RAPTORS NEED DEROZAN TO KEEP IMPROVING

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed guard DeMar DeRozan to a multi-year contract extension. Several reports say the deal is for four years and around $40 million. We’ll update that info later tonight if needed.

“DeMar has worked very hard and has been a significant part of the building process here in Toronto,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “We view DeMar as a young, athletic and talented basketball player whose character fits what we are putting together.”

The 23-year-old DeRozan entered the 2012-13 season having averaged 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 30.3 minutes in 222 career games with the Raptors, with 210 of those being starting assignments. He has shot .802 (743-927) from the charity stripe.

DeRozan, 6-foot-7, 217 pounds, averaged 16.7 points, second on the team, and a team-best 35.0 minutes last season. He ranked 10th among all Eastern Conference players in post-All-Star scoring at 17.8 points per game. He paced the Raptors in scoring 28 times and had 26 games of 20 or more points. He ranked 12th in the NBA in free throws made and 15th in attempts.

DeRozan appeared in all 82 games in the 2010-11 season, where he averaged a career-best 17.2 points. He had the biggest scoring increase among all second-year players and third in the NBA going from 8.6 points per game in his rookie season to 17.2. He led the team in scoring 17 times and posted a team-best 68 games scoring in double figures. He also was the team leader with 85 steals.

The University of Southern California product was selected ninth overall by the Raptors in the 2009 Draft. He averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 77 appearances in his rookie campaign. He became just the fourth rookie in team history to start on opening night.