Raptors HQ - NBA Free Agency 2017: The Raptors HQ for rumours and newsThe International Fan Site of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Clubhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/14481/raptors-fave.png2017-08-17T18:21:44-04:00http://www.raptorshq.com/rss/stream/156737412017-08-17T18:21:44-04:002017-08-17T18:21:44-04:00Report: Raptors to sign K.J. McDaniels to partially guaranteed one-year deal
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<p>Everyone’s favourite high-flying second round pick is reportedly coming to Toronto.</p> <p id="LL46Vm">Just in case you thought he was on vacation too, Woj of ESPN (still feels weird to type that) comes to us today with a report from league sources announcing that the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> will sign guard <span>K.J. McDaniels</span> to a partially guaranteed one-year deal.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Free agent guard KJ McDaniels has agreed to a partially guaranteed one-year deal with Toronto, league source tells ESPN.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/898290774042869760">August 17, 2017</a>
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<p id="t9iJSS">McDaniels joins Alfonzo McKinnie, Kennedy Meeks, and the recently signed <span>Kyle Wiltjer</span> in the pool of players vying for a spot on the Raptors’ roster. The Raptors have 13 guys signed who contributed last season (sure, OK, including Bruno), plus the four aforementioned names and their two two-way contracts (<span>Lorenzo Brown</span> and <span>Malcolm Miller</span>). According to Woj’s righthand man Bobby Marks, the numbers look good for the Raptors.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Because they have Exhibit 10 bonus language that does not hit the Raptors cap.</p>— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) <a href="https://twitter.com/BobbyMarks42/status/898300956013613056">August 17, 2017</a>
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<p id="XlHLVE">Now to the player himself. Unlike the rest of those names I mentioned, McDaniels, at 24 years old, actually has an NBA body of work from which to draw. Drafted in 2014 in the second round by Philadelphia, McDaniels is entering his fourth season in the NBA after spending time with the Sixers (where <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/k-j--mcdaniels--mom-doesn-t-seem-thrilled-with-76ers--rebuilding-plan-183710204.html">his mom did <em>not</em> trust the process</a>), the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a>, and last season’s disaster <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a>. He also spent some time in the G-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers during the 2015-16 season.</p>
<p id="1pOFG9">At 6’6” and 205 lbs, with a suitably long wingspan, McDaniels could slot into the wing behind starter <span>DeMar DeRozan</span>, <span>Norman Powell</span> and <span>C.J. Miles</span>. For his career, McDaniels’ has put up averages of 5.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.5 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field, 28 percent from 3 (on 2.0 attempts per game), and 78 percent from the line, in 14.7 minutes per game. As various highlight packages suggest (particularly the one below from his rookie season), there’s something to McDaniels’ value as a player when considering his wild athleticism.</p>
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<p id="bBxV6p">As his career has progressed however, McDaniels’ numbers have been in something of a decline. That’s worth noting considering he played on one of the worst teams in the league last year. If the Nets are willing to let you walk as a free agent, it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement. Still, for a Raptors team trying to find low cost players with which to fill the backend of their roster, they could do a lot worse than giving McDaniels a chance.</p>
<p id="OWEGyh">Let’s see how things shake out when McDaniels joins the team for training camp. Is he the guy to grab that 14th or 15th spot on the Raptors, or will one of the other signees jump to the front of the line?</p>
https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/8/17/16164676/nba-free-agency-report-raptors-sign-k-j-mcdaniels-partially-guaranteed-dealDaniel Reynolds2017-08-15T10:41:02-04:002017-08-15T10:41:02-04:00Report: Raptors to sign Kyle Wiltjer to a one-year non-guaranteed deal
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<figcaption>Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Raptors continue their search to fill the back half of their roster.</p> <p id="dhPwzt">According <a href="http://uproxx.com/dimemag/kyle-wiltjer-raptors-signing-free-agency/">to Dime Magazine</a>, the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> are reportedly going to sign <span>Kyle Wiltjer</span>, a 6’10’’ power forward, to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal worth about $1.3 million. Much like last season, when the Raptors entered training camp with an extra half dozen players, Wiltjer will compete for the 15th spot on the roster, or possibly head to the G-League as a 905-er.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kyle Wiltjer(<a href="https://twitter.com/kwiltj">@kwiltj</a>) has signed with the <a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors">@Raptors</a>, league sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX">@DimeUPROXX</a>. Story: <a href="https://t.co/a1zClWCJ8u">https://t.co/a1zClWCJ8u</a></p>— Oliver Maroney (@OMaroneyNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/OMaroneyNBA/status/897456090882781186">August 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="cJxeet">Wiltjer comes to Toronto via the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a>, who waived him in July after making the massive <span>Chris Paul</span> trade. Though Wiltjer went undrafted, he did sign with the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> for his rookie season in the NBA, and managed to appear in a total of 14 games. As you can probably guess, he was not much of an impact player for Houston and spent large chunks of last season playing with their G-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, where he put up 20.5 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Hey, not bad!</p>
