Category: Toronto Raptors Blog

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Three members of Raptors organization test positive for COVID-19

During the league-mandated testing period prior to NBA training camp, which began a few days ago, three members of the Toronto Raptors organization tested positive for COVID-19.

From the Raptors: “All three are, and will continue to, self-isolate away from the rest of the organization. Adherence to protocols, follow-up testing and contact tracing has so far revealed no spread to other members of the Raptors organization. We will continue to follow safety protocols, and will update the situation as appropriate.”

And per the Toronto Sun: The team held its first full practice a day earlier and afterward head coach Nick Nurse and point guard Fred VanVleet talked of the challenges of staying safe this season while they are located in Tampa Bay. Florida is, and has been, of course, a COVID hot spot. “My role is to, you know, just constantly be on them and be a reminder constantly of our actions and our behaviour, and how impactful it is not only themselves, their families, our team, the organization, there’s lots on the line if you’re not doing the best you can with the COVID-19 protocols,” Nurse said Sunday.”

Raptors sign multiple players, finalize training camp roster

The Toronto Raptors have finalized their 2020-21 training camp roster after making the following signings:

Restricted free agent forward Oshae Brissett and free agent centre Henry Ellenson have signed multi-year contracts.

2020 first round draft pick Malachi Flynn (29th overall) has signed a rookie scale contract.

2020 second round draft pick Jalen Harris (59th overall) has signed a two-way contract.

Free agent forwards Alize Johnson (AL-uh-zay) and Yuta Watanabe (YOU-tuh wah-tuh-NAH-bay) have signed one-year Exhibit-10 contracts.

The roster currently stands at the maximum of 20 players.

Raptors sign DeAndre’ Bembry

The Toronto Raptors have signed free agent forward DeAndre’ Bembry.

Bembry, 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, averaged 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 21.3 minutes in 43 games (four starts) with Atlanta last season. He shot .456 (104-228) from the field, scored in double figures five times and recorded two double-doubles. Bembry set career highs with 22 points Nov. 22 at Detroit and eight assists Oct. 31 vs. Miami.

A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Bembry owns career averages of 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 19.4 minutes in 189 games (23 starts) with the Hawks (2016-20). He was picked 21st overall by Atlanta in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Prior to the NBA, Bembry was a three-year captain at Saint Joseph’s (2013-16) where he averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 36.1 minutes in 101 career games and was named the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year as a junior.

Raptors sign center Alex Len

The Toronto Raptors signed free agent center Alex Len.

According to the Toronto Star, Len is “on a minimum-value contract with no hefty guarantees.”

Len, 7-foot, 250 pounds, averaged 8.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 17.6 minutes while shooting .555 (177-319) from the field in 55 games (12 starts) with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings last season. He scored in double figures 21 times, including two 20-point performances, and had eight double-doubles.

Len owns career averages of 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 19.6 minutes in 467 games (183 starts) with Phoenix, Atlanta and Sacramento. He was picked fifth overall by the Suns in the 2013 NBA Draft.

A native of Antratsit, Ukraine, Len played two seasons at Maryland (2011-13) where he earned honourable mention all-ACC and all-ACC defensive team honours as a sophomore. On the international stage, he represented Ukraine 2010 FIBA Europe U18 Championship and 2009 FIBA Europe U16 Championship.

Raptors sign center Aron Baynes, who played for Suns last season

The Toronto Raptors this past Wednesday, November 25 signed free agent center Aron Baynes to a multi-year contract.

Per multiple reports, Baynes’ contract with the Raptors is a two-year deal for around $14.3 million.

Listed at 6-foot-10, 260 pounds, Baynes averaged career highs of 11.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 22.2 minutes in 42 games (28 starts) playing for the Phoenix Suns last season. He shot .480 (183-381) from the floor, a career-best .351 (59-168) from three-point range and .747 (56-75) at the free throw line. Baynes scored 20 or more points seven times, including a career-high 37 points (12-23 FG, 9-14 3PT, 4-4 FT) March 6 vs. Portland, and posted three double-doubles.

