Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors fined star Pascal Siakam $50,000 after he had a "verbal exchange" in which "several choice words were issued" toward head coach Nick Nurse, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The argument came moments after Toronto's 116-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last Sunday.

On Dec. 31, Siakam was benched for the team's 100-83 win over the New York Knicks for disciplinary reasons.

Raptors head of media relations Jennifer Quinn told Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that the team has yet to level any formal discipline against Siakam in regard to Tuesday's report.

Whether the 2020 All-Star has been reprimanded or not, the story comes as Toronto is riding a nine-game losing streak. At 17-26, the Raptors are arguably the most disappointing team in the Eastern Conference—if not the entire NBA.

Siakam has symbolized the franchise's malaise. He's averaging 19.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc.

While those numbers aren't bad, they aren't what you'd hope to see from a player who's supposed to be the cornerstone of your franchise. Likewise, it isn't ideal when said star gets benched for one game and has a tense exchange with his coach following a loss.

Siakam doesn't appear to be growing into a player who simply has to leave Toronto as soon as possible.

At the same time, it looks less and less likely that the Raptors will enjoy a surge over the second half of the season to erase the issues that have them situated 11th in the East.   

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly among the "multiple teams interested" in Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on The Hoop Collective (21:20).

Powell "has value" on the trade market ahead of Thursday's deadline, as he's in the midst of a breakout season, averaging 19.5 points points per game while shooting 43.4 percent from three-point range.

Windhorst noted a potential trade with Brooklyn could include Spencer Dinwiddie, who is out for the year with a knee injury. The Raptors could acquire the guard's Bird rights with the effort to re-sign him in the offseason.

Toronto has fallen out of the playoff hunt after nine straight losses, providing the opportunity to deal shorter-term assets (Powell has a player option for next season). There is still plenty to like on the roster, however, with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and others in tow.

Securing Dinwiddie for next year and beyond could help the team return to contention.

The Nets would benefit even more as a contender adding another proven scorer.

Brooklyn has arguably the best starting lineup in the NBA, led by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. The recent addition of Blake Griffin gives the team another weapon, but Powell could also help via bench scoring.

Though Powell has been a starter most of this year, he has plenty of experience as a reserve, including much of last season when he averaged 16.0 points per game. The 27-year-old also averaged 15.9 minutes per game off the bench during the 2019 playoffs amid the Raptors' run to an NBA title, featuring some big games against the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals.

It would be an ideal fit for the Nets as they seek their first NBA championship.

Kyle Lowry could be moved before Thursday's trade deadline, but the Toronto Raptors point guard is searching for a permanent home. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided the latest buzz surrounding the pending free agent on The Hoop Collective (21:57):

"Kyle Lowry's free agency is happening right now. The expectation is that Kyle Lowry is going to have a new contract by the end of this week. It's either going to be to stay in Toronto—whether it's signed or an understanding that it's going to happen—it's going to be Miami or it's going to be Philadelphia. Those are the three options."

Lowry has a $30.5 million salary this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Bobby Marks of ESPN clarified the veteran doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, but the Raptors will give him control over his future as a face of the franchise.

The 34-year-old is in his ninth season in Toronto, earning six All-Star selections while being a key part of the team's run to the 2019 NBA title. 

Things haven't been quite as rosy in 2020-21 with nine straight losses seemingly putting the Raptors out of playoff contention. Lowry remains a valuable piece with averages of 17.6 points, 7.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game, but it doesn't make sense to play out his contract in Toronto unless he is staying past this season.

Meanwhile, another team can help shape the 2021 title race by adding an impact player like Lowry.

The Miami Heat haven't reached expectations this year after their run to the NBA finals in 2020, but Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo still represent an imposing tandem heading into the playoffs. Another experienced scorer and leader could be the difference in another deep postseason run.

Windhorst noted the Heat could put together a package that includes Kelly Olynyk and Andre Iguodala to match salaries, plus a young player like Kendrick Nunn, Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson.