<p id="sfozkX">Nevertheless, Wiltjer was a solid shooter in college, spending two years in Kentucky and then two years at Gonzaga. He’s also a dual Canadian-American citizen, and is apparently happy to be in Canada, which is nice. He’ll have his work cut out for him though, as he’ll join the likes of Kennedy Meeks, Alfonzo McKinnie, and presumably a few more names, in the battle for playing time with the Raptors.</p>
<p id="FtpSO8">No word yet on whether the Raptors will enforce there “one Kyle only” rule.</p>
<p id="nGVdMz"><strong>UPDATE! </strong></p>
<p id="qSvV7b">It’s official:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/Raptors">@Raptors</a> announced Tuesday they have signed forward Kyle Wiltjer (WILT-jer). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheNorth?src=hash">#WeTheNorth</a> <a href="https://t.co/8PED3O0ZNw">pic.twitter.com/8PED3O0ZNw</a></p>— RaptorsMR (@RaptorsMR) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaptorsMR/status/897540851139842050">August 15, 2017</a>
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https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/8/15/16150886/nba-free-agency-report-raptors-to-sign-kyle-wiltjer-non-guaranteed-dealDaniel Reynolds2017-07-25T15:31:41-04:002017-07-25T15:31:41-04:00Raptors sign guard Lorenzo Brown to two-way contract
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<p>Toronto’s second two-way spot is now occupied.</p> <p id="yu26Ad">Toronto has signed journeyman guard <span>Lorenzo Brown</span> to a two-way contract, per <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> Media Relations. Brown will join the injured <span>Malcolm Miller</span> as the second two-way player signed by the Raptors. </p>
<p id="lbMCIN">Brown, 26, has lingered on the NBA periphery for the last half decade. Drafted 52nd-overall in 2013, his most meaningful stretch of NBA time came on an injury-ravaged Wolves team in 2014-15, during which he made all of his seven career NBA starts. All told, Brown has posted 3.3 points, 2.3 assists and 1.7 boards with an ugly shooting slash line of 36.9 / 15.2 / 66.7 in 63 NBA games for the Sixers, Wolves and <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Suns</a>. </p>
<p id="5Hzur4">It’s been a different story when Brown has gotten run in the D-League. In 74 career games at that level, he’s been consistently prolific, putting up 18.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 36.4 percent from deep, earning All-Star honours in both 2014-15 and 2015-16. He spent a portion of last season playing in China. </p>
<p id="YrFpV5">Brown stands 6’5, and has seen time at both guard spots. With Cory Joseph now in Indiana after this summer’s maneuvering, Brown represents a last-ditch insurance policy in the event the Raptors suffer multiple injuries in the back court at any point during the season. </p>
<p id="9OABSU">With this signing, both of the team’s available two-way deals are spoken for. </p>
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https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/25/16027420/raptors-sign-guard-lorenzo-brown-to-two-way-contract-free-agency-point-guardSean Woodley2017-07-18T16:07:29-04:002017-07-18T16:07:29-04:00Raptors officially introduce C.J. Miles
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<p>Toronto introduced its new 3&D wing at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. </p> <p id="JTV2QW"><span>C.J. Miles</span> spoke to the media for the first time as a Raptor on Tuesday afternoon, donning a green suit/t-shirt combo that would make Ron Burgundy proud. </p>
<p id="n4FOOt">Miles is now officially signed to a three-year deal using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. As the Toronto media gathered at the BioSteel Centre, he was asked questions about three point shooting, hunting for shots, and, you guessed it, more shooting, but also seem genuinely excited to be joining Canada’s team.</p>
<p id="4H7Mpu">“I’ve never been a part of something this energetic, you know, every night in the building” he said about getting to play with the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> crazed fan base behind him every night. </p>
<p id="TlZPSt">Miles also went on to address his playing style and the way he looks at his role on the team this upcoming season, making the point known that he doesn’t care whether he starts or comes off the bench, and is only focused on filling a role to keep the team a successful one. </p>
<p id="94ZG6A">On his most valuable weapon, the three point shot, Miles’ most telling quote was "It’s basically given me... I don’t want to say a new life, but more opportunities to play this game". He also had an interesting response to Doug Smith’s question about how he hunts shots, and makes it a skill:</p>
<p id="G3r6rZ">“Just continuing to understand where you can find shots and the best shots that you shoot, just being on the floor to help my team defensively, I was able to get more shots by staying on the floor, and that allowed guys to start trusting me. My team came to me, and said we need you to be the best shooter you’ve been, and that’s what I did.”</p>
<p id="9zm0Ub">After the ongoing disaster that has been the starting three spot in the Raptors rotation for the past several years, having Miles on board and hearing the quotes out of him has to be music to the ears of Raptor fans coast-to-coast. </p>
<p id="2HsQCv">A team-first guy, with a commitment at both ends, who credited <span>Jerry Sloan</span> for being the reason he stuck in the league as one of the last prep-to-pro guys drafted? Sign me up any day of the week.</p>
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https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/18/15992504/raptors-officially-introduce-c-j-miles-free-agency-toronto-masai-ujiriMitch_Robson2017-07-17T19:51:15-04:002017-07-17T19:51:15-04:00HQ Mailbag: Free agency’s over. What now?
