Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry is reportedly generating interest from the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers ahead of the March 25 NBA trade deadline.

Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday that Lowry, a Philadelphia native, "would like" a move to his hometown Sixers, and a source told Pompey the sides "might be able to get something done."

The Raptors told Lowry they'd be willing to trade him to his preferred destination as a "reward" for his loyalty to the franchise for so long, but they would still want a fair-market offer from Philly, per Pompey.

He's enjoying another strong season, averaging 18 points, 6.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds across 26 appearances, but Toronto is fifth in the Eastern Conference with a lackluster 16-17 record.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ONZSent4o

The uncertainty about whether the Raptors can seriously contend this year combined with the fact Lowry's contract runs out after the 2020-21 season makes him a trade candidate. The front office would likely want to get some value in return rather than allow him to hit the open market in the summer.

Toronto is expected to seek "some picks, young players, and veterans with expiring contracts" in a trade, per Pompey.

Lowry would be an ideal fit in the Sixers' starting lineup alongside Ben Simmons in the backcourt. The duo would split ball-handling responsibilities, and the six-time All-Star would provide the outside shooting Simmons doesn't on the perimeter.

It's the type of move that would further solidify Philadelphia as a chief contender in the East. It currently owns the best record in the conference at 21-11, though the Brooklyn Nets (21-12) have been surging since the blockbuster acquisition of James Harden to join Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Sixers may want to respond with their own high-profile acquisition before the deadline, and Lowry would fit the bill, but so far there's nothing to indicate a trade is imminent.

After a disappointing start to the NBA season, the Toronto Raptors found enough steam at the end of the first half of the campaign to enter the second half teetering on "average" territory.

Toronto went 2-8 to start the year, but now sit fifth in the Eastern Conference at 16-16.

Fred VanVleet is leading the way, with 19.8 points and 6.7 assists per game. Pascal Siakam is close behind, with 20.6 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per outing.

Amid speculation that he could be on the move ahead of the trade deadline, Kyle Lowry is posting 17.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds. 

Here's a look at what the Raptors will have to face in their bid to be a playoff team for the eighth straight season. 

        

2020-21 Raptors Schedule Details

Second-Half Opener: Raptors vs. Atlanta Hawks; Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET. 

Championship Odds: (via FanDuel): 55-1

Second-Half Schedule: NBA.com

        

Top Matchups

Brooklyn Nets (April 21 and 27)

If the Raptors are truly going to establish themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference again this season, the Nets are a team they will likely be forced to contend with come playoff time.

Brooklyn is currently the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind its superstar trio of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.

The way things are shaping up currently, the Raptors could have to face the Nets in the first or second round of the playoffs should they make it.

Matchups with Brooklyn on April 21 and 27 will be a great measuring stick for the Raptors to see where they stand among the best teams in the conference.

    

Los Angeles Clippers (May 4 and 11)

The Raptors will fight for positioning in the Eastern Conference throughout the second half of the schedule, but chances against the other contenders are limited. There are two games against the Brooklyn Nets, but the team will be done with games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers by the All-Star break.

It leaves few must-win games, but there are still a pair of exciting matchups on the schedule when Kawhi Leonard lines up against Toronto.

Leonard notably helped the Raptors win the NBA title in 2019 before leaving for the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. He was supposed to lead the Clippers to their own title in 2020 while Toronto was expected to struggle, although neither season went as planned. Both squads reached the conference semifinals before losing in seven games.

This will be another opportunity to show the superstar what he is missing with a team that continues to compete.

VanVleet and Siakam will do their best to match up with Leonard and Paul George in what should be a pair of close battles.

     

Season Forecast

The Raptors found their stride at the end of the first half, but they will need to start trending toward elite if they want a chance at competing with the conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers or the Milwaukee Bucks. 

With little help behind VanVleet and Siakam, though, Toronto needs more time before it can contend for a title again. After all, just seven players from the 2018-19 championship squad are rostered with the Raptors. 

Aron Baynes hasn't been productive this season in front of Chris Boucher, who has broken out in his fourth year in the league and posted better stats than Baynes but has started just once.