The Philadelphia 76ers would also make a lot of sense on the court, providing the Eastern Conference leaders with another reliable ball-handler to take pressure off Ben Simmons. It would also be a homecoming for Lowry, who is from Philadelphia and played his college ball at Villanova.

The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly the "leaders in pursuit" of Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry ahead of Thursday's 2021 NBA trade deadline.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Los Angeles Clippers are also interested in Lowry, though that scenario is more "difficult" because of the contracts and the Clips' lack of draft capital.

The Raptors are willing to work with the six-time All-Star to find a trade that would land him with a championship contender, but they're also content with allowing him to remain with the organization until season's end, even though he can become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, per Charania.

Lowry is a Philadelphia native who played college basketball at Villanova before getting selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft. He was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2009 and then Toronto in 2012.

He's established himself as one of the best players in franchise history and helped lead the team to its first championship in 2019.

So the goodwill that's built up with the organization over the past nine years allows him to have some say over his next stop despite not having a no-trade clause in his contract, which means the Raptors could technically deal him anywhere they wanted before the deadline.

It sounds like a return to his hometown would be his preference if the sides could work out a deal.

Last month, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Lowry "would like to be in Philly" and, like Charania, he noted the Raptors want to "reward Lowry for his years of service by helping him secure an opportunity to win another NBA title."

Lowry would be an upgrade alongside Ben Simmons in the Sixers backcourt and give the team a little more firepower off the bench with either Seth Curry or Danny Green moving into a reserve role.

Meanwhile, he could also provide a spark for the Heat, who've been stuck in neutral for most of the season with a 22-21 record after reaching the NBA Finals last year.

Charania noted Lowry holds a "close relationship" with Miami star Jimmy Butler and that a trade to the Heat would be an easier short-term move since the Raptors have been playing their games in Tampa because of travel restrictions between the United States and Canada related to the coronavirus pandemic.

If a deal can't be worked out with the Sixers, Heat or possibly the Clippers, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Lowry stick with the Raptors and then reevaluate his options as a free agent over the summer.

He's making $30 million in 2020-21 and is averaging 17.7 points, 7.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds for the 17-25 Raptors in his age-34 season.

The Miami Heat are reportedly pursuing a potential trade for Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry "harder than anyone" in the league.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported the news Sunday.

O'Connor also explained what it may cost the Heat:

"The Raptors would require at least Tyler Herro or Duncan Robinson from Miami in any potential deal, sources added. And since Lowry makes $30 million, the Heat would need to give about $24 million in total salary. Goran Dragic, who makes $18 million and has a team option for next season, would likely need to be included (or Kelly Olynyk, who makes $12.6 million). If draft pick compensation were required, the Heat can trade only first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 if the protections on the 2023 pick owed to the Thunder are lifted in a separate deal."

Any Lowry trade would mark the end of an era in Toronto.

The Villanova product has played for the Raptors since the 2012-13 season and has a championship, six All-Star selections and an All-NBA third-team selection (2015-16) during that span. He is a fan favorite in Toronto, but the team also doesn't appear to be going anywhere this season at 17-24.

He is also scheduled for free agency following this season, so any trade could help the Raptors accelerate a potential rebuild out of this disappointing campaign.

Lowry would also provide veteran leadership and another All-Star-caliber player for the defending Eastern Conference champions.

Miami has lost three in a row but is still in solid position at 22-21. It is fifth in the East and would have the firepower with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Lowry to match up with almost anyone in the conference if it pulled the trigger on a trade with the Raptors.

Depth was something of a concern last season when the Heat dealt with multiple injuries in the NBA Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Lowry would add another piece with championship experience, so it should come as no surprise they are at least exploring the possibility.

Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was fined $50,000 by the league for an outburst that occurred at the end of his team's loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

According to a release by the league, Nurse threw his mask toward the stands and directed profanity at referees before leaving the court (h/t Marc Stein of the New York Times). 

Utah went to the line 41 times compared to 14 trips for Toronto in the three-point win, which came down to a pair of free throws by Utah's Mike Conley. 

