Toronto Raptors Blog – Page 6 – NBA Blog

Raptors trade Khem Birch and draft picks to Spurs for Jakob Poeltl

The San Antonio Spurs have completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors, acquiring center Khem Birch, along with a 2024 first round draft pick and second round picks in 2023 and 2025, in exchange for center Jakob Poeltl.

Birch, 6-8/230, is in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while playing 17.1 minutes per game in 282 total appearances. After attending training camp with the Miami Heat in 2014, the Canadian center spent three years playing in the G League, Turkey and Greece. He made his NBA debut in 2017 with the Orlando Magic, where he spent his first three-plus seasons before joining the Raptors in 2021. Birch will wear No. 92 for the Silver and Black.

Poeltl was acquired by the Spurs in a trade with the Raptors on June 18, 2018. In four-plus seasons with the Silver and Black, Poeltl appeared in 326 games, averaging 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.40 blocks in 22.9 minutes while shooting .622 (1,267-2,037) from the field. In the last two seasons, Poeltl started all but one of his 114 appearances, averaging 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 27.8 minutes. The Austrian owns the Spurs franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage after shooting .645 (187-290) from the floor during the 2018-19 season.

On what moves the Raptors could look to make

Here’s the Toronto Sun with speculation on what moves the Raptors might explore down the road:

But if we had to guess which way the Raptors’ front office is leaning right now based on their history and past preference, it would lean towards the smaller more time-sensitive moves now, followed by the bigger ones in the off-season.

Fitting the time-sensitive definition would be something like a Gary Trent Jr. trade. Trent Jr. can move on from the Raptors this summer for nothing in return. And if you’re reading the tea leaves, or in this case C.J. McCollum’s take that the Raptors will do something, Trent Jr. moving would seem to be the most likely bet…

The big dominos that could fall — everyone from Fred VanVleet to O.G. Anunoby’s names have been mentioned in one form or another — again based on Raptors front office history, if they are moved it’s much more likely they will be moved in the summer.

The Raptors are 20-26 this season, which is the 11th best record in the Eastern conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Pascal Siakam at 25.1 PPG, Fred VanVleet at 18.9 PPG, Gary Trent Jr. at 18.5 PPG, O.G. Anunoby at 17.5 PPG, and Scottie Barnes at 15.7 PPG.

Raptors sign Joe Wieskamp to second 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed guard-forward Joe Wieskamp to a second 10-day contract.

Wieskamp, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, appeared in one game with Toronto’s G League affiliate, Raptors 905, during his first 10-day contract with the Raptors. He posted 19 points (6-9 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-2 FT) and seven rebounds in the 905’s 122-119 win over Capital City on Jan. 9.

A native of Muscatine, Iowa, Wieskamp averaged 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes in 13 games (two regular season/11 Showcase Cup) with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G League this season. He shot .494 (79-160) from the field, .402 (33-82) from three-point range and .769 (20-26) from the free throw line.

Wieskamp was picked 41st overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by San Antonio. He appeared in 29 contests for the Spurs last season, averaging 2.1 points and 7.1 minutes.

Prior to being drafted, Wieskamp spent three collegiate seasons at Iowa (2018-21), where he was named All-Big Ten Second Team as a junior. He was also voted to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2019.

Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. undergoes season-ending foot surgery

Toronto Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. has undergone season-ending surgery on his left foot.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Anderson at Bellin Health Titletown Sports Medicine and Orthopedics in Green Bay, WI.

“This was a tough decision for Otto, he had hoped to avoid surgery, but ultimately a decision had to be made to ensure his long-term health.” Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster said. “We look forward to his healthy recovery.”

Porter averaged 5.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 18.3 minutes in eight games this season. He signed with the Raptors in July 2022 as a free agent.

Raptors sign Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract

The Toronto Raptors have signed guard-forward Joe Wieskamp to a 10-day contract.

Wieskamp, 6-foot-6, 205 pounds, is averaging 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 29.4 minutes in 13 games (two regular season/11 Showcase Cup) with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G League this season. He is shooting .494 (79-160) from the field, .402 (33-82) from three-point range and .769 (20-26) from the free throw line. Wieskamp has scored in double figures in 12-of-13 games played, 20+ points three times, and posted two double-doubles. He recorded a season-high 30 points Nov. 5 at Windy City.

A native of Muscatine, Iowa, Wieskamp was picked 41st overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by San Antonio. He appeared in 29 contests for the Spurs last season, averaging 2.1 points and 7.1 minutes. Wieskamp also played 28 games with the Austin Spurs in the NBA G League last year, averaging 15.3 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Prior to being drafted, Wieskamp spent three collegiate seasons at Iowa (2018-21), where he was named All-Big Ten Second Team as a junior. He was also voted to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team in 2019.

Raptors waive Justin Champagnie

Forward Justin Champagnie was waived by the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, the team confirmed.

In 39 games throughout the course of his tenure with the Raptors, Champagnie, a 6-foot-6, 202-pounder, averaged 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 rebounds, and 7.5 minutes. Twice he reached double digits, including a 14-point career best in January versus San Antonio. In the summer of 2021, Champagnie initially agreed to a two-way contract with Toronto.

Toronto’s roster currently has 14 players, and a pair of two-way players.

The latest on the Raptors

Via the Toronto Star:

One of the consistently overrated things that can happen in the course of an up-and-down NBA season is the impact that “players-only meetings” have on a team.

In the wake of a gathering of Raptors last week after an ugly loss in Brooklyn, a little group chat took place.

It wasn’t huge nor was it particularly contentious and even though they’ve played better since that night, putting too much stock in the meeting is wrong.

“Just talking things out,” one player said this week.

FULL ARTICLE

Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa out with ankle injury

Toronto Raptors forward Precious Achiuwa has been diagnosed with partial tears in ligaments in his right ankle.

Achiuwa will wear a walking boot for the next 10 days and will be listed as out indefinitely.

Achiuwa is averaging 8.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 20.4 minutes in 12 games this season. He has scored in double figures seven times with two double-doubles.

Raptors forward Pascal Siakam out with adductor muscle strain

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam has been diagnosed with a strain of the right adductor muscle.

Siakam will be re-evaluated in two weeks, and his condition will be updated as appropriate.

Siakam is averaging team highs of 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists in nine games this season. He is shooting .479 (80-167) from the field and has six double-doubles, including two triple-doubles.

Raptors beat Spurs by 43 points

Via the San Antonio Express-News:

The outcome of Wednesday’s game between the young and depleted Spurs and playoff-tested Raptors was perhaps not so surprising.

The final score, however, was historic. The Spurs lost 143-100, the most lopsided margin in coach Gregg Popovich’s 27 seasons on the bench.

The previous worst was a 42-point loss at Chicago in March 1997, Popovich’s first season.

Credit in part goes to the Raptors, who overwhelmed the Spurs with size and length uncommon even in the NBA.

Toronto started no player smaller than 6-5. Each player to log at least 10 minutes for the Raptors was at least that tall.

FULL ARTICLE