Latest news with #Raptors
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Raptors exit Vegas Summer League with a loss and a win
The Raptors did not leave Las Vegas with the first Summer League championship in franchise history, but the trip was more than well worth it. Losing Saturday's semifinal — 98-88 to the Sacramento Kings, after cutting a 22-point deficit to one late in the second quarter — will be a disappointment to the players and staff, without question. But when it comes to debriefing after five games and nearly three weeks in Nevada, there will be much important information now available to head coach Darko Rajakovic, his staff and general manager Bobby Webster. And in the grand picture, which is the coming season, that's more vital than the championship rings they could have earned. In his weekly Raptors Insider, Doug Smith writes about what he saw and heard regarding the What the Summer League does is get players who might play in the NBA regular season used to the schemes that will be needed then, and in that respect it was a success. The Raptors will be looking for backups to increase the tempo, scramble the game with gambling, disruptive defence and inject energy. And even though the likes of Jamal Shead, Ja'Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, Jamison Battle and Collin Murray-Boyles will rarely get the NBA minutes they had in Summer League games, and the opposition will be immeasurably better, they showed enough in Las Vegas. 'Some people are born to be models, like me,' Summer League coach James Wade joked early in the Vegas stint. 'Some people are born to be firemen. Some people are born to be policemen. Walter was tremendous in his rookie season when he was healthy and in game shape, which is why 'That group in the locker room, they're born to play defence. So they have to really buy into it.' And they did, Saturday's loss notwithstanding. So the first order of business, instilling a style, was accomplished. Individually, there was enough for Rajakovic to see to devise developmental programs for the younger players. The rookies? They were as advertised. Everybody wants to talk about the departure of Raptors president Masai Ujiri as teams take part The work done in practices and games in Vegas was a scene-setter for the overall organization. A team style has to start somewhere, including having a half-dozen young players exposed to it. The fact is that probably eight of the top 10 roster spots are taken by Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji and Sandro Mamukelashvili, with Shead and Walter probably leading for the other two going into training camp. What happened in Vegas gave deep-rotation players extended time so the coaches can find out what they need to work on. On the whole, the success wasn't four wins, although winning any game beats the alternative. It was learning more about players with some questions answered, others posed and more than enough information gleaned for the behind-the-scenes preparation for the season to be done in earnest.
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Seven year anniversary of Raptors Kawhi Leonard trade weird with Masai Ujiri gone
As the date has come and gone the Raptors have been up and they've been down. Today, things just feel in flux. Get the latest from Ryan Wolstat straight to your inbox Kawhi Leonard, centre, with team president Masai Ujiri (right) and general manager Bobby Webster in Toronto after being traded. Photo by Raptors / Twitter Seven years after the biggest trade in Toronto Raptors history, Kawhi Leonard is long gone, but not forgotten, and now that's the case for the man who led the team at the time too. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account And it feels a bit strange. Masai Ujiri's recent dismissal makes this the oddest anniversary of the blockbuster, ballsy move, which changed everything for the franchise. On July 18, 2018, the San Antonio Spurs abandoned what they had believed would be the transition from a glorious Tim Duncan-led era, to one propelled by Kawhi Leonard. Leonard had grown disenchanted by the Spurs over the handling of a serious injury, but was eyeing a return home to Los Angeles. The Spurs preferred to send him somewhere else and Ujiri's right-hand man Bobby Webster (now the boss of the Raptors while a search for a new president continues) went way back with Spurs counterpart Brian Wright, helping talks progress to an eventual deal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Leonard and long-time teammate Danny Green, plus $5 million U.S. in cash would go to Toronto for iconic Raptor DeMar DeRozan, young centre Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick which became a decent pro in Keldon Johnson. It was a shocking transaction, much like its rivals for the biggest trades in Toronto sporting history like Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff, the Vince Carter giveaway to New Jersey, the Doug Gilmour from Calgary heist or Wendel Clark for Mats Sundin. The Raptors had just won a franchise-record 59 games and earned top seed in the conference for the first time, DeRozan was as popular an athlete as anyone in Toronto and tops in many categories in the Raptors' record book. Even though a sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 2 of the playoffs had been devastating and led to Nick Nurse replacing Dwane Casey as head coach, Nurse had been talking to media just days before the trade in Las Vegas about plans to get DeRozan to defend and all indications were the roster would be kept mostly intact. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's totally down, he's got the ability physically (to defend), he knows what he's doing. We've got to make a plan and a long-term plan and stick with it a little bit,' Nurse had told Postmedia about DeRozan about a week before the trade. DeRozan had famously received some assurance from Ujiri that nothing was cooking and was left blind-sided, hurt and shocked. Parts of the fanbase are still angry about the decision, despite the results and even DeRozan had said they could have won with him too with James leaving the conference. 