The difference at the line was the second-largest of the season, according to Chris Black of Sportsnet. To Nurse, it was also why the Raptors lost. 

"A lot of calls, man," Nurse said, per Arun Srinivasan of Yahoo. "Every possession was free throws. We were twice the aggressor."

While complaints about inconsistent referees are a problem that every team runs into throughout the season, the incident with the mask comes as Toronto is working its way back from a run-in with COVID-19.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on March 3 that "many" of the seven positive tests reported by the league in the last week of February were among the Raptors, and he cited sources that suggested spread among the team stemmed from "inconsistent mask-wearing" from coaches.  

Nurse, who said in January that he needed to step up his adherence to the league's mask-wearing guidelines, refuted that report on March 10. 

"I think that I don't think anybody would have any idea what they're talking about, saying that," he said (h/t Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated. "That is a really unfair, very speculative thing to say, unless you have video evidence of it, because I don't think it's very cool to say that." 

The Raptors are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak that they will look to end on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

A breakout season has made Toronto Raptors guard Norman Powell an intriguing option ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst provided the latest buzz on SportsCenter:

"A name that has really emerged in the last few days as I talk to league executives: Norman Powell from Toronto, who is having a career season, averaging almost 20 points, shooting 45 percent from three-point range, had a 40-point game last week. About to be a free agent, the Raptors trying to decide what to do going forward this season and into the future, so Norman Powell could be a surprise name that could help a contender in a late deal this week."

Powell is averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game while his 44.8 three-point percentage ranks ninth in the NBA.

It still hasn't been enough to help the Raptors, who have lost seven in a row to fall to 17-24 and outside a projected playoff spot. This could put Toronto into sell mode for the first time in years.

Powell can become a free agent this offseason if he declines his $11.6 million player option, so a trade could at least return some assets.

Toronto could also keep him and figure out an extension in the offseason, but money could be tight with Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby already taking up much of the salary cap with long-term deals.

It could provide an opportunity for a contender to land a quality contributor for the stretch run this season.

Powell had mostly been a bench player for his first four seasons in the NBA, helping the Raptors win the NBA title in 2018-19 but only averaging 6.5 points in 15.9 minutes per game during the postseason run.

He made a much bigger impact in 2019-20, nearly doubling his scoring average to 16.0 points per game. A huge start to 2020-21 showed last year's performance was no fluke, and the 27-year-old is only getting better.

The Toronto Raptors have told teams inquiring about point guard Kyle Lowry that the veteran floor general is not available via trade with the March 25 NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, per TSN's Josh Lewenberg:

"However, according to sources, teams inquiring into Lowry's availability have been told that the Raptors do not intend to move him. You can never say never in the NBA, but as of now it seems likely that the six-time all-star—and arguably the greatest player in the franchise's history—will finish the season with Toronto."

Lowry, a six-time All-Star who helped lead the Raps to the 2018-19 NBA championship, turns 35 on March 25. He has averaged 17.8 points, 7.5 assists and 5.6 rebounds on 43.7 percent shooting this season. The former Villanova star has been to the playoffs each of the past seven years with Toronto. He's also played 15 NBA seasons, starting in 2006 with the Memphis Grizzlies.  

Lowry will be a free agent after this season upon the conclusion of his one-year, $30.5 million deal.

It's been a tough season for Toronto, which has played its home games in Tampa, Florida, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 17-23 Raps have lost six straight and eight of their last nine to fall to 11th in the Eastern Conference. A top-10 spot is needed to at least qualify for the new postseason play-in tournament.

Toronto has been shorthanded for much of the year, though. OG Anunoby (17 missed games), Pascal Siakam (nine), Lowry (seven) and Fred VanVleet (five) have all been sidelined for one reason or another this year. Chris Boucher is the only player to have taken part in all 40 of the Raptors' games.

