s worth, the Hawks’ offer for Siakam as described by Charania appears incomplete, since Hunter’s and Griffin’s combined salaries ($23.8MM) wouldn’t be nearly enough to match Siakam’s $37.9MM cap hit for 2023/24.

There has been some chatter about the possibility of Atlanta sending Clint Capela ($20.6MM) to a third team – like the Mavericks – as part of a trade for Siakam, but such a structure would require that third team to send at least one player to Toronto. Dallas doesn’t have a big expiring contract to close that salary gap and would likely have to include some combination of Tim Hardaway Jr. ($17.9MM), Richaun Holmes ($12MM), and JaVale McGee ($5.7MM), each of whom has two years left on his respective deal.

As for the Hawks’ movable draft assets, they owe two of their own future first-round picks to San Antonio as part of the Dejounte Murray trade, but they could offer Sacramento’s lottery-protected 2024 first-rounder as well as their own first-rounder in either 2029 or 2030.

For now, trade talks between Toronto and Atlanta are “at a complete pause,” according to Charania, who says the Hawks are “fully prepared” to enter the 2023/24 season with their current roster.

Community Shootaround: Should Raptors Trade Pascal Siakam?

August 7th, 2023 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

The Raptors find themselves at a crossroads entering the 2023/24 season. The same is true of All-Star forward Pascal Siakam.

Despite everyone around the league keying in on Toronto as a possible seller at the February trade deadline, the team instead decided to make a win-now move, trading away a 2024 first-round pick to land center Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors played better down the stretch with the Austrian big man in the lineup, but they ultimately finished just 41-41 and were quickly eliminated from the play-in tournament.

Toronto lost guard Fred VanVleet — Siakam’s longtime running mate — to Houston in free agency, replacing him with Dennis Schröder. While Schröder is a solid player, most would consider him a pretty significant downgrade from VanVleet. And Toronto’s other notable offseason moves — signing Jalen McDaniels and drafting Gradey Dick — are unlikely to have a major impact on the standings in ’23/24.

Siakam, meanwhile, is entering the final year of his contract, and the Raptors won’t want to lose him for nothing like they did with VanVleet. The Hawks have been repeatedly mentioned as a trade suitor for the two-time All-NBA member this offseason. The Pacers and Trail Blazers have been cited at times as well, though Portland seems an unlikely destination after Damian Lillard‘s trade request.

Siakam reportedly doesn’t want to play anywhere but Toronto. He’s coming on off an excellent season in ’22/23, averaging 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games (37.4 minutes), with the points and assists per game representing career highs.

The 29-year-old is a long, versatile play-maker who isn’t a great shooter — similar to ’21/22 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes. OG Anunoby is another rangy forward on the roster who’s entering the final year of his deal, but the Raptors reportedly aren’t open to moving the All-Defensive Second Team member.

The decision to move Siakam or not certainly isn’t a simple one for the Raptors. Siakam, the ’18/19 Most Improved Player, has blossomed into a legitimate star, and the Raptors haven’t had much success landing top-tier free agents. There’s a real chance they could give him a contract extension if they don’t deal him.

If they move Siakam to free up bigger roles for Barnes and Anunoby, what would a return package look like? Masai Ujiri hasn’t shown any inclination to entertain a rebuild in the past, so draft picks are unlikely to be of much interest. Perhaps young players who would better fit the roster could make sense, but who can meet that ask?

We want to know what you think. Should the Raptors trade Siakam? Should they extend him? Or should they wait until the trade deadline or next offseason to resolve the matter? Head to the comments and share your thoughts. We look forward to your input.

Vancouver, Montréal To Host October Preseason Games

August 3rd, 2023 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Maher

The Canadian cities of Vancouver and Montréal will each host one preseason game in October as part of the NBA’s ninth Canada Series, the league announced in a press release.

According to the NBA, the Raptors and Kings will face off on October 8 in Vancouver, while Montréal will host the Thunder and Pistons on October 12.

Three Canadians will take part in the games — Trey Lyles (Kings), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder) and Luguentz Dort (Thunder). Dort will be playing in his hometown.

“After growing up and learning to play the game of basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a preseason game in my hometown,” Dort said. “Canada and Montréal are home to some of the best basketball fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to taking the floor at Bell Centre.”

The Canada Series has featured 15 NBA teams in 16 preseason games across six cities since it launched in 2012. The 2023/24 regular season tips off on October 24.