'When you get a chance to get a top-five player — which isn't very often — I think you have to jump on it. I think we've given a chance to his team, we tried to build it up as much as we can but, at this point, we got to this level, this opportunity came in front of us and we had to jump on it,' Ujiri said at a media conference post-deal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I understand DeMar. He was unbelievably loyal to us. I've never seen anything like this … He has no fault, (but) our team is just not at that level. We keep pounding on the same thing over and over again. I think if we look at ourselves honestly … we have to do something different.' After Ujiri traded Pascal Siakam he talked about how impacted he was by the DeRozan deal too. 'I walked around a hotel two hours, two hours, in Kenya to sum up courage to call DeMar. And I'm a tough mother f—- … Honestly, the human part of this business is tough,' Ujiri said. 'Me and coach Casey were in Africa together this summer, with time, with DeMar, with time it heals a little but it's not easy, man, It's not easy because there something about the NBA — I don't know if other leagues are like that but there's something about the NBA that's family,' Ujiri said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'No matter how cold we can get, there's just something about it. It remains the most difficult part of this business, trading a player and when a player leaves, it's the most difficult thing. 'Fred (VanVleet) said it, what did Fred say when they asked what was the most difficult thing. He said it was the call he made to me, I remember that call. It's the most difficult thing in this business. You guys might look at it as simple or something that's just done, two hours I was walking around this hotel, at 3 a.m., 4 a.m., trying to sum up the courage to call DeMar DeRozan.' But the trade was of course the right call for the Raptors. Leonard had an All-NBA season, then turned in one of the best single playoff runs in NBA history before getting his wish and going home to Los Angeles. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Now he's gone. So is Green, Kyle Lowry, Siakam and everyone else from that championship squad, plus Nurse and his staff, Ujiri and others. The first anniversary came with the franchise still on a high from the recent title win, even though Leonard and Green had just left. July of 2020 felt weird like this anniversary, but for different reasons, with the sporting — and entire — world in the early stages of the Covid lockdowns and the NBA re-starting just days earlier in the Bubble in Orlando. By Year 3 post-deal, Toronto had lost big men Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka too, had completed the worst season in ages, in Tampa Bay no less, but at least had moved up in the draft lottery and was weeks away from adding Scottie Barnes. That pre-Barnes period was probably the bleakest anniversary of the trade, as legendary Raptor Kyle Lowry had moved on too. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By Year 4 post-Kawhi hope had returned. Barnes won rookie of the year, the team won 48 games and pushed Philadelphia in the playoffs even without Barnes for most of the series. Things haven't been as rosy since. In July 2023 the Raptors hired Darko Rajakovic after the implosion of the Nick Nurse Era. By training camp Ujiri and the rest of the front office had stalled too long in moving Siakam and OG Anunoby, oddly accused Siakam of selfishness even while cutting off communication with Siakam and his representatives in the midst of a contract extension dispute and had lost Fred VanVleet to free agency. The ensuing season was a terrible one for all involved. By July 2024, some optimism had returned after an injection of needed youth, Ujiri was still in charge and seemed energized. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Which brings us to the present. Seven years after Ujiri's defining move, Webster has the keys (as he should, but we'll see if ownership agrees), Brandon Ingram has been added, along with intriguing rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, the franchise seems on the way up, but without Ujiri's massive presence, everything just feels different. @WolstatSun Read More MMA Toronto & GTA Tennis Celebrity Toronto & GTA
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Collin Murray-Boyles leads Raptors to summer league semis with 20-point performance
Collin Murray-Boyles neared a double-double on Thursday, leading the Toronto Raptors to a win and a spot in the semifinals of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada. Murray-Boyles produced a game-high 20 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists in an 81-69 victory over the Golden State Warriors at the Pavilion. He went 8 of 13 from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, and was a plus-22 in nearly 25 minutes on the court. The ninth pick notched a summer league-high in scoring with the performance, accounting for 12 points alone in the first half. He did the majority of his work in the paint, either by getting downhill and finishing at the rim or cleaning up missed shots for easy putbacks. Murray-Boyles is averaging 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals and two assists on 60.9% shooting from the field in three appearances with the Raptors. He missed the Raptors' first game in the desert on July 11 due to a left adductor strain. The 20-year-old has looked increasingly more comfortable with each appearance, culminating with his best outing on Thursday. He has showcased himself at a high level as a player who can impact games on both ends of the court, thanks to his intensity and instincts. Murray-Boyles and the Raptors (4-0) earned a spot in the semifinals as one of the top teams after four games of action. They will face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday (4 p.m. EDT, ESPN).
