While Raptors players weren’t willing to speculate or go into much detail about Porter’s situation specifically, they spoke about the impact that the increasing popularity – and legality – of sports betting has had on them. Forward Jordan Nwora said that “people bet on silly things on a daily basis” and that players hear about it “non-stop” when they don’t reach certain benchmarks.
“(Hearing from fans) has been a part of it for probably the past two or three years,” Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji added. “And fans, you know, slamming you for not hitting their bet, that’s an every night thing for every single one of us in this locker room.”
The widespread legalization of sports betting is a fairly recent development, which the NBA and other major sports leagues are still learning how to navigate. Temple acknowledged the venue that gambling brings in is significant, while also pointing out that it’s a bit “awkward” to have major betting outlets serving as NBA sponsors.
“You watch a game, and you may see FanDuel or DraftKings as a big-time sponsor for a team, but obviously it’s illegal for us to (bet on) any type of professional basketball … we understand that,” Temple said. “Sports betting has always been around, it just obviously is even more available. But as players, you don’t really think about it. As a veteran, I don’t really think about it as much because (not betting on basketball) has always been a rule. It’s not as if a rule change happened. So it is awkward but at the same time, like I say, we understand what we’re getting ourselves into.”
Here’s more on Porter and the Raptors:
At issue are prop bets involving Porter from games on January 26 and March 20, according to the ESPN trio.
In the Jan. 26 game against the Clippers, there was increased betting interest on the under for Porter props, which were set at 5.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. There was also an over/under for Porter’s made 3-pointers, which was 0.5.
That night, Porter played just four minutes before leaving the game due to what the Raptors said was a re-aggravation of an eye injury he’d suffered four days earlier against the Grizzlies. None of the “overs” were achieved on the prop bets, as he went scoreless with three rebounds and one assist.
The next day, DraftKings Sportsbook reported that the under on Porter’s 3-pointers was the biggest money winner for bettors of any NBA player props from games that evening.
On March 20 against the Suns, Porter played just three minutes before departing due to what the Raptors said was an illness. He went 0-for-1 from the field and had two rebounds.
Sportsbooks had his over/unders set at around 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
The next day, DraftKings once again reported that Porter’s prop bets were the No. 1 moneymaker from the night in the NBA.
He missed the Raptors game this past weekend against the Wizards for personal reasons. He’s also listed as out for Monday’s game against the Nets for personal reasons.
The Raptors won’t offer a comment on the report, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets.
NBA players, alongside all league employees, are prohibited from betting on any league events, including prop bets. Violations of the policy could include fines, suspensions and possible termination of contracts, among other actions.
Porter, the brother of Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., has appeared in 26 games, averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 14 minutes a game.
]]>MARCH 24: Combo guard Kobi Simmons is signing a 10-day contract with the Raptors, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Simmons had most recently been playing with Toronto’s G League affiliate, the Raptors 905. He has averaged 15.1 PPG, 5.6 APG and 4.2 RPG in his 33 total regular season and Showcase Cup games for the NBAGL club.
Simmons went undrafted out of Arizona in 2017. The 6’5″ guard latched on with the Grizzlies as a rookie, and appeared in 32 contests with the main club. He also logged 26 appearances with Memphis’ NBAGL affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, that season.
Simmons has been bouncing around among clubs in the G League and overseas in the intervening years, with a few NBA cameos. Those brief stints back in the league included appearances with the Cavaliers, on a 10-day deal in 2019, and the Hornets, on a two-way contract in 2022/23.
Toronto is currently 23-48, amidst a 10-game losing streak. Now fully embracing a rebuild as its regular season comes to a close, the franchise is prioritizing its future with these experimental signings at the fringes of its roster.
As Josh Lewenberg of TSN tweets, Jahmi’us Ramsey‘s second 10-day agreement with Toronto expired today. So, for now at least, this deal with Simmons means that the Raptors are not going to ink Ramsey to a rest-of-season deal.
As a three-year NBA veteran, Simmons is slated to earn $120,250 across the length of his deal. The Raptors have an opening on their 15-man standard roster with Ramsey gone, so no corresponding moves need to be made to accommodate Simmons’ addition.
]]>Chief among them, argues Koreen, is watching combo guard Gary Trent Jr. make his push towards a lucrative new contract in free agency. As Koreen notes, Trent is enjoying a particularly prolific scoring run right now.