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<p>The off-season is about to plunge into darkness. Let’s take stock of team in another HQ mailbag. </p> <p id="0VoRTo">It took me two days, but the latest edition of the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> HQ Mailbag is here. We’re entering into the most silent part of the NBA off-season, and the Raptors look to be just about finished with their off-season maneuvering. <span>Kyle Lowry</span> and <span>Serge Ibaka</span> are returning, C.J. Miles has landed, a benchful of role players are headed to play elsewhere, and all that’s left to do is over-analyze every detail of the upcoming season. It’s going to be a long two-plus months until training camp opens up. Reading my inane ramblings here will get you about 10 minutes closer. Let’s get to it. </p>
<h3 id="YNO43m">Wrapping up free agency </h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">What are the chances of us adding another piece, preferably a vet wing since MLE was used on Miles?</p>— Mirran Mimikyu (@mintblacklotus) <a href="https://twitter.com/mintblacklotus/status/886383417323114496">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="xJBSWX">As the days progress, an extra addition through free agency feels increasingly unlikely. I wrote about why that might not be such a bad thing <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/14/15957224/sorting-through-the-scraps-whos-left-for-the-raptors-to-pursue-this-summer-nba-free-agency">earlier this week</a>, but I’ll reiterate in a compressed form here. </p>
<p id="SqJMlV">Because the Raptors used the Mid-level Exception on Miles, they have triggered the hard cap of just over $125 million. Under no circumstance can they exceed that payroll figure this season. Factoring in the unlikely incentives built into <span>Kyle Lowry</span> and <span>DeMar DeRozan</span>’s deals, the Raptors have somewhere between $3.5 and $5 million of wiggle room beneath the hard cap; the biannual exception and veteran’s minimums are the remaining ways in which the Raptors can add pieces. Toronto has the two trade exceptions created in the DeMarre Caroll and <span>Cory Joseph</span> deals are, but those can’t be used in full unless some significant salary is shed, or until the new league year begins next July. </p>
<p id="Kfx0KD">All of these factors leave the pool of available and affordable targets looking more like a muddy puddle. <span>Boris Diaw</span> and <span>Shabazz Muhammad</span> may have their selling points, but none of them are difference-makers. With the Raptors having invested so much in their development program, giving minutes to fringy veterans over young players in need of seasoning might not be worth whatever small sum of money it may cost. Toronto has the leeway to focus on training up its youth while also staying competitive in a weak Eastern Conference. Sacrificing a few wins this year in exchange for the long-term benefits of real NBA minutes for the kids will almost certainly be worth hanging back from the remaining free agent market. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Why they sign useless guys like Mckinnie instead of Mbah a Moute or Diaw?</p>— RAPTORS MIL GRAU (@RaptorsMilGrau) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaptorsMilGrau/status/886613858638602240">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="pXHDcV">To this, I’ll reiterate my response above. Mbah a Mouté and Diaw looked/look attractive because they’re the least flawed options left in the bargain bin. The former has had one strong shooting season in nearly a decade in the NBA, while the latter is 35 with little more than passing acumen left to offer. </p>
<p id="f2tOmg">It wouldn’t be mid-July if fans weren’t talking themselves into scrap heap free agents. </p>
<p id="2nqlZj">Calling Alfonzo McKinnie useless before having ever seen him hit an NBA floor is premature. He may amount to nothing as a player in the league, but a 24-year-old, 6’8 combo forward with springy athleticism is at least worth a look on a team that has a track record of turning unheralded prospects into bit contributors.</p>
<p id="0qdRoZ">Play the damned kids. </p>
<h3 id="sbfdBp">Let the endless season previewing begin </h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">If you had to take a wild guess what do you think the depth chart/minute break down will be?</p>— Edward S-dot (@edwardS_dot) <a href="https://twitter.com/edwardS_dot/status/886367960675360768">July 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="PuE8Xk">This is of course subject to change once we can get an impression of how the Raptors plan to use <span>Jonas Valanciunas</span> this season, but here’s my best guess for what the depth chart will look like when the season opens, not including any additional pick-ups that may take place this summer. </p>
<p id="u6uAfo">PG: Kyle Lowry / <span>Delon Wright</span> / <span>Fred VanVleet</span></p>
<p id="dSo9Je">SG: DeMar DeRozan / <span>Norman Powell</span> / <span>Delon Wright</span> </p>
<p id="KxbAVN">SF: <span>C.J. Miles</span> / <span>Norman Powell</span> / Alfonzo McKinnie / <span>OG Anunoby</span> (Injured)</p>
<p id="vKN4ue">PF: Serge Ibaka / <span>Pascal Siakam</span> / C.J. Miles / <span>Bruno Caboclo</span></p>
<p id="LUSuep">C: Jonas Valanciunas / <span>Jakob Poeltl</span> / Serge Ibaka / <span>Lucas Nogueira</span></p>