According to the Toronto Star, Baynes “does not have the pedigree of either [Serge] Ibaka or [Marc] Gasol but he is a serviceable big man on a team that will be led by a core of Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Norm Powell.”

In 469 NBA games (137 starts) with San Antonio (2012-15), Detroit (2015-17), Boston (2017-19) and Phoenix (2019-20), Baynes owns career averages of 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 15.8 minutes. He is shooting .495 (1109-2239) from the field and .327 (84-257) from beyond the arc. Baynes has made 80 threes over the last two seasons after making just four in his first six NBA seasons combined.

More from the Star: “While Baynes won’t be a ball-dominant big man, his rim protection and toughness will be sorely needed on a smallish Toronto roster.”

Raptors re-sign forward Chris Boucher

The Toronto Raptors yesterday re-signed Chris Boucher.

Boucher’s Raptors contract is reportedly a two-year, $13.5 million deal. The second year is reportedly not fully guaranteed.

The 6-foot-10, 200-pound forward averaged 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, a team-high 1.0 blocks and 13.2 minutes in 62 games last season. He shot 47.2% FG, 32.2% from three-point range, and 78.4% from the free throw line.

Per the Toronto Star, Boucher “has gained weight since the NBA stalled because of the coronavirus pandemic in March and is learning how to use it to his advantage. Still, the lanky Boucher is unlikely to become a “big” big man anytime soon, so capitalizing on the strength he does have, his athleticism and his speed will be key to making strides.”

Boucher scored in double figures in 15 games with three 20-point outings and recorded five double-doubles. He also led the reserves in scoring 13 times.

Boucher scored a career-high 25 points (9-15 FG, 3-7 3PT, 4-5 FT) Aug. 10 at Milwaukee and finished with 19 points and a career-best 15 rebounds Mar. 3 at Phoenix, becoming just the fourth player in Raptors history with 15+ points and 15+ rebounds as a reserve.

Boucher grew up in Montreal, Canada, so it’s special that his NBA career is on the rise while playing in nearby Toronto.

The Toronto Sun worded it this way: “From homeless at 16, to starring in the NCAA before going undrafted thanks to a torn ACL, to a new $6.5 million US guaranteed contract for the upcoming NBA season, Chris Boucher’s journey is the stuff of Hollywood scripts.”

Lakers sign Marc Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed center Marc Gasol, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka.

Gasol’s Lakers contract is a two-year deal for the veteran’s minimum salary of $2.56 million per year, per multiple reports.

Per the Los Angeles Times, “to make the space to sign Gasol to a two-year deal, the Lakers had to trade starting center JaVale McGee and a future second-round pick to Cleveland in a deal that netted them other considerations, in this case forwards Jordan Bell and Alfonzo McKinnie.”

Gasol played in 44 games (43 starts) for Toronto last season, averaging 7.5 points (.427 FG%, .385 3FG%), 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. In 839 games (824 starts) for the Grizzlies and Raptors, he has averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks in 33.0 minutes. Gasol has played and started in 94 career playoff games, notching 13.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 blocks in 35.2 minutes, while aiding the Raptors in their 2019 title campaign.

More from the Times: “At his best, Gasol, who will turn 36 on Jan. 29, is a floor-spacing center who can hit three-point shots from above the wings while making the right pass at the right moment. He’s a cerebral defender who can use his supreme IQ and experience to make up for diminished quickness and athleticism.”

Per the O.C. Register, “Gasol struggled in the bubble in the most recent postseason, but during Toronto’s 2019 postseason run, he averaged 9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocked shots and 3 assists per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. Gasol has shot better than 36 percent from beyond the arc in his last two seasons at more than three attempts per game.”