Koreen wonders if Trent will fetch something around the league’s mid-level exception, projected to be around $13MM, or something significantly more than that. He also writes glowingly about young new trade acquisition Ochai Agbaji, as well as intriguing 10-day signing Jahmi’us Ramsey.
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
“Super excited to be back and gearing up for an epic season of playoffs with my teammates and all of you,” Cousins said in a video released on the team’s Facebook page. “Your support means the world, let’s lock it in and go all the way for this championship run.”
While he hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NBA, the 33-year-old said in an interview last month that he doesn’t really expect to be back in the league. Since playing for the Nuggets in 2021/22, the four-time All-Star has been out of the NBA, competing professionally in Puerto Rico and Taiwan.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
[RELATED: 2023/24 NBA Roster Counts]
That leaves 10 clubs that have one or more roster spots, or whose 14th and/or 15th roster spots are occupied by players on 10-day contracts that will expire before the end of the month.
If recent history is any indication, it’s a safe bet that all 10 teams will, sooner or later, sign a player – or players – to rest-of-season or multiyear contracts in order to fill out their 15-man rosters. There were no open 15-man roster spots available by the final day of the 2022/23 regular season. The same is true of the ’21/22 season.
Even if a team has no intention of using a 15th man down the stretch or in the postseason, using that final roster spot to sign a prospect to a multiyear contract that includes no guaranteed money beyond this season is good business, increasing that club’s roster flexibility heading into the offseason.
Here are the teams likely to fill their open roster spots in the coming weeks:
Teams with 14 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
The Raptors currently have a player on a 10-day contract (Jahmi’us Ramsey) occupying their 15th roster spot. The Cavaliers and Suns will soon follow suit, with Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas, respectively.
It’s possible that all three teams will ultimately turn to another player for a rest-of-season contract, but Ramsey is the only player to get two 10-day deals from Toronto this season, and Morris and Thomas are the types of veterans that contending teams often add to their roster down the stretch. A Saturday report indicated that Thomas is likely to stick with Phoenix beyond his upcoming 10-day contract.
I’d still view two-way player Neemias Queta as the most likely player to fill the Celtics‘ final roster spot, but that could change if Boston has to deal with some injuries in the backcourt or on the wing and wants to add some depth there. Pelicans sharpshooter Matt Ryan is another player on a two-way deal who’s a candidate to be promoted.
The Pistons and Warriors don’t have any obvious candidates for a promotion on two-way contracts, so both clubs may end up turning to the G League or free agency to add a 15th man.
Teams with 13 players on full-season contracts:
(Note: An asterisk denotes a player on a 10-day contract.)
While the seven teams listed above are good bets to sign one player before the end of the season, these three teams will likely sign two.
T.J. Warren, who immediately stepped into a rotation role after signing his first 10-day contract and is currently on his second 10-day deal, is an obvious candidate to fill one of the Timberwolves‘ two openings. It’s unclear which direction Minnesota go with its other spot.
I had expected Taj Gibson to eventually find his way back to New York, but he has signed for the rest of the season with the Pistons, so the Knicks will go in another direction with their final two roster spots.
DaQuan Jeffries and Mamadi Diakite are currently on 10-day deals and could receive consideration for rest-of-season contracts. For what it’s worth, like fellow Tom Thibodeau favorite Gibson, Ryan Arcidiacono won’t claim one of these openings, since he’s ineligible to re-sign with the Knicks this season.
If the Sixers like what they see from Kai Jones during his 10-day contract, it wouldn’t surprise me to see if they can lock him up to a multiyear deal. If not, they may look elsewhere for frontcourt help, since adding one more center to their roster makes sense with Joel Embiid‘s health still a question mark. The 15th man could be a wing — Philadelphia is ineligible to re-sign Danuel House, but could bring back Danny Green if there’s interest in a reunion.
]]>“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the loss of our beloved son and brother, Nathan Tyler Barrett, who passed away on Tuesday, March 12, surrounded by his family, church and friends,” a statement from the Barrett family reads. “While our family is devastated by this great loss, we will continue to cherish the memories and time spent together. Nathan was a God-fearing young man of strong character. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, compassionate, creative, admirable, and driven.
“During this difficult time, our family would like to ask for privacy but greatly appreciates the outpouring of love, support, and prayers that we have been receiving. Though his time with us was brief, he will live forever in our hearts.”