With DeAndre' Bembry, Terence Davis, Norman Powell and Yuta Watanabe joining Boucher in making up the team's second line, there's a depth problem in Toronto that needs to be addressed before the team can consider itself serious contenders again in the East. 

          

Record Prediction: 33-39

            

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Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said Wednesday society must "fight" for people who've been wrongly accused of crimes.

Alameda County Sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland filed a lawsuit against Ujiri in February 2020 alleging the Raptors president was the aggressor during a confrontation following Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

Ujiri filed a countersuit in August that included video evidence showing Strickland grabbing him by the suit and shoving him at the beginning of the altercation, which came after the Raptors clinched their first championship in franchise history.

Both lawsuits were dropped in mid-February.

Ujiri, 50, appeared on ABC's Good Morning America on Wednesday (via ESPN's Tim Bontemps) to discuss the situation, saying he was lucky to have the resources to challenge the allegations.

"I say it as humbly as I can: The privilege of the job I have is to fight for this," he said. "They are wrongly accused, there is no body cams, nobody sees what happens, and they are incarcerated or they are accused or they are charged. We have to fight for them."

The 2013 NBA Executive of the Year said it's also important to keep his situation in perspective.

"As much as we say 'Yeah, this happened to me,' there's worse that's happened to other people, right?" Ujiri said. "I lost a moment. People have lost their lives."

He added: "I want people to really think about humanity and who we are as human beings. It is really, really important we treat each other well."

.@ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE: “I lost a moment. People have lost their lives.”

Toronto Raptors President Masai Ujiri speaks to @RobinRoberts about the courtside confrontation he had after their NBA Finals win and how it has led him to fight for social justice. https://t.co/ywshgtaYdf pic.twitter.com/Cg2BZj7i3p

— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 24, 2021

Along with his work helping build a championship roster in Toronto, Ujiri also founded Giants of Africa and served as director of Basketball Without Borders Africa to help grow the sport on the continent.

He was born in England and grew up in Nigeria before moving to the United States during his high school years to chase his basketball dreams.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said Tuesday that while he is disappointed about not being chosen as an All-Star, he isn't necessarily dwelling on it, either.

VanVleet gave his thoughts on the snub to reporters following his team's 109-102 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet:

Fred VanVleet on not getting the nod for his first all-star game: pic.twitter.com/L21E7jOFWn

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) February 24, 2021

Among other things, VanVleet said: "And it's also too much real s--t going on [in] the world for me to be crying about making the All-Star Game, you know what I'm saying?"

VanVleet is in the midst of his fifth NBA season and is enjoying a career year with averages of 19.8 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 1.7 steals per game.

While VanVleet has been a go-to guy for the Raptors all season, he has been especially important over the past handful of games while point guard Kyle Lowry has been out with a thumb injury.

VanVleet, meanwhile, hasn't missed any of the Raptors 32 games, and he is a huge reason why they are now surging after a rough start to the season and own a 16-16 record.

Toronto started a disappointing 2-8 and 7-12, but it has won four of its past five games, with VanVleet leading the team in assists in four of those games.

Although forward Pascal Siakam leads the Raptors in scoring with 20.6 points per game, VanVleet has been the straw that stirs the drink, as he is second on the team in scoring and first in assists, steals and three-point field goals made.

The former Wichita State standout has been a key contributor for the past few years, and he played a big role on the Raptors team that won an NBA championship in 2019.

He has truly blossomed into a star this season, though, which is likely something few expected considering he went unselected in the 2016 NBA draft.

Missing out on the All-Star Game does little to discount what VanVleet has accomplished, but John Starks, Ben Wallace and Brad Miller are the only undrafted players in NBA history to be named to the All-Star Game, meaning it would have been a huge honor for VanVleet.

Being left out of the All-Star Game could ultimately be a positive for VanVleet, as it will allow him to rest and refocus for the second half of the season.

Toronto has finally stabilized and is fifth in the Eastern Conference. If it continues to play the way it has in recent weeks, its seeding could be even higher than that come playoff time.

VanVleet won't be part of the festivities, but basketball fans will be able to catch the NBA All-Star Game emanating from State Farm Arena in Atlanta on March 7.

