Masai: “I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence"

Earlier this week, a potential Terrence Ross for David West swap dominated discussions online. Last night, Michael Grange of Sportsnet spoke to Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri. You can read the entire piece here.

Masai on Ross going to a new team before the deadline on Thursday:

"I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence," Ujiri said Tuesday night. "Trust me. I can’t tell you more how I totally don’t think that would happen before Thursday."

On the development of Ross this season, which has stagnated:

"How many guys on our team can raise up and make a shot with someone in their face, like Terrence? They aren’t many in the league," said Ujiri. "He’s had lapses on defence but that’s something you grow out of with experience. He is really a two-way player; he has ability to stay in front of guys, he can hit a shot; he’s athletic as hell and he can hit threes. Every team is looking for players like that.

And on where the team stands in the Eastern Conference and as contenders, which I am -- not surprisingly -- relieved to hear that Masai is very realistic:

"We’re a young, good team. I don’t think we’re that great of a team, but we’re learning how to play and how to win so we have to give them that opportunity," said Ujiri. "Do we have holes? Yes, but I don’t think now is the time to get desperate to fill them.

"We’re second in the East, we’re 19 games above .500. That’s not too shabby."