Contract Details: Cissoko, Temple, T. Antetokounmpo, More

August 3rd, 2023 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

The three-year contract that No. 44 overall pick Sidy Cissoko signed with the Spurs is guaranteed for the first two seasons, but not for the third, tweets Keith Smith of Spotrac. It’s worth the minimum in all three years, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Because the Spurs still had a little cap room available, they signed Cissoko using that room instead of the second-round pick exception, Smith notes, so the third year is simply non-guaranteed instead of being a team option.

That will give San Antonio more time to make its third-year decision on Cissoko — instead of having to exercise or decline an option by June 29, 2025, the team will pay him a $500K partial guarantee if he remains under contract through July 6 of that year, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tells Hoops Rumors. Cissoko would receive his full guarantee if he hasn’t been waived by the start of the 2025/26 regular season, Hoops Rumors has learned.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts:

Garrett Temple‘s one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Raptors is guaranteed, per Doug Smith of The Toronto Star (Twitter link). That means Toronto has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, with Jeff Dowtin and his non-guaranteed deal potentially on the outside looking in unless one of those 15 players is traded or waived.
The one-year, minimum-salary contracts signed by Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Bucks) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (Spurs) are also guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. Milwaukee now has 15 players on guaranteed standard contracts, while San Antonio has 18 and will need to make some roster moves before opening night.
Duane Washington‘s training camp contract with the Knicks includes Exhibit 9 language but doesn’t feature an Exhibit 10 clause, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Washington can’t have his contract converted into a two-way deal and wouldn’t receive a bonus worth up to $75K if he’s waived by New York and ends up playing for the Westchester Knicks.

Atlantic Notes: Rajakovic, Randle, R. Williams

August 2nd, 2023 at 11:15pm CST by Rory Maher

In a fascinating profile, Eric Koreen of The Athletic details Darko Rajakovic‘s journey to becoming the Raptors‘ new head coach.

Rajakovic got his NBA start thanks to his relationship with Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, first in the then-D-League and later with Oklahoma City. Presti met Rajakovic in Europe as a young executive with the Spurs, and was impressed by his attention to detail, passion and work ethic, Koreen writes.

“He’s fought himself all the way to this point,” Presti said. “I think there is a level of toughness that comes with that, to work that path the way that he did, to get to the point where he’s the head coach of an NBA team. I don’t know how you can’t respect that and also be extremely happy for him.”

As Koreen notes, one of Rajakovic’s strengths is his adaptability, which should come in handy with Toronto’s roster in a somewhat precarious position entering 2023/24. It’s an excellent article and I highly recommend it for those who subscribe to The Athletic.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

Left ankle problems plagued Julius Randle to end last season, but the Knicks‘ All-NBA forward believes undergoing arthroscopic surgery a couple months ago may have been a blessing in disguise, as Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays. “Me and my trainer were just talking about this, we were talking about prime years,” Randle said Wednesday as a guest on The Shop Uninterrupted. “And I feel like your prime is when your mental and physical kind of meet. And physically I feel like this is going to be my best year. But mentally I feel like I’ve taken a tremendous step because I’ve had to slow all the way down. I wasn’t allowed to train.” Randle also said he drew inspiration from teammate Jalen Brunson due to the point guard’s diligence and focus, per Bondy.
What’s next for Robert Williams following the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis? The Celtics big man needs to become more aggressive offensively, dribble more often, and add a short-range jump shot to keep opposing defenses honest, writes Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Of course, the biggest question mark surrounding Williams might not be his on-court play but rather his health, given that he has appeared in just 209 regular season games over his five NBA seasons, including 35 in ’23/24.
In case you missed it, the Knicks, Raptors and Celtics all officially made roster moves on Tuesday.

Gradey Dick May Not Make Rotation

August 1st, 2023 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Raptors may not be done dealing, but The Athletic’s Eric Koreen examines how the rotation might shake out if the roster remains unchanged. Koreen believes either Pascal Siakam or Scottie Barnes must be on the court at all times for play-making purposes and either OG Anunoby or Gary Trent Jr. need to be on the floor for shooting purposes. He also doesn’t see lottery pick Gradey Dick as a member of a nine-man rotation, given the team’s other commitments.

Raptors Sign Mouhamadou Gueye To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 1st, 2023 at 9:51am CST by Earnest Marshall

The Raptors have signed forward Mouhamadou Gueye, the team announced in a press release. According to Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy, Gueye’s deal with Toronto is an Exhibit 10 contract (Twitter link).

Gueye, a 6’10” forward who played college ball at Pitt, went undrafted in 2022 before joining the Mavericks on a training camp contract last season. Gueye was waived before the regular season began and played for Dallas’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends. Gueye averaged 8.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in 29 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Legends as a rookie.