<p id="U8wcKT">Ibaka is a better centre than he is a power forward at this point in his career. He’s not quick enough to hang with speedier fours on the perimeter, and his rim-protection skills are best put to work around the rim. Still, inertia is powerful. If Valanciunas is going to come off the bench in the mold of an old-school, new-age sixth man to open up more minutes at the five for Ibaka, the change may come in the form of a mid-season switch. </p>
<p id="GH2W9c"><span>Dwane Casey</span> has proven that starting doesn’t always guarantee a player will finish tight games. Ibaka will likely be the crunch time centre — unless the match-up calls for Valanciunas’ rebounding prowess — much like he was after the Raptors picked him up last year. Valanciunas starting probably isn’t ideal, and much of this summer’s rosterbating has been done with visions of Ibaka playing 20-plus minutes at centre. That said, limiting the wear and tear on Ibaka by having him soak up minutes at the four might have benefits late in the year and into the playoffs. In a season that should be about slowly building towards a post-season peak, deftly sprinkling in Ibaka’s minutes at centre instead of forcing them might be a sound strategy. </p>
<p id="Tz16xO">The front court rotation is the most obvious area of uncertainty as of this moment. On the wings, Miles, Powell and DeRozan could all average over 30 minutes a night (Wright playing next to Lowry in bench units could alleviate the load on that trio some), and in some match-ups, that three-wing look might make for an intriguing closing group alongside Lowry and Ibaka. That unit would have rebounding concerns, but as more teams skew small, it could be passable for stretches. </p>
<p id="kX5Zhg">Regardless of the minutia, the Raptors have plenty of different types of lineups they can test out, and Dwane Casey may have to expand upon the creativity he dabbled in last season. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Norm seems much like Demar when it comes to work ethic, what improvement(s) do you think Norm comes back with in October?</p>— Biidaankwad king (@Biidaankwad1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Biidaankwad1/status/886386605233188864">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="8LfXgw">It’s hard to predict exactly what wrinkles a guy might add to his game without knowing what he’s honing in on during the summer. That said, my hope is that Powell comes back with a bit more refinement in his driving game. His lefty finishes and dunks on the likes of <span>Anthony Davis</span> were incredible fun last year, and I’m not convinced there’s a defender in the league that can hang with his first step. When he gets to the rim with traffic around him, though, it gets dicey. </p>
<p id="yOEcAv">A bit of creativity in his finishes (keep the Cory Joseph corkscrew layups alive!!) and some willingness to survey and kick out when there’s a giant human in his way would turn him into one of the most dangerous slashers in the NBA. I’m reasonably confident his finishing will improve; whether or not one off-season is enough for him to boost his passing chops is less certain. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is this year's starting lune up better than last year's starting line up if we stay as is?</p>— killapascal (@killapascal) <a href="https://twitter.com/killapascal/status/886378949881847808">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="GmpisC">Assuming the starting five is Lowry-DeRozan-Miles-Ibaka-Valanciunas, that is absolutely a better unit than anything the Raptors threw out to open games last year. Miles is better than Carroll was at any point during his time with the Raptors, and his shooting will complement Lowry and DeRozan nicely. And if you remember, Siakam started 38 freaking games as a rookie. Ibaka is unquestionably an upgrade. Valanciunas and his spotty pick-and-roll defense remains the sore thumb of the group, but the talent and fit of this year’s starting five actually has a shot at not posting a -7.0 NET Rating. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Whos the next most likely folk hero on the team? Shouts to PJ Tucker</p>— Vtec Papi (@Lil_moh23) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lil_moh23/status/886372154140479488">July 15, 2017</a>
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<p id="U8gK0O">Most of the Raptors role players are too early on in their careers for folk hero status to be attainable. First round picks still have a cloud of expectation hanging above them throughout the course of their rookie deals, whereas folk heroes tend to emerge in the face of low expectations. <span>P.J. Tucker</span>, for example, was not spoken of as a crunch-time staple when he was acquired on trade deadline day. It was expected that he’d slot in behind Toronto’s existing cache of wings and be deployed in specific match-ups. That he instantly became the team’s second-best wing and small-ball four was what endeared him to the hearts of Raptors fans. </p>
<p id="CPiqgF">Based on the current make-up of the roster, one player fits into the sweet spot from which fan-favourites propagate. If Bruno Caboclo contributes even a little bit on the outskirts of the rotation, Raptors fans are going to go bananas. Expectations for Bruno are at an all-time low. The opportunity for him to pick up some minutes is there, at least until OG Anunoby is healthy. And we already have proof of how raucous the Air Canada Centre can get when Bruno has a moment; albeit, the sample-size of Bruno moments is essentially this two-minute video. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">bruno's debut was a top-10 moment in raptors history. im dead serious. <a href="https://t.co/XeptqIYdU8">pic.twitter.com/XeptqIYdU8</a></p>— William Lou (@william_lou) <a href="https://twitter.com/william_lou/status/886990417295790080">July 17, 2017</a>