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Eight year anniversary of Raptors Kawhi Leonard trade weird with Masai Ujiri gone
As the date has come and gone the Raptors have been up and they've been down. Today, things just feel in flux. Get the latest from Ryan Wolstat straight to your inbox Kawhi Leonard, centre, with team president Masai Ujiri (right) and general manager Bobby Webster in Toronto after being traded. Photo by Raptors / Twitter Seven years after the biggest trade in Toronto Raptors history, Kawhi Leonard is long gone, but not forgotten, and now that's the case for the man who led the team at the time too. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account And it feels a bit strange. Masai Ujiri's recent dismissal makes this the oddest anniversary of the blockbuster, ballsy move, which changed everything for the franchise. On July 18, 2018, the San Antonio Spurs abandoned what they had believed would be the transition from a glorious Tim Duncan-led era, to one propelled by Kawhi Leonard. Leonard had grown disenchanted by the Spurs over the handling of a serious injury, but was eyeing a return home to Los Angeles. The Spurs preferred to send him somewhere else and Ujiri's right-hand man Bobby Webster (now the boss of the Raptors while a search for a new president continues) went way back with Spurs counterpart Brian Wright, helping talks progress to an eventual deal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Leonard and long-time teammate Danny Green, plus $5 million U.S. in cash would go to Toronto for iconic Raptor DeMar DeRozan, young centre Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick which became a decent pro in Keldon Johnson. It was a shocking transaction, much like its rivals for the biggest trades in Toronto sporting history like Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter for Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff, the Vince Carter giveaway to New Jersey, the Doug Gilmour from Calgary heist or Wendel Clark for Mats Sundin. The Raptors had just won a franchise-record 59 games and earned top seed in the conference for the first time, DeRozan was as popular an athlete as anyone in Toronto and tops in many categories in the Raptors' record book. Even though a sweep at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 2 of the playoffs had been devastating and led to Nick Nurse replacing Dwane Casey as head coach, Nurse had been talking to media just days before the trade in Las Vegas about plans to get DeRozan to defend and all indications were the roster would be kept mostly intact. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's totally down, he's got the ability physically (to defend), he knows what he's doing. We've got to make a plan and a long-term plan and stick with it a little bit,' Nurse had told Postmedia about DeRozan about a week before the trade. DeRozan had famously received some assurance from Ujiri that nothing was cooking and was left blind-sided, hurt and shocked. Parts of the fanbase are still angry about the decision, despite the results and even DeRozan had said they could have won with him too with James leaving the conference. After Ujiri traded Pascal Siakam he talked about how impacted he was by the DeRozan deal too. 'I walked around a hotel two hours, two hours, in Kenya to sum up courage to call DeMar. And I'm a tough mother f—- … Honestly, the human part of this business is tough,' Ujiri said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Me and coach Casey were in Africa together this summer, with time, with DeMar, with time it heals a little but it's not easy, man, It's not easy because there something about the NBA — I don't know if other leagues are like that but there's something about the NBA that's family,' Ujiri said. 'No matter how cold we can get, there's just something about it. It remains the most difficult part of this business, trading a player and when a player leaves, it's the most difficult thing. 'Fred (VanVleet) said it, what did Fred say when they asked what was the most difficult thing. He said it was the call he made to me, I remember that call. It's the most difficult thing in this business. You guys might look at it as simple or something that's just done, two hours I was walking around this hotel, at 3 a.m., 4 a.m., trying to sum up the courage to call DeMar DeRozan.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But the trade was of course the right call for the Raptors. Leonard had an All-NBA season, then turned in one of the best single playoff runs in NBA history before getting his wish and going home to Los Angeles. Now he's gone. So is Green, Kyle Lowry, Siakam and everyone else from that championship squad, plus Nurse and his staff, Ujiri and others. The first anniversary came with the franchise still on a high from the recent title win, even though Leonard and Green had just left. July of 2020 felt weird like this anniversary, but for different reasons, with the sporting — and entire — world in the early stages of the Covid lockdowns and the NBA re-starting just days earlier in the Bubble in Orlando. By Year 3 post-deal, Toronto had lost big men Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka too, had completed the worst season in ages, in Tampa Bay no less, but at least had moved up in the draft lottery and was weeks away from adding Scottie Barnes. That pre-Barnes period was probably the bleakest anniversary of the trade, as legendary Raptor Kyle Lowry had moved on too. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. By Year 4 post-Kawhi hope had returned. Barnes won rookie of the year, the team won 48 games and pushed Philadelphia in the playoffs even without Barnes for most of the series. Things haven't been as rosy since. In July 2023 the Raptors hired Darko Rajakovic after the implosion of the Nick Nurse Era. By training camp Ujiri and the rest of the front office had stalled too long in moving Siakam and OG Anunoby, oddly accused Siakam of selfishness even while cutting off communication with Siakam and his representatives in the midst of a contract extension dispute and had lost Fred VanVleet to free agency. The ensuing season was a terrible one for all involved. By July 2024, some optimism had returned after an injection of needed youth, Ujiri was still in charge and seemed energized. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Which brings us to the present. Seven years after Ujiri's defining move, Webster has the keys (as he should, but we'll see if ownership agrees), Brandon Ingram has been added, along with intriguing rookie Collin Murray-Boyles, the franchise seems on the way up, but without Ujiri's massive presence, everything just feels different. @WolstatSun Read More MMA Tennis Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Milwaukee Bucks Shooting Guard Depth Chart After Free Agency
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 05: AJ Green #20 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots over Gary Trent Jr. #33 ... More of the Toronto Raptors during a game at Fiserv Forum on April 05, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Shooting guard might just be the biggest question mark on the Milwaukee Bucks' roster right now. They've got some solid dudes in the mix—guys who can fill roles and knock down shots—but nobody who is elite. It's a group with upside, sure, but also some clear limitations. That said, a few of these guys had promising runs last season, and there's real potential for growth heading into 2025-26. So let's break it down and see where things stand at the 2-guard spot: 1. Gary Trent Jr. Trent Jr. went out swinging last season. He had some monster playoff performances against the Pacers—dropping 37 points with nine threes in Game 3, then putting up 33 in the elimination game while draining eight more from deep. But it ended on a sour note. In overtime of Game 5, he let a pass slide right through his legs and out of bounds, helping spark the Pacers' wild comeback run that took them all the way to Game 7 of the Finals. Still, the Bucks were lucky to bring him back on a super team-friendly one-year deal worth $3.7 million (plus a player option for 2026-27). At 26, he's smack in the middle of his prime, and he should be in the mix for a starting spot depending on how Doc Rivers wants to roll with the first unit. 2. AJ Green If there's one thing the Bucks clearly love, it's gunners. And AJ Green fits the bill to a T. He's got one of the quickest releases in the league—and it's high and smooth, too. Give him an inch, and the ball's already in the air. The former undrafted kid out of Northern Iowa has climbed his way up from a two-way deal and turned himself into a legit rotation piece. At just 25, there's more growth to come, and if he keeps lighting it up from deep, he might force his way into a bigger role. He's also eligible for an extension, but if the Bucks don't get something done this offseason, he's gonna be playing for a bag next year. 3. Gary Harris Harris's numbers have fallen off a cliff over the last few seasons. He went from averaging 11.1 points back in 2021-22 to just 3.0 last year. And yeah, the minutes took a hit too. At this point, he's more of a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option off the bench. If Doc wants a little energy or some veteran presence in a pinch, Harris is there. He can still shoot—career 37 percent from deep—but the bounce is mostly gone, and he struggles to stay in front of guys defensively. He might still find a few minutes here and there, but he's more of a depth piece than anything else. Final Word The Bucks have a bunch of shooting guards who can shoot the hell out of the ball. What they're missing is that do-it-all guy who can create their own shot and lock down on D. Maybe one of these dudes takes the leap this year—or maybe that search continues. Either way, the position battle at camp should be worth keeping an eye on.