RJ Barrett, who was traded from New York to Toronto in the OG Anunoby deal in December, has played very well for his hometown team, averaging 20.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in 33.7 minutes per game across 27 appearances, with a shooting line of .553/.417/.592. It’s unclear how long he might be away from the Raptors.
Our best wishes and condolences go out to the Barrett family.
]]>As Murphy observes, Ramsey will be ineligible to sign a third 10-day deal with Toronto, so the team will have to decide if it wants to retain him for the remainder of the season on March 24.
Ramsey made two appearances for the Raptors during his first 10 days with the club, averaging 3.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG in 12.5 MPG. He also played two games for the Raptors 905, their NBA G League affiliate.
A former second-round pick (43rd overall in 2020) who played one season of college basketball at Texas Tech, Ramsey spent his first two NBA seasons with the Kings prior to being waived in February 2022. He appeared in 32 games with Sacramento, averaging 3.1 PPG in just 7.1 MPG.
Ramsey has spent the past two seasons playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s NBAGL affiliate. In 30 Showcase Cup and regular season games with the Blue in 2023/24, the 22-year-old shooting guard has averaged 20.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.1 SPG on .531/.406/.699 shooting in 29.5 MPG.
When Ramsey’s first 10-day deal expired overnight, the Raptors had an opening on their standard roster, which means they didn’t need to waive anyone to re-sign him. Ramsey will make $116,075 over the next 10 days.
]]>However, the agreement doesn’t currently include any guaranteed money beyond this season. If Lofton remains under contract through July 25, he’d be assured of a $400K partial guarantee for 2024/25, and that partial guarantee would increase to $600K on the first day of the regular season, but if he’s waived on or before July 25, the Jazz won’t be on the hook for any ’24/25 salary.
If Lofton plays out the first two years of the contract, the Jazz would face a team option decision for the 2025/26 season.
Here’s more from around the Northwest:
However, it’s not just the first round of the draft that’s worth keeping an eye on. Those reverse standings will also dictate the order of the draft’s second round, and an early second-round pick can be nearly as valuable as a first-rounder.
[RELATED: Traded Second-Round Picks For 2024 NBA Draft]
Here are a few of the traded 2024 draft picks that will land near the top of the second round:
From: Washington Wizards
To: Utah Jazz
Current projection: No. 31
Technically, the Jazz will receive whichever of the Wizards’ or Grizzlies’ second-round picks is most favorable, while the Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the two.
Even at 23-43, Memphis has an 11.5-game lead on the 11-54 Wizards in the standings, so we can safely assume Washington’s pick will be more favorable than the Grizzlies’ second-rounder and will head to Utah.
The Wizards initially traded the most favorable of those two picks to Brooklyn in 2021’s five-team deal that sent Spencer Dinwiddie from the Nets to D.C. via sign-and-trade. The Nets later attached the pick to DeAndre Jordan in a salary-dump deal with Detroit. The Pistons, in turn, sent it to Utah at this season’s trade deadline in the Simone Fontecchio swap.
From: Detroit Pistons
To: Toronto Raptors
Current projection: No. 32
The Pistons’ 2024 second-round pick was one of several future second-rounders they gave up for the right to draft Saddiq Bey in 2020. The Clippers acquired it at that time, then sent it to New York a year later in order to move up four spots to No. 21 in the 2021 draft to select Keon Johnson — that was a nice move for the Knicks, who used No. 25 to nab Quentin Grimes.
New York eventually used the Pistons’ pick about two-and-a-half months ago as a sweetener in the OG Anunoby trade with the Raptors. At the time, Detroit had the NBA’s worst record, so the pick was projected to be 31st overall. It may not ultimately land there, but given the Pistons’ 11-53 record, it will still be one of the top selections of the second round.
From: Charlotte Hornets
To: Portland Trail Blazers
Current projection: No. 34
The Hornets probably have no regrets about trading this second-rounder to New Orleans back in 2020 in order to acquire the No. 42 overall pick in that draft, which they used to select Nick Richards — Richards has been Charlotte’s starting center for much of this season, whereas there’s no guarantee that whoever is picked 34th overall this year will still be in the league in four years.
