Toronto Raptors Blog – Page 47 – NBA Blog

Suns will sign forward P.J. Tucker

Over the five years since he last was in the NBA, P.J. Tucker has seen players come into leagues in six other countries with an expectation for success before struggling to find their roles and departing with a myopic view of their failures.

Tucker knows it all too well because that was his 2006-07 experience with Toronto, which included 17 appearances, D-League duty and a March waiver that started his circuitous path back to the NBA.

The time and experiences gave Tucker a greater maturity that led to a return to the NBA with the Suns, who will sign the burly, versatile forward to a two-year contract with partial guarantees on the first year.

To realize his dream of returning to the NBA, Tucker is taking less than half of the salary he would have made overseas to join the Suns at potentially $762,195 for the first season.

— Reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

Raptors sign center Jonas Valanciunas

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed center Jonas Valanciunas (YO-nahs vah-lahn-CHEW-nahs) to his rookie scale contract. He is under contract through the 2013-14 season, with two team option years to follow. The Raptors selected the Lithuanian with the fifth overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.

“We are very pleased to welcome Jonas to the organization,” said Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo. “We are certain that Raptors fans will soon realize that the year-long process was worth the wait.”

Valanciunas, seven-foot, 250 pounds, averaged 14.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 23.5 minutes in 23 Lithuanian league contests this past season with Lietuvos Rytas. He scored in double figures in 17 games and grabbed double-digit totals in rebounds in seven outings. He had a season-best 25 points (8-10 FG) with 12 rebounds and a season-high six blocks November 12 against Pieno Zvaigzdes.

Valanciunas was named 2011 FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year, earned the Eurocup Rising Star Trophy given to the most outstanding player under 22 and was presented the Lithuanian League All-Star Game Most Entertaining Player award.

Valanciunas appeared in 84 games in the Lithuanian League in his three professional seasons, averaging 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. He competed for his country in the 2011 U-19 World Championships, leading Lithuania to the gold medal. He averaged 23.0 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks en route to the Most Valuable Player award. He totaled 36 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the championship game victory over Serbia.

Raptors sign second round pick Quincy Acy

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed forward Quincy Acy to a multi-year contract. The Raptors selected Acy with the 37th selection in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Acy had six points and six rebounds in his NBA Summer League debut with Toronto on Friday.

Acy, 6-8, 225 pounds, averaged 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 29.7 minutes in 38 starts last season at Baylor. He was named Big 12 All-Defensive team (unanimously) and All-Big 12 Second Team by the coaches. He is the second player in Bears history to finish his collegiate career ranked in the Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and field goal percentage.

As a senior, Acy had eight double-doubles, 10 double-digit rebounding games and 22 games with multiple blocks. He was Baylor’s lone NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team selection. He recorded 22 points and eight rebounds in his final game at Baylor, an Elite Eight NCAA Tournament loss to eventual NCAA Champion Kentucky.

In his junior campaign, Acy led the Bears in rebounding (7.6 rpg) and blocks (1.5 bpg) and finished third in scoring (12.4 ppg). He totaled a career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds vs. La Salle.

Landry Fields will likely start for Raptors

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said new acquisition Landry Fields probably will start and will be a key piece, even if he had to overpay. Fields received a 3-year, $19 million package the Knicks declined to match. Colangelo acknowledged the offer sheet also was designed to break up the Knicks’ sign-and-trade proposal to Phoenix for Steve Nash. Neither team got Nash, who landed with the Lakers.

“We value Landry in a way we thought it was reflected in the offer,’’ Colangelo said at the Las Vegas summer league. “We think he’ll make a solid contribution. His defensive mentality, his athleticism, he’s got a high basketball IQ. All those things add up to something of value to us.

“Obviously in free agency you tend to pay a little more and restricted free agency a little more than that. Regardless, we needed a player who’s going to make valuable contributions.’’

— Reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post

Raptors trade James Johnson to Kings

The Sacramento Kings today acquired James Johnson from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for a second round pick in 2014, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie.

“We’re excited to add a talent like James to our young nucleus of players,” said Petrie. “He’s an outstanding defender with athleticism who can play at both positions up front while providing some versatility offensively and adding a dimension to what we can do on the floor.”

Johnson, a 6-9, 245-pound forward, is entering his fourth NBA season. He averaged career-highs of 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 25.2 minutes per game in 62 contests with the Raptors last season. In his 40 starts during the 2011-12 campaign, Johnson increased his statistical production to 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 26.9 minutes per game. He has recorded career averages of 6.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 24.0 minutes per game in 165 outings, of which he started 76.

Johnson was selected in the first round (16th overall) by Chicago in the 2009 NBA Draft. He was traded to Toronto on February 22, 2011. He enjoyed a two-year career at Wake Forest, averaging 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 61 contests. He entered the draft after his sophomore season.

Knicks decline to match offer; Raptors sign Landry Fields

The Toronto Raptors announced Sunday they have signed guard-forward Landry Fields after the New York Knicks chose to not match Toronto’s offer sheet for the restricted free agent.

The Raptors signed Fields to an offer sheet Wednesday. Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, beginning Thursday the Knicks had three days to match the Raptors’ offer.

According to multiple reports, the deal is for three years, $19 million.

Fields, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, has averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 30 minutes in 148 games. He has appeared in every contest the past two seasons, making 143 starts.