The New York District Attorney's Office announced Friday that it dismissed domestic assault charges filed against Toronto Raptors guard Terence Davis, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

TMZ Sports reported in October that Davis was arrested after his ex-girlfriend said he hit her during an argument at the Beekman Tower in the Midtown Manhattan area of New York City. 

The woman told police Davis repeatedly punched her in the face and broke her phone while she was filming him. He was booked on misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief charges.

Per TMZ, the woman was taken to the hospital and treated for pain and swelling in her left eye.

Davis, 23, was signed by the Raptors as an undrafted free agent in 2019 after he wasn't selected in the 2019 NBA draft out of Ole Miss.

He was an instant contributor for the Raptors last season, appearing in 72 games and making four starts. He averaged 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 16.8 minutes per game, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Davis was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team for his efforts, making him one of only two undrafted players to be selected to one of the All-Rookie teams.

So far this season, Davis has appeared in 23 games for the Raptors and made two starts. He is averaging 6.5 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists per contest, and is shooting 43.4 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from three-point range.

Per Spotrac, Davis can become a restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri issued a statement Monday, days after he and a California sheriff's deputy dropped lawsuits stemming from an altercation at the 2019 NBA Finals.

"I have decided my fight isn't a legal one," he said. "Now, the challenge is this: What can we do to stop another man or woman from finding themselves behind bars because they committed no crime other than being Black?" 

A statement from our president Masai Ujiri. pic.twitter.com/DRyy90glwy

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 15, 2021

Alan Strickland, an Alameda County sheriff's deputy, stopped Ujiri from joining the Raptors on the court to celebrate their championship and shoved him twice during a physical altercation that was captured on video, according to Cindy Boren of the Washington Post.

Boren reported Strickland sued Ujiri for "physical, mental, emotional and economic injuries," and Ujiri filed a countersuit.

“We have to make it better. We have to fight, and we have to stand up, and we have to speak up.”

- Masai Ujiri pic.twitter.com/na7Ba6HyUm

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) February 15, 2021

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office claimed that Ujiri didn't have the proper credentials to enter the court, restating an initial claim that he did not have any credentials at all, which was later disproven by the video of the incident. 

Though the police report stated Ujiri hit Strickland with two fists and hit him in the jaw, eyewitnesses reported Strickland shoved Ujiri before he shoved the deputy back, and Ujiri never used a fist nor hit Strickland in the face, per Robyn Doolittle of The Globe and Mail. Those accounts were supported by the video footage.

The police department initially recommended battery charges against Ujiri, but did not follow through. Strickland also claimed worker's compensation for his alleged injuries.

The Raptors also released a video statement by Ujiri that was filmed Aug. 16, 2020.

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment also released a statement Thursday following the dismissal of the lawsuits, according to the Associated Press. 

"We are pleased the legal process has come to an end—and especially pleased that the claims made against Masai and MLSE were dismissed entirely, free of any financial settlement. We continue to be deeply troubled by the fact that Masai was put in this position in the first place, and believe he should never have had to defend himself."

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they've decided to play their entire 2020-21 schedule at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida because of COVID-19 restrictions in Canada. 

Raptors president Masai Ujiri released a statement about the decision:

"Florida has been really welcoming to us and we're so grateful for the hospitality we've found in Tampa and at Amalie—we're living in a city of champions, and we intend to carry on the tradition of winning for our new friends and fans here. But home is where the heart is, and our hearts are in Toronto. We think often of our fans, of our Scotiabank Arena family, and all those we are missing back home, and we can't wait until we can all be together again."

Toronto has posted a 6-5 record at Amalie Arena, the home of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, so far this season.

Canada has closed its borders to all non-citizens and non-essential travelers, and the country announced Tuesday it will begin giving out a $3,000 fine (just over $2,300) for those who attempt to enter the country without a negative coronavirus test result within the previous 72 hours.

It allowed the NHL to continue operations in the country by creating a Canada-only division for the current season, but the Raptors are the NBA's only team from north of the border.