The Pelicans used the pick a few days later during the 2020 offseason as part of a package to acquire Steven Adams from the Thunder. Oklahoma City later flipped it to Denver, giving the Nuggets either the Hornets’ or Timberwolves’ 2024 second-rounder (whichever is most favorable).
Denver sent that pick to Portland at the 2022 draft in exchange for the No. 46 selection, which was used on Ismael Kamagate, whom the Nuggets ultimately turned into $2.68MM in cash at this season’s deadline.
Technically, the “most favorable” language still applies, but there’s no question that the 16-49 Hornets will have a higher second-round pick than the 45-21 Timberwolves, so Portland will get Charlotte’s pick.
From: Portland Trail Blazers
To: Milwaukee Bucks
Current projection: No. 35
While the Trail Blazers are in position to acquire a top-35 pick from Charlotte, they’ll lose their own high second-round pick, which they initially included in a five-player 2020 trade that sent Trevor Ariza from Sacramento to Portland.
Two years later, the Bucks acquired Portland’s 2024 second-rounder from the Kings in a four-team deadline deal that saw Donte DiVincenzo head from Milwaukee to Sacramento. As a result, despite having one of the NBA’s best records this season, the Bucks are poised to control a pair of top-35 picks, since they still own their own first-rounder as well.
From: Memphis Grizzlies
To: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current projection: No. 36
As we noted above when discussing the Wizards’ pick, Utah will receive the most favorable of Washington’s and Memphis’ second-rounders, while Minnesota will acquire the least favorable of the two, which is certain at this point to be the Grizzlies’ selection.
Initially dealt to the Thunder in the 2019 draft so that Memphis could move up from No. 23 to No. 21 to draft Brandon Clarke, the Grizzlies’ 2024 second-rounder bounced around the league after that and was eventually acquired by the Timberwolves from the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline in the three-team deal that sent D’Angelo Russell to Los Angeles and Mike Conley to Minnesota.
Although the Grizzlies have traded away their own second-rounder, they control Brooklyn’s second-round pick, which may end up just a couple spots lower (it’s currently No. 38).
From: Toronto Raptors
To: Indiana Pacers
Current projection: No. 37
The Raptors originally traded their 2024 second-rounder to the Grizzlies during the 2018/19 season as part of a larger package for center Marc Gasol — it’s safe to say that deal, which helped cement the franchise’s first-ever championship a few months later, was a worthwhile one.
The Clippers eventually acquired the pick from Memphis at the 2023 deadline as part of the return for Luke Kennard, then used it in a package to land James Harden from Philadelphia this past fall.
Some “most favorable” language was attached to the pick in the Harden blockbuster, and that language still applied when the Sixers flipped it to Indiana in the Buddy Hield trade last month. However, the the 23-42 Raptors would have to pass the 37-29 Pacers or the 41-24 Cavaliers for any team besides Indiana to receive this pick, so it’s safe to assume it’ll land with the Pacers.
]]>He will undergo further evaluation by specialists but isn’t expected to require surgery, Grange adds. Still, any sort of MCL tear typically results in a multi-week absence.
Boucher was injured during the final second of regulation when he made a tip-in to force overtime against Portland on Saturday. Boucher finished that contest with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a season-high 31 minutes. He had 11 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes against Phoenix on Thursday.
Overall, Boucher has appeared in 50 games, averaging 6.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per night. He has been a part of Toronto’s rotation, mostly off the bench, for five seasons.
Boucher is in the second season of a front-loaded three-year, $35.25MM contract. He’s making $11.75MM this season and will take in $10.81MM in the final year of the deal.
Boucher joins Scottie Barnes (hand) and Jakob Poeltl (finger) as injured Raptors who don’t have a set timeline for a return.
]]>This will be Brown’s second visit to Denver, which is rare for a player in the opposite conference. He picked up his championship ring on January 14 when he was still with the Pacers, three days before being shipped to Toronto in the Pascal Siakam trade.
“I always looking forward to coming back here,” Brown said. “Great fans, great fan base, excited to see my previous teammates. It will be great to see everyone.”
Brown is officially questionable for Monday’s contest, while Immanuel Quickley (left hip flexor strain), Chris Boucher (right knee contusion) and Gary Trent Jr. (groin strain) are all out, according to Grange (Twitter links). RJ Barrett, who missed Saturday’s loss to Portland with an illness, is probable.
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
Arthur Hill contributed to this post.
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