Ultimately, the Raptors are only 4.5 games back of the fourth-place Miami Heat in a top-heavy Eastern Conference, so it's possible the team regroups in the final 32 regular-season contests and goes on a second-half run to make the playoffs.

Keeping Lowry aboard is the best way to make that run, even if a championship this year seems well out of reach given the success of the East's elite in the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.

For now, the Raps will look to end their losing streak when they host the Utah Jazz in Tampa on Friday.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said he dealt with a wide range of symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19 in late February.

VanVleet told reporters Tuesday he "felt the sickness—I could just feel it in me, I could feel it in my bones and my blood and my muscles."

"Back sore. Body aches. I just [felt] like I just played three nights in a row. Sore, headache, my eyes were hurting. I didn't have the shortness of breath or anything like that. I had a fever for a day and a half, two days. But definitely nothing like anything I've ever had.

"It was a whirlwind, definitely an experience that I won't forget. ... I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But I'm here, I'm alive, I'm breathing.

"And I know that there's a lot of people that didn't make it through COVID, so my thoughts and my heart is with the families and people that's been affected by this thing that weren't as fortunate as I was and as I am."

VanVleet was back at Raptors practice Tuesday after being sidelined since a Feb. 26 game against the Houston Rockets. Pascal Siakam, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw also returned after just over two weeks away because of the NBA's healthy and safety protocols, per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

Toronto head coach Nick Nurse, who also missed time because of coronavirus protocols before returning last week, said it felt more like a normal practice Tuesday as more players returned.

"Actually almost had a whole roster out there tonight," Nurse said. "I was running some 5-on-0 and had to run three teams, believe it or not. Big jump forward."

The Raptors were 17-17 with five wins in their past seven games after a victory over the Rockets in VanVleet's most recent appearance. Their next two games were postponed and they've lost five straight contests, including three since the conclusion of the All-Star break.

At 17-22, Toronto sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers (17-21) for the final berth in the playoff play-in tournament.

It finished second in the East last season with a 53-19 record and it would like to make a second-half surge at least into the conference's top six to avoid the play-in bracket.

The Raptors are playing their home games at Amalie Arena in Florida because of travel restrictions between the United States and Canada amid the pandemic.

They return to action Wednesday night when they visit Little Caesars Arena to take on the Detroit Pistons. VanVleet, Siakam, Flynn and McCaw are all listed as questionable.

Kyle Lowry intends to finish his NBA career in Toronto even if he doesn't finish the season there.

The Raptors guard has become a prominent name in trade rumors as the March 25 deadline nears, and Lowry continues to produce at a solid pace (18.0 points, 7.0 assists per game). He just doesn't want that to detract from his legacy in Toronto, where he helped guide the franchise to the NBA title in 2019.

"I will retire as a Toronto Raptor," Lowry told reporters Wednesday. "One-day contract, hey, whatever happens."

At 34 years old, Lowry's career is far from over. The same may be true of his days in Toronto.

Speaking to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, Lowry's agent, Mark Bartelstein, refuted any notion that Lowry wants off the Raptors.

"He has clearly not told anybody that he wants out of Toronto," Bartelstein said. "[Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster] and I talk all the time. You can never put anything in concrete in this business, things change, but there is literally nothing to all this chatter about Kyle wanting out or telling his team he wants to go there. That's just not true."

That Lowry is slated to hit free agency at the conclusion of his one-year, $30 million deal hasn't done much to quash those rumors.

The Raptors are still very much alive in the playoff race, but at 17-19 exiting the All-Star break, that could fall apart rather quickly. Lowry understands this. He knows the business side of the NBA means teams will do what they can to make sure they're not losing valuable players for nothing. And he knows that could mean he's on his way out of town if Toronto doesn't start stringing together some wins rather quickly.

"Everyone has to do what's best for them, right?" Lowry said. "... Who knows what that is, right? Who knows what that's going to be? Who knows what that time is gonna tell?"

The guard confirmed he wants to end his season in Toronto. He can help control his own destiny by making sure the team starts off the second half of the season on a positive swing.