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<p id="BGGhcJ">Let Bruno into your lives. He’s barging his way into it this season regardless... maybe. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thoughts on Bruno Caboclo not playing in the summer league? Shouldn't someone in his position covet any opportunity to play competitive ball</p>— Tom Chambers (@McBluejays) <a href="https://twitter.com/McBluejays/status/886387878858719232">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="As5ZEw">Speak of the devil! First off, Bruno wasn’t in Summer League because the Raptors didn’t send him — it wasn’t some bit of laziness on his part. On top of that, a fourth-straight year in Summer League would ultimately be redundant for Bruno. He looked more than comfortable in his run last summer, and was a key contributor for the 905 this season. Him not getting the call to go to Vegas indicates that the Raptors are comfortable with his development. </p>
<h3 id="pFMLem">Scheduled viewing</h3>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Who are your league pass teams to watch this year (top 3)</p>— killapascal (@killapascal) <a href="https://twitter.com/killapascal/status/886383672445857793">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="vbdCUu">Nothing beats a good League Pass gem. These might not be the three best or most important teams in the NBA landscape, but I’m pumped to watch them. </p>
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<li id="zdYCXv">
<strong>Denver.</strong> Nikola Jokic, Paull Millsap and our collective son <span>Jamal Murray</span>? They might be one of the worst defensive teams in the league again, but I’m staunchly anti-defense when it comes to my League Pass viewing.</li>
<li id="SWvyYo">
<strong>Milwaukee. </strong>Colour me excited to watch Giannis do his thing again without the crippling fear that consumed me every time he touched the ball in the playoffs this year. </li>
<li id="z5Z7cq">
<strong>New Orleans. </strong>Maybe the most fascinating experiment I can remember in my time watching the NBA. If one of their games is going well, it means Anthony Davis and Boogie Cousins are perfecting a zig to the NBA’s zag. If it’s going poorly, well, chaos is never not fun. </li>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Do you think the Raptors will get to play on Christmas Day this season?</p>— Ryan Davis (@rybreadviola) <a href="https://twitter.com/rybreadviola/status/886405927502454784">July 16, 2017</a>
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<p id="TzfzuF">Ten teams get the call to play on Christmas each year. Personally, I hope the Raptors don’t get one because I’d rather hang out with my family and drink myself silly instead of, you know, working like a chump. </p>
<p id="od1BVW">I also don’t think they’ll end up getting one of those five games. Let’s roll through the most likely potential teams and match-ups. </p>
<p id="MLUqpH">Golden State vs. Cleveland is an inevitability. I’d expect a <span>Chris Paul</span> return to Los Angeles in a <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/">Rockets</a> vs. <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Clippers</a> game (if those two don’t play each other, they’re definitely getting other games). If Minnesota got a Christmas game with <span>Jimmy Butler</span> last year, there’s no chance they’re getting snubbed with him. Oklahoma City will definitely play too; I’d put money on a Wolves-<a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> match-up lining up. </p>
<p id="fCX2t7">From there, both Boston and the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a> will almost assuredly get a Christmas game, leaving eight spots filled. San Antonio is still high profile enough to earn the ninth spot, and I’d expect the 10th team will be one of the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a>, <a href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Bucks</a>, <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a> or Raptors, with my money on the Wizards in a second-round rematch against the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a>.</p>
<p id="ChfKzy">There’s a chance Toronto gets in on the action, but the fact that Canadian ratings do little for the NBA or ESPN’s bottom line make it unlikely. </p>
<p id="w2NsT6"><em>Thanks to those who sent in questions. Apologies if I didn’t get to yours, but come on, it’s July 17th. I’m only going to hustle so much. </em></p>
https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/17/15977450/hq-mailbag-free-agencys-over-what-now-raptors-ibaka-caboclo-lowry-derozanSean Woodley2017-07-10T10:30:01-04:002017-07-10T10:30:01-04:00Salary Cap Update: Toronto deals for Miles, Hamilton and McKinnie
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<p>The Raptors are really moving along now, and the team has approached a fork in the road for the season.</p> <p id="n2bgbs">With the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> trading <span>Cory Joseph</span> for <span>C.J. Miles</span> in a sign-and-trade from the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a>, another domino fell, and then they kept on falling. Let’s take a look at the trade, where the team is now, and the big decision they need to make now.</p>