Fields was a 2010-11 T-Mobile All-Rookie First Team selection and twice named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month (November and December 2010). He paced the Knicks in rebounding 22 times, and set a franchise rookie-record making 86 three-pointers. He had two 20-plus scoring games and 11 double-doubles. He scored a career-high 25 points versus Philadelphia on February 6, 2011 and recorded a career-best 17 rebounds on November 16, 2010 at Denver.

Fields scored in double figures in 25 outings last season, with a high of 21 at Sacramento on December 31. He posted double-digit scoring efforts in nine of 10 games from January 18 – February 3, averaging 13.6 points. He also contributed seven games with at least three steals,

A native of Southern California, Fields was an All-Pac-10 First Team selection as a senior at Stanford in 2009-10, with averages of 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 36.3 minutes in 32 games (all starts).

Raptors waiting to see if Knicks match Landry Fields offer

Not yet aware whether or not Landry Fields would become the newest member of the Raptors, head coach Dwane Casey and power forward Ed Davis made it clear they’d be happy to have him in the fold.

Speaking about six hours before the New York Knicks had to make a call whether to match Toronto’s three-year, $19 million U.S. offer on Fields, Casey said he hoped New York would let Fields walk.

“If we’re fortunate enough to get him, he’s a guy that can defend multiple positions. He runs the floor, good shooter … he gives us another guy who can catch-and-shoot, space the floor,” Casey said.

“If we don’t get him, we’ll still be fine, but hopefully we do get him because that’s extra talent. It’s always nice to have guys with NBA experience to help us,” added Davis, who was part of the same rookie class as Fields.

— Reported by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun

InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner says: There is an extremely good chance the Knicks will NOT match the offer.

Raptors sign Landry Fields to offer sheet

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have signed New York Knicks restricted free-agent guard-forward Landry Fields to an offer sheet. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

Under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, New York will have until Saturday to match the Raptors’ offer.

Fields, 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, has averaged 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 30 minutes in 148 games. He has appeared in every contest the past two seasons, making 143 starts.

Rockets trade Kyle Lowry to Raptors

The Toronto Raptors announced Wednesday they have acquired point guard Kyle Lowry from the Houston Rockets for forward Gary Forbes and a protected future first-round draft choice.

The 26-year-old Lowry averaged career bests of 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals during the 2011-12 season. He also contributed team highs of 6.6 assists and 32.1 minutes in 47 games (38 starts). As a starter, he upped his averages to 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 35.5 minutes.

Lowry scored 20-plus points 11 times last season, including two 30-point outings. He had 10 or more assists five times, with at least eight assists in 18 contests. Lowry led the Rockets in assists 33 times and paced the club in scoring on 12 occasions. He had a season-best 32 points versus Utah on February 19, a career high-tying 18 assists versus Atlanta on December 31 and a career high-tying 11 rebounds January 10 at Charlotte. He recorded his second career triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists at Minnesota on January 23.

Lowry, 6-foot, 205 pounds, was a first-round draft choice (24th overall) by Memphis in 2006. He was dealt by the Grizzlies to the Rockets on February 19, 2009. A native of Philadelphia, Lowry played two collegiate seasons at Philadelphia’s Villanova University before declaring for the NBA Draft.

The six-year NBA veteran owns career averages of 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.14 steals and 26.9 minutes in 359 games. He has appeared in 13 postseason contests, averaging 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 19.5 minutes.

Forbes (6-7, 220, Massachusetts) has averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds in 111 career NBA games (13 starts) with Denver and Toronto. In 2011-12 with the Raptors, Forbes averaged 6.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 14.9 minutes in 48 games. He made two starts with Toronto, posting his first career double-double with 12 points (6-16 FG) and a career-high 13 rebounds at Chicago (3/24/12). The native of Colon, Panama, then started a second consecutive game and poured in 21 points (7-14 FG, 4-7 3FG) vs. Orlando (3/26/12). Forbes appeared in 63 outings (11 starts) as a rookie with the Nuggets in 2010-11, averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game. Prior to the NBA, Forbes saw action in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Venezuela-LPB, Italy-SerieA and the Israel Premier League. He was also the fourth overall pick by the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the 2008 NBA D-League Draft. Forbes averaged 17.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 52 total games (33 starts) with the Skyforce (22 games) and Tulsa 66ers (30 games) in 2008-09.

Toronto Raptors sign rookie Terrence Ross

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed guard Terrence Ross from the University of Washington to his rookie scale contract. He is under contract through the 2013-14 season, with two team option years to follow. The Raptors selected Ross with the eighth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft.

All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing is standard.

Ross, 6-foot-7, 197 pounds, was a first-team All-Pac-12 selection last season as a sophomore. He averaged 16.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, and ranked among Pac-12 leaders in eight categories including: points (4th), rebounds (6th), three-pointers per game (2.1, 8th) and blocks (0.9, 13th). Ross averaged 25.0 points in four games during Washington’s run to the NIT semifinals. He shot a perfect 15-of-15 from the free throw line and led UW shooters from three point range, making 15-of-37 attempts (.405). He posted a career-high 32 points with eight rebounds versus Northwestern in the NIT.

As a freshman, Ross made his first career starts in the Pac-10 Tournament, averaging 15.3 points and 2.7 rebounds, and shooting 52.8 percent from the field to earn a spot on the five-man All-Pac-10 Tournament team. He tallied a team-high 19 points versus North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

The Raptors open their five-game NBA Summer League schedule on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas on Friday against the Houston Rockets.