The Pitt product went on to play for the Raptors in Summer League this offseason. Toronto’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905, traded for Gueye in exchange for a 2024 G League first round pick last week, which is often a precursor to an Exhibit 10 deal for that player.

With Gueye, alongside the finalized additions of Garrett Temple and Kevin Obanor, the Raptors now sit at the offseason maximum of 21 players for their training camp roster. Gueye and Obanor are on Exhibit 10 contracts, Toronto’s three two-way spots are filled, and 16 players are on standard contracts.

Of those 16 standard contracts, at least 14 are fully guaranteed. Jeff Dowtin is on a non-guaranteed contract with a partial guarantee if he makes the opening day roster. Temple’s details aren’t yet known.

Raptors Sign Garrett Temple To One-Year Deal

August 1st, 2023 at 9:23am CST by Rory Maher

AUG. 1: Temple’s deal with the Raptors is official, per team release.

JULY 31: The Raptors are signing free agent wing Garrett Temple to a one-year deal worth $3.2MM, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Based on the terms of the agreement, Temple will be receiving the veteran’s minimum in 2023/24 for a player with 10+ years of experience. We’ll have to wait to see whether or not the contract is fully guaranteed.

Temple, 37, was waived earlier this month by the Pelicans before his $5.4MM salary became guaranteed. He reached unrestricted free agency a couple days later when he wasn’t claimed off the waiver wire.

Toronto will be Temple’s 12th team as he enters his 14th NBA season, having spent the past two seasons in a limited role with New Orleans. He holds career averages of 6.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.7 APG on .402/.345/.740 shooting across 716 regular season appearances (288 starts, 20.9 MPG).

Temple is known for being a good locker room presence, notes Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). The Raptors currently have 15 players signed to standard contracts (14 guaranteed), so Temple will fill the 16th roster spot and potentially the 15th on a guaranteed deal.

If his contract is guaranteed, the team would be about $1.9MM below the luxury tax line, Murphy adds. Toronto also has all three of its two-way slots filled, as shown by our tracker.

Raptors Sign Kevin Obanor To Exhibit 10 Contract

August 1st, 2023 at 9:21am CST by Rory Maher

AUG. 1: Obanor’s deal with the Raptors is official, per team release.

JUNE 26: The Raptors are signing free agent forward Kevin Obanor to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win (Twitter link).

Obanor went undrafted last week after a five-year college career. He spend his first three seasons with Oral Roberts and final two with Texas Tech.

As a “super senior” for the Red Raiders in 2022/23, Obanor averaged 14.4 PPG and 6.4 RPG on .492/.331/.810 shooting in 32 games (30.9 MPG). He shot 38.1% from deep over 156 college games.

If Obanor is waived and then spends at least 60 days with the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League affiliate, he’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K. His Exhibit 10 contract could also be converted into a two-way deal if he impresses during Summer League and training camp.

Atlantic Notes: Mazzulla, Bridges, Thibodeau, Rajaković

July 30th, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite moving 2022 Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and key reserve forward Grant Williams in separate summer trades, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla intends to employ similar defensive principles in 2023/24, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

Himmelsbach adds that newly acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis has always been a solid defender around the rim, and can aid Boston at that end of the floor, too.

“With Marcus gone, we don’t want our defensive identity to go out the door as well, so we have to really emphasize that at the start of training camp,” Mazzulla said. “I think what Kristaps can bring to us defensively, and the additions some of our other guys can bring to us defensively, I want to make sure that’s where we hang our hats this year.”

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

As the Nets’ No. 1 option, small forward Mikal Bridges is striving to hone his play-making this offseason, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link). “Yeah, you could do [drills] … but it’s more of a mindset, and having that mindset coming in and watching film,” Bridges said of how he intended to improve. “That’s the biggest thing, to have that mindset of playmaking.”
The 2023/24 Knicks roster has been constructed with an eye towards the preferences of head coach Tom Thibodeau, under whom the team has had its most success in years, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Braziller notes that the trade addition of Josh Hart and the signing of Donte DiVincenzo, two defensively versatile wings, plus the subtractions of talented-but-raw forwards Cam Reddish and Obi Toppin, all seem to be in line with Thibodeau’s ethos to team-building.
In an interview with Sportski zurnal (as translated by Eurohoops), new Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković explained how he has always had major goals in mind with regard to his coaching career. “Since the beginning of my coaching career, I have always been very ambitious, but at the same time I knew that a coaching career is not a 100-meter race, but a long marathon,” Rajaković said. “I have only just run half a marathon, I still have a long way to go. I am currently in my 27th year of coaching. of work and I hope that I will stay in coaching for as long as possible. I’m enjoying it and it’s nice.”