Category: Toronto Raptors Blog

Raptors 905, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Toronto Raptors, unveiled Wednesday the club’s home and away uniforms for its inaugural season. Both uniforms, revealed in partnership with BMO Bank of Montreal, feature the ‘905’ moniker prominently across the chest of the jerseys in tribute to the Greater Toronto Area.

“With our uniform unveiling, it’s a sign that we’re getting closer to making history as the first Canadian team in the NBA D-League,” said Raptors 905 General Manager Dan Tolzman. “Our team is excited to bring a high level of basketball to Hershey Centre and the 905, and we’re looking forward to seeing our fans come out to support this team, starting with the preseason games later this week.”

For its first season, Raptors 905 will don white home uniforms and red away uniforms, consistent with the regular home and away uniforms of its NBA parent club. The home white uniforms will have red trim and black numbering, while the red away uniforms will have black trim and white numbering. The shorts on both Raptors 905 uniforms will feature the Raptors primary logo on the left leg and a Raptors 905 emblem on the right leg.

Raptors 905 begins its 2015 preseason schedule Thursday, November 5 when the team visits the Windsor Express (National Basketball League of Canada) at WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ontario at 7:30 p.m. The first home preseason contest is scheduled for Sunday, November 8 as Raptors 905 plays host to the Erie BayHawks at Hershey Centre in Mississauga at 2 p.m. Raptors 905 wraps up its preseason Monday, November 9 with a special season seat holder and mini-pack/flex-plan customer only game at its Mississauga Sports Complex Practice Court against the London Lightning (NBLC) at 7:30 p.m.

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed forward-guard Terrence Ross to a multi-year contract extension.

According to Yahoo Sports, it is a “three-year, nearly $33 million contract” extension.

“Terrence has shown growth with each season,” said Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri. “We are excited that he will be part of what we are building in Toronto. He is a great teammate and has worked hard to become one of our best shooters.”

Currently in his fourth season with the Raptors, the 24-year-old Ross has averaged 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and made 377 three-pointers in 239 career games. Ross tied the franchise record with a 51-point outing January 25, 2014 against the Los Angeles Clippers at Air Canada Centre. He also set career highs for field goals made (16), three-pointers made (10), free throws made (9) and minutes played (44) in that game.

Ross was selected eighth overall by Toronto in the 2012 NBA Draft and averaged 6.4 points and 2.0 rebounds, making 65 three-pointers, in 73 games his rookie season. He followed that with career highs of 10.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 81 games. He also posted career bests in three-point field goal percentage (.395) and three-point field goals made (161) in 2013-14.

Last season, Ross appeared in all 82 games averaging 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds with 145 three-pointers as the Raptors won a franchise-best 49 games. In 11 career playoff appearances, he has averaged 5.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 24.1 minutes.

The Portland, Oregon native has represented Toronto twice in the Sprite Slam Dunk during All-Star Weekend. He won the 2013 event in Houston and was a member of the winning team along with Washington’s John Wall and Indiana’s Paul George at the 2014 contest in New Orleans.

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday their roster for Wednesday’s regular season opener against the Indiana Pacers at Air Canada Centre (TSN/Sportsnet 590 The FAN, 7:30 p.m.).

The Raptors waived Michael (Michael) Kyser, Ronald Roberts, Shannon Scott and Axel Toupane (too-PON) Saturday to get to the league roster limit of 15 players.

Toronto recorded a club-record 49 wins and earned its second consecutive Atlantic Division crown last season.

Toronto returns eight players that ended last season with the team. Newcomers to the roster are Canadian Anthony Bennett (Minnesota), Bismack Biyombo (Charlotte), DeMarre Carroll (Atlanta), Canadian Cory Joseph (San Antonio), Norman Powell (UCLA), Luis Scola (Indiana) and Delon Wright (Utah, first-round draft pick).

The Toronto Raptors announced Saturday they have waived free-agent guard Shannon Scott, guard-forward Axel Toupane (too-PON) and forwards Michale (Michael) Kyser and Ronald Roberts.

Scott totaled two points, four rebounds, two assists and 16 minutes in two outings.

Toupane appeared in two games where he was scoreless with two rebounds in 21 minutes.

Kyser was held scoreless with two rebounds in five minutes in his lone preseason appearance.

Roberts saw action in three preseason contests recording 10 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes.

The Raptors finished their 2015 preseason schedule with a 5-2 mark. They will open the 2015-16 regular season Wednesday at Air Canada Centre at 7:30 p.m. when they play host to the Indiana Pacers.

Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting on Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who is going wild lately. It’s just preseason, but this is still a good sign:

Kyle Lowry continued his torrid pre-season play, bettering his previous two outings, which were quite impressive themselves with a ridiculous 40-point performance in 28 minutes in Toronto’s 112-107 victory.

“He was hot as a firecracker. We aren’t running a lot of plays for him, but the ball is finding him,” Casey said.

Only Vince Carter (38 points) had ever topped 35 in a pre-season contest, but Lowry caught fire in the third quarter, adding 18 points, to his first-half total of 22. Lowry 6-of-7 three-point attempts, before missing a couple of heat checks later on.

Not that he was impressed.

“Not a damn thing,” was Lowry’s response after he was informed about the accomplishment.

“It’s only pre-season … for me, it’s about maintaining. Start off well, finish well.”

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts of forward Bruno Caboclo and center Lucas Nogueira. The contracts for Caboclo and Nogueira are now guaranteed through the 2016-17 season. In accordance with the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Raptors had until October 31 to exercise their option on both players. Per team policy, financial terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Caboclo, 6-foot-9, 218 pounds, was selected by Toronto with the 20th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. The native of Brazil split last season between the Raptors and Fort Wayne in the NBA D-League. He averaged 1.3 points, 0.3 rebounds and 2.9 minutes in eight outings with Toronto and 3.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 8.9 minutes in seven games with Fort Wayne.

Nogueira, 7-foot, 241 pounds was acquired from Atlanta on June 30, 2014. He saw action with the Raptors and Fort Wayne in the NBA D-League last season. He averaged 1.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.5 minutes in six outings with Toronto and 8.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 20.0 minutes in four contests with Fort Wayne.

The native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was taken 16th overall by Boston in the 2013 Draft. He played three seasons in Spain before joining the Raptors.

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed free-agent forward Anthony Bennett.

As a former first overall NBA Draft pick, Bennett has been a bust so far in the NBA. He will have to prove his value in the league fairly soon, or else he may wind up having to play overseas in the future.

Bennett, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, averaged 5.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 15.7 minutes in 57 games last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He scored in double figures on eight occasions, including a stretch of four consecutive games. He recorded a career-best 20 points, with career highs of three steals and 32 minutes, November 21 versus San Antonio.

Bennett has appeared in 109 career NBA games, averaging 4.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 14.3 minutes. He grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds at Philadelphia as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 18, 2014.

The native of Toronto was the first Canadian-born player selected with the top pick in the NBA Draft when he went number one overall to Cleveland in 2013. He was dealt August 23, 2014 to Minnesota in a three-team trade.

Bennett was named Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year following his lone collegiate season at UNLV. He averaged 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 27.1 minutes in 35 games (32 starts). He shot .533 percent from the field, including a team-best .375 mark from the three-point line.