<h3 id="3ZjBco">The Trade</h3>
<p id="3twMn7">The Raptors traded Joseph, who makes $7.63 million this season, to the Indiana Pacers for C.J. Miles, who is being signed to a $25 million, three year deal. That puts his first year salary (assuming full backloading) at $7.94 million. The Raptors only added about $0.3 million to the books this year, but do commit $8 million or so in each of the next two seasons after this one. It has been reported that Miles might have a player option in the third year of the deal, but that is not possible, as sign-and-trades must have three full seasons in them before an option can be added in the fourth year. We'll have to wait for the deal to be official to be sure. </p>
<p id="bhqkqI">It can't actually be executed until the Carroll trade is completed, as the Raptors need to be clear of the tax apron to receive a player in a sign-and-trade. Using the full Mid-Level Exception, the Bi-Annual exception, or receiving a player in a sign and trade converts the tax apron into a hard cap. As such, with this deal, the Raptors will be hard capped at $125.3 million — they cannot exceed that salary by any means between the Miles official signing date and next July 1st. In any case, they are waiting on the Carroll trade, which is waiting on the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> receiving official word that their offer on Porter is being matched. These are all formalities and there's no reason to expect these deals aren't rock solid, but technically they aren't official until each of those dominoes fall.</p>
<p id="gTMx9i">It also means that if the team does add more salary, they can feel free to use the full MLE to do so, as they have no reason to use the tax-payer's MLE, since the hard cap is already activated. Teams can split exceptions up into portions — so to use the full MLE, you don't have to use the entire $8.4 million in one place, or at all. They could use portions of it to give minimum salary players three years on their deals (the minimum salary exception allows you to sign a minimum deal up to only two years in length), so that they will have full Bird Rights at the end of those contracts. Or, if they had only $4 million to spend under the hard cap, they could use $4 million of the MLE to sign a free agent. We'll cover this more later.</p>
<h3 id="c91j1P">The Waiving</h3>
<p id="kZMuvL">As expected, <span>Justin Hamilton</span> was not long with the team. He was waived, and had his salary stretched. The stretch provision allows a team to spread the cap hit of a waived player over multiple years instead of just the one year. The rule is, if a player is waived in the off-season (prior to August 31st), all the remaining salary on their contract can be spread over twice the term, plus one year. So Hamilton's one year remaining of $3 million salary can be spread over three years, meaning only a $1 million cap hit each year. If a player is waived after August 31st, that season can't be stretched, but any other years on the contract can be. In any case, the Raptors acted quickly and clear about $2 million in salary with this move.</p>
<h3 id="ZieNUh">The Signing</h3>
<p id="F3fpCD">One mitigating factor in clearing salaries: there is a roster minimum requirement. Every team must have 14 players at least on their regular roster (so not counting the two 2-way players a team can sign for their D-League affiliate). By waiving Hamilton, the Raptors dropped to 13 players on the roster. As such, they needed to sign at least one more player before the regular season.</p>
<p id="10ldWb">And so they signed Alfonzo McKinnie to a two year, partially guaranteed minimum contract. Since the team needs to have someone there by the beginning of the season, we'll assume for our cap sheet that he makes the team. If he doesn't, he has a small guarantee that would sit on the books, but in the big picture it doesn't mean much.</p>
<h3 id="DNDq3U">The Impact</h3>
<p id="oCJgek">Here are the committed salaries after the moves.</p>
<p id="2hZ46d"><span>Kyle Lowry</span> $28,703,704<br><span>DeMar DeRozan</span> $27,739,975<br><span>Serge Ibaka</span> $20,061,729<br><span>Jonas Valanciunas</span> $15,460,675<br>C.J. Miles $7,936,508<br><span>Lucas Nogueira</span> $2,947,305<br><span>Jakob Poeltl</span> $2,825,640<br><span>Bruno Caboclo</span> $2,451,225<br><span>Delon Wright</span> $1,645,200<br><span>OG Anunoby</span> $1,645,200<br><span>Norman Powell</span> $1,471,382<br><span>Pascal Siakam</span> $1,312,611<br><span>Fred VanVleet</span> $1,312,611<br>Justin Hamilton $1,000,000<br>Alfonzo McKinnie $815,615</p>
<p id="uHlMG9">McKinnie will count for a higher salary for tax purposes, just like Siakam and Van Vleet do. You may notice that <span>Lowry's</span> number is lower here. This has to do with the question the Raptors are facing. I've only included his non-bonus salary in this list for the moment, as I had been doing with DeRozan. DeRozan's incentives are even more unknown than Lowry's. He was reported with a range of salaries when he was signed, as is usually the case with incentivized deals, but no confirmation ever came. Which doesn't really mean anything — on DeRozan's previous deal, no incentives were reported at all until he earned some of them in his first all-star season. It is one area of salary cap leaks that tends to be lacking; incentives are harder to access even for those with contacts, as they tend to be more complex than the simple base salary tied to a contract.</p>