A three-time NBA All-Star, Gasol has earned two All-NBA selections and in 2013 became the first European-born player to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is one of six players in league history to record more than 6,000 career rebounds, 1,100 blocks and 350 three pointers. As a member of the Spanish National Team, Gasol has helped the country earn nine medals, including gold medals at the FIBA World Cup in 2006 and in 2019, and Olympic silver medals in 2008 and 2012.

Raptors re-sign Fred VanVleet

The Toronto Raptors have re-signed free agent guard Fred VanVleet to a multi-year contract.

Per multiple reports, VanVleet’s Raptors contract is a four-year, $85 million deal. The final season is a player option, according to ESPN.

“In the last four years, we’ve seen Fred move from leader of Raptors 905, to leader of the Bench Mob to a leader of a championship team. The constant has been his leadership, no matter his role,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said. “We look forward to the coming years with Fred as one of the voices and hearts of our team. We bet on Fred.”

Per the Toronto Sun, “VanVleet, who famously and loyally followed his own advice to “Bet on Yourself” reaped the benefits signing the largest total value contract for any undrafted player in NBA history. In his four years in the NBA so far VanVleet has improved in every statistical category from year to year. Last season when he averaged career bests in scoring, assists, rebounds, steals, three-point field goal percentage. He also finished fourth in the league in steals per game.”

VanVleet, 6-foot, 195 pounds, averaged career highs of 17.6 points, 6.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals (fourth in the NBA) and 35.7 minutes in 54 games (all starts) last season. He shot .413 (319-773) from the floor, .390 (146-374) from three-point range and a career-best .848 (168-198) at the free throw line. VanVleet scored 20 or more points in 22 games, including a career-high 36 points Aug. 3 at Miami, and recorded eight double-doubles. In the postseason, he helped the Raptors reach the Eastern Conference Semifinals, averaging team highs of 19.6 points, 6.9 assists and 39.1 minutes in 11 contests.

“For me, ‘Bet on Yourself’ isn’t just a motto on a shirt. It really is at the centre of who I am and how I decide to live and to work,” VanVleet said. “I’m really happy to be staying in Toronto with my Raptors family, and to be able to continue with this great organization and to work towards our goal of our next championship.”

A native of Rockford, Illinois, VanVleet was a finalist for the 2018 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He has appeared in 231 regular-season games (82 starts) during four seasons with Toronto (2016-20), averaging 10.5 points, 4.1 assists and 23.8 minutes. VanVleet helped the Raptors capture their first NBA championship in 2019 and owns averages of 9.6 points, 3.2 assists and 24.3 minutes in 48 career playoff appearances (12 starts).

More from the Suns: “On top of that he’s a perfect fit in Nick Nurse’s rotation which demands equal parts defensive tenacity, basketball IQ and an ability to shoot the basketball.”

VanVleet joined the Raptors as an undrafted free agent in 2016 following a four-year collegiate career at Wichita State (2012-16).

Raptors free agent Serge Ibaka will reportedly join Clippers

Raptors free agent Serge Ibaka will reportedly be leaving Toronto and heading to Los Angeles.

Per multiple reports, the 31-year-old power forward has agreed to sign with the L.A. Clippers, and will ink a two-year, $19 million deal, with the second year a player option.

Ibaka averaged 15.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game last season, shooting 51.2% from the field. He’ll be joining one of the best cores in the league and will play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Raptors and Fred VanVleet agree to a contract

The Raptors have a number of key free agents; namely Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol. And in that exact order, that’s the priority for the team in retaining them. Per multiple reports, VanVleet will be sticking around. Via the Toronto Star:

Fred VanVleet, the undrafted guard who made himself into an integral part of a championship team, has agreed to four-year, $85 million (all figures U.S.) contract, according to a source familiar with the deal.

It was a quick agreement – NBA’s free agency negotiations only began on Friday night — but one widely expected.

The 26-year-old native of Rockford, Ill. was by far Toronto’s off-season priority and locking him up for four years would set the Raptors up for a seamless transition at point guard from Kyle Lowry, who has year left on his contract, to VanVleet, who is almost a decade younger.