So the Raptors, like MLB's Toronto Blue Jays last season, were forced to find a temporary home in the United States. The Jays played their games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.

That stadium, home to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, is expected to resume normal operations in 2021, which could force the Jays to make another move if the border remains essentially closed. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported in January the club may play at its spring complex in Dunedin, Florida.

The Raptors' announcement Thursday means they won't return home until at least the start of the 2021-22 season in the fall.

Toronto currently sits fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 12-13 record, though it's started to pick up steam with five wins over its past six games.

The Raptors are currently in a stretch with nine out of 10 contests on the road. The exception comes Sunday night when they host the Minnesota Timberwolves at Amalie Arena.

Alameda County sheriff's deputy Alan Strickland dropped his lawsuit against Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri on Tuesday relating to a confrontation between the two men at Oracle Arena during the NBA Finals in 2019, per KTVU's Lisa Fernandez.

In turn, Ujiri dropped his countersuit against Strickland. 

A spokesperson for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment said the following in a statement:

"Masai has been completely vindicated, as we always knew he would be. We are disappointed that he and his family have had to endure the past 18 months of worry and uncertainty, but for their sake we are pleased the legal process has come to an end—and especially pleased that the claims made against Masai and MLSE were dismissed entirely, free of any financial settlement."

Following Toronto's Game 6 win over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals to win the title, Ujiri said he was attempting to get on the court to celebrate with the team when Strickland told him to "back the f--k up" and pushed him twice. Ujiri said he was attempting to show his "all-access credential" when he was shoved. 

Both body camera footage (warning: contains profanity) and surveillance video showed Strickland shoving Ujiri twice. The Alameda County District Attorney did not charge Ujiri with any crime, and Strickland sued the Raptors' president of basketball operations, claiming he was the victim of assault and battery. 

Strickland claimed that Ujiri didn't show proper credentials and was attempting to bypass the security checkpoint. He said he suffered jaw injuries in the exchange and still gets migraines, and while the video appeared to show Ujiri push Strickland after being shoved the second time, it did not show any evidence of Strickland suffering injuries. 

Alameda County Sheriff's spokesman Ray Kelly said Strickland—who had not worked in the 16 months following the incident and was claiming worker's compensation—has returned to the department in an administrative duties role.  

With the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers potentially readying for a fire sale, the Toronto Raptors are one of several teams interested in veteran center Andre Drummond, according to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer. 

The big man will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the 10-15 Cavaliers boast the league's worst offensive rating and 16th-best defensive ranking, per NBA.com.

The 27-year-old is in his first full campaign with the Cavaliers, having spent his first seven-plus seasons with the Detroit Pistons before a trade to Cleveland midway through 2019-20. 

Through 23 outings this year, the four-time rebounding champ has averaged a career-high 18.5 points with 14.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

NBA journeyman Aron Baynes is Toronto's starting center, but through 21 games, Baynes has been largely unproductive for the 11-13 Raptors.

The 34-year-old, who joined the team to take over for new Los Angeles Laker Marc Gasol, has averaged just 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game this season. Backup Chris Boucher has fared better with 13.8 points and 6.5 boards in more minutes per game (23.2) than Baynes (18.4).

Still, Drummond will certainly be an upgrade at the position if the Raptors land him.

Toronto Raptors star Kyle Lowry has been ruled out of his team's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a back spasm.

Lowry played just eight minutes Monday before exiting, with four points and an assist.

This season hasn't gone according to plan for the Raptors. They started the year 2-8 before righting the ship a bit.

Ahead of the 2020-21 season, Toronto (10-13) re-signed Fred VanVleet but lost Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol to free agency. Pascal Siakam missed the first game of the season for disciplinary reasons and has thus far failed to live up to his status as a max-contract player.

A toe infection limited the 34-year-old earlier in the year. Otherwise, the 6'0" point guard has largely continued to stabilize Toronto on the court. Through 20 games, the six-time All-Star is averaging 17.6 points, 7.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field.

The Raptors can trust VanVleet to run the offense in Lowry's absence, and he's likely the long-term option at point guard since the former Villanova product is an unrestricted free agent this summer.