<p id="NnEpNi">In any case, those total to $122 million, roughly $3 million above the tax and $3 million below the hard cap. </p>
<p id="Bp106V">But, if we leave the incentives off as shown in the list above, that total drops to $118.3 million, almost exactly $1 million shy of the tax. So if everything breaks right (or wrong, as usually incentives are tied to players having more success), the Raptors could play the season with the current roster and not pay tax. But that's a risky bet.</p>
<h3 id="NDWwlp">The Choice</h3>
<p id="5AmCTH">So, the team is presented with a choice. Do they stand pat now, or maybe make one more small salary clearing move (such as trading Nogueira for no salary return and replacing him with a minimum salary player, saving about $1.4 million off the team salary) to give a small bit more cushion trying to duck a tax bill? Ducking the tax bill is not necessarily a sign of being cheap either. By ducking it now, they avoid having to deal with the repeater tax in year three of this competitive window, which could make it easier to spend more money next summer (for example, to keep <span>Norman Powell</span>).</p>
<p id="eADAJL">Or do they leverage the flexibility they have under the hard cap to spend as much as possible on the team now? </p>
<p id="OERVt5">There are middle grounds. They could line themselves up to duck the tax now, and decide at the deadline to spend more if the team is having success. They would still have the MLE (pro-rated down after January 15th, but still substantial), and their TPE from the Carroll deal to potential make a trade. But let's look at the options they have right now.</p>
<p id="PIexth">They can use the full MLE, but only up to the hard cap. Right now, that means roughly a $3 million salary (the hard cap calculation assumes all incentives are met). That number could be slightly higher depending on how far off our estimates are for incentive values for DeRozan and Lowry, but certainly nowhere near the full $8.4 million available under the exception.</p>
<p id="ypwm1H">If the team were to make the move to shed Nogueira, but also want to bring in another solid player, they would be able to go up to about $6 million starting salary (Nogueira's full salary is cleared in this case because they are replacing him with the MLE signing, so no extra minimum signing is required to meet the roster minimum). Again, possibly a little higher depending on the exact details of those incentives.</p>
<p id="5nftx3">The team could probably use another power forward for depth, or even a big combo forward to maybe slot into those small ball units. With patience, the team probably expects Siakam and Anunoby would be fine sliding into those roles. But with Anunoby hurt to start the year, leaving Siakam as the only other PF on the roster behind Ibaka, this might not be the direction the team wants to go.</p>
<p id="suvgMC">What do you think? Does the team duck the tax? If they use what spending power they have, are there any targets you have in mind?</p>
<p id="DmBO6r"><em>As ever, thanks to </em><a href="http://basketballinsiders.com"><em>basketballinsiders.com</em></a><em> for the source data on existing contracts.</em></p>
https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/10/15946816/salary-cap-update-toronto-free-agency-deals-trades-cj-milesDaniel Hackett2017-07-10T09:56:45-04:002017-07-10T09:56:45-04:00Raptors officially sign Alfonzo McKinnie to multi-year deal
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<p>After a stand-out season in the D-League, McKinnie will look to make things happen for the Raptors.</p> <p id="Ous8VU">From the weekend, a bit of business we missed: the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a> have officially signed small forward Alfonzo McKinnie to a multi-year, partially guaranteed contract. As with last season when the Raptors had a bunch of extra players heading into training camp, McKinnie will play for the team in Summer League and hope to make the roster for 2018-19.</p>
<p id="rd1pWi">McKinnie is a true feel good story. He was often overlooked by scouts and had to pay 150 dollars to try out for the Windy City <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Bulls</a> of the G-League. McKinnie made the team and went on to become an All-Star and one of the best players in the D-League last season. It was actually a surprise he didn’t manage a call-up to the NBA. It’s nice to see him working his way into the league.</p>
<p id="URRfWR">McKinnie last season with the Windy City Bulls played in all 50 games and started 34, and averaged 30.5 minutes per game. McKinnie chipped in with 14.9 points and 9.2 rebounds along with shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three. </p>
<p id="bWC5KT">McKinnie is still young at just 24, and with the recent trade of <span>DeMarre Carroll</span>, he now plays a position of need with some combination of <span>Norman Powell</span>, <span>C.J. Miles</span>, the injured <span>OG Anunoby</span> and <span>Bruno Caboclo</span> trying to fit in on the wing. </p>
<p id="FQoSHu">It should be mentioned as well that if McKinnie fails to make the roster and the Raptors want him to be with the 905, they must trade for his rights as they currently belong with the Windy City Bulls.</p>
<p id="XfVUYq">Right now the Raptors roster currently stands at 17 if you include <span>Malcolm Miller</span> who signed a two-way and Kennedy Meeks who could sign the other two-way deal.</p>
<p id="AW8smj">Note: I also interviewed McKinnie back in May. <a href="https://www.ridiculousupside.com/2017/5/8/15574004/all-star-forward-alfonzo-mckinnie-discusses-his-first-season-in-d-league-and-future-plans-nbadl">You can find it here</a>.</p>
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https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/10/15943666/nba-free-agency-report-raptors-sign-alfonzo-mckinnieCole Shelton2017-07-09T14:25:21-04:002017-07-09T14:25:21-04:00Report: Raptors finalizing sign-and-trade for C.J. Miles
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<p>Toronto’s day of wheeling and dealing continues with the addition of a small forward, and a farewell to a beloved local product. </p> <p id="6Td124">Offloading <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> in the wee hours of Sunday morning felt like the first domino of the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a>’ post-Lowry and Ibaka off-season plans. There was just no way Masai Ujiri was going to dump DeMarre Carroll if there weren’t subsequent moves in the works to balance out the roster. </p>
<p id="DCw36b">On Sunday afternoon, The Vertical’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that assumption, breaking the news that the Raptors are finalizing a sign-and-trade deal to send <span>Cory Joseph</span> to Indiana in exchange for small forward <span>C.J. Miles</span>. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Toronto and Indiana are discussing sign-and-trade deal of free agent CJ Miles to the Raptors, league sources tell The Vertical.</p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/884102219276075009">July 9, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Toronto is finalizing a sign-and-trade with Indiana to move Cory Joseph for CJ Miles, league sources tell ESPN.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/884102281884442624">July 9, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sources: Toronto-Indiana deal is agreed in principle. Miles will sign a 3-year, approximately $25M deal with Raptors, with player option.</p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/884105888839081984">July 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="mdmX8n">For a team with a bounty of point guard depth, a thin wing depth chart, a dearth of shooting, and limited financial flexibility, this is a border line perfect move for the Raptors. Miles probably figures to open the season as the team’s starting small forward next to DeMar DeRozan. Coming off a season in which he shot 41.3 percent from deep on 5.4 attempts per game, Miles instantly becomes either the second or third-best deep threat on the roster, behind <span>Kyle Lowry</span>, and in competition with Serge Ibaka. Miles also replaces Carroll as the one wing on the roster with the capacity to slide down to the four in smaller looks. Lowry-Powell-DeRozan-Miles-Ibaka already has the look of an attractive crunch-time unit. </p>
<p id="EHLHGh">Losing Joseph is a bit of a blow, but it’s an absorbable one with <span>Delon Wright</span> likely being ready for a full-time backup role. Joseph will now compete with <span>Darren Collison</span> for the <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a>’ starting point guard job -- a competition he should probably win. </p>
<p id="5A5XrI">Joseph’s 2016-17 season had a serpentine quality to it, but he was at his best during the stretches in which the team needed him most. With <span>Kyle Lowry</span> sidelined, Joseph’s defence recovered nicely from a first-half swoon (remember that game against <span>Isaiah Thomas</span> out of the All-Star break?). His most memorable moment in a Raptors uniform was one of his last; his timely corner three late in Game 6 against Milwaukee halted a disastrous collapse and helped the Raptors win a series in less than the minimum number of games for the first time in franchise history.</p>
<p id="RXLYhq">Toronto is better off financially than it was 24 hours ago. Miles’ contract, if structured to include annual raises, will begin at just $7.94 million in 2017-18, make it an almost salary-neutral swap for Joseph’s $7.7 million salary next season.</p>
<p id="9oX53A">The Raptors now have roughly $122 million committed to 14 players for next season. They also boast the $11.8 million trade exception created in the Carroll trade, and can offload both <span>Lucas Nogueira</span> and <span>Justin Hamilton</span> if they’d like to open up the full mid-level exception of just over $8 million. </p>
<p id="zIFfNC">Per Woj, the move can’t be finalized until the Carroll deal with the <a href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> is officially completed, which may take a few days as the <span>Otto Porter</span> saga reaches its conclusion. Barring some catastrophic breakdown, though, the Raptors have made their free agency splash. </p>
<p id="DfmzFH">What do you think of the move?</p>
<p id="MFHm3W"><em>Credit to Daniel Hackett for confirmation on all of the salary cap information. He is the greatest, as usual. </em></p>
https://www.raptorshq.com/2017/7/9/15944058/nba-free-agency-2017-report-raptors-finalizing-sign-and-trade-for-c-j-miles-cory-josephSean Woodley