Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors will be allowed to reconvene in Naples, Florida, to begin training during Phase 1 of the NBA's return-to-play plan. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the team will travel directly to Florida Gulf Coast University to prepare for the league's 22-team restart at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex, using Alico Arena as its practice facility.  

Phase 1 began on June 12 and will continue through June 22 with players returning to their team markets. Due to restrictions at the Canadian border mandating a self-quarantine period of 14 days for those who enter the country, the Raptors will instead head straight to Florida—a nearly three-hour drive from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex where the league will resume. 

During Phase 1, players can train at team facilities on a voluntary basis and conduct virtual meetings and workouts, yet they must try to remain at home as much as possible with the exception of essential activities.

Once Phase 2 begins (June 23-30), teams will start to test all players and staff for COVID-19. Between July 1-11, Phase 3 will begin with mandatory individual works. Teams will reportedly begin arriving in Orlando between July 7-11, at which point they will isolate for at least 24 hours while waiting the return of two negative tests.  

Players are not obligated to finish out the season, yet they must notify their teams and the National Basketball Players Association by June 25 if they intend to sit out. 

Per Charania: 

"Non-participating players who are either 'excused' or 'protected' will not have their salary reduced as a result of their non-participation.

"The salary of any other player who chooses not to participate will be reduced by 1/92.6 for each game that the player misses, with a maximum reduction of 14/92.6.- 'Protected Players' are those players whose team believes they are at a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. If his team does not designate the player as higher risk, a player may still be excused and not have his salary reduced

"'Excused Players' are those players who a panel of three medical experts determines to have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19."

Games are expected to officially resume on July 30 with the playoffs running through October 13. 

The Toronto Raptors are sometimes overlooked as a title contender despite being the defending NBA champions, but star forward Pascal Siakam isn't worried about it. 

"To be simple and truthful, I just don't care what people think of the Raptors," Siakam said, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. "I think, for us, it's been a lot of years caring about, 'Oh, love me too,' and I think that's over, man. We are the champions and if you don't see it, that's your problem."

The Raptors go into the restart with the third-best record in the NBA at 46-18 but the team has just the sixth-best odds to win the title at 17-1, according to Caesars. 

"And for us, it's about us, we're not worried what other people think, we're gonna continue to win games and chase championships," Siakam added. "That's the only thing we care about and whoever feels the way they feel, that's them and has nothing to do with us. We don't care about perception."

Toronto surprised many with its playoff run a year ago, winning the first title in franchise history behind Kawhi Leonard. Series wins over the Milwaukee Bucks with reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors were especially impressive.

The squad was expected to take a step back after losing Leonard in free agency, but it has continued to find success on the court.

Siakam took over as a No. 1 option and earned his first career All-Star selection while players like Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell each made significant leaps this season. Add in veteran contributors like Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol, there is enough talent to win another championship.

Though much of the focus this season has been on the Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers because of their star power, the Raptors are seemingly fine flying under the radar once again.

Add the Toronto Raptors to the list of teams hoping to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo when he becomes a free agent.

"Toronto's interest in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2021 is no secret," Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported. "Another deep playoff run would add to the sales pitch."

The Milwaukee Bucks star is set to make $27.5 million in 2020-21 but will hit the open market the following offseason, likely becoming the top target for every team with cap space.

Toronto has a lot of flexibility with only Pascal Siakam under a guaranteed contract beyond 2020-21. Norman Powell also has a $11.6 million player option for 2021-22.

The Raptors could also be an enticing option for Antetokounmpo after winning a championship last season, defeating Milwaukee in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps more impressively, the squad has continued its success after losing Kawhi Leonard to free agency, currently sitting second in the conference with a 46-18 record.

Adding another elite player to this roster could make Toronto nearly unstoppable in the East.

There will still be a lot of competition to land Antetokounmpo, including from Milwaukee trying to re-sign him.

The Miami Heat have already been preserving cap space for a run at the superstar, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Tom Haberstroh discussed a potential trade of the forward to the Golden State Warriors with Grant Liffman of NBC Sports.

The 25-year-old is already one of the top players in the sport as the reigning MVP. He is a favorite to win the award once again in 2019-20 after improving his numbers to 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.

While he's one of the most dangerous scorers in the NBA, he is also a contender for the league's Defensive Player of the Year award this season as he leads the league with 4.8 defensive win shares, per Basketball Reference.

If he ever hits the open market, the Greek Freak could end up being one of the biggest free-agent prizes in a long time.

Toronto Raptors team president Masai Ujiri called on the NBA's leaders—specifically white leaders—to fight racism.

"We have to keep going, right? We have to keep talking about this because there is a problem," Ujiri said Wednesday on The Jump. "We were stuck in our houses, dealing with a pandemic, and then here comes this pandemic that has actually been a part of our lives for a long time but people haven't been willing to really talk about. That pandemic is racism.

"... It's leaders; we have to speak. And specifically white leaders. They have to speak. We have to call it out as it is. If you see a problem, if you see something, how are you dealing with it in your organization? How are you dealing with it outward? Let's come and talk. Let's not hide anymore behind all of this because racism is real. It's been there. Let's talk about it now, and that's the difficult part."

Ujiri wrote an op-ed piece for the Globe and Mail that was published Sunday, and he called for an end to the cycle of inaction following the killing of George Floyd on May 25.

"Ever since I first saw the video, I've been thinking about the cycle," Ujiri wrote. "A death like this happens, and we rage about it, and the headlines recede, and the world moves on, and then a few weeks later something else happens and we're outraged again and then we move on, again. We have to stop that cycle."

Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest. The charge was upgraded Wednesday to second-degree murder after two autopsies determined Floyd died by homicide. Three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

"In every single country, we have to teach humanity, in kindergarten, somewhere, somehow—all of us," Ujiri said on The Jump. "Because when I look at that guy kneeling on George and those three guys actually watching—forget you are police, forget you are the law—you as a human being, you as a human being, you should be able to say: 'You know what, stop. This guy is bleeding from his nose, he is peeing on himself. It's enough. It's enough. Please.' That's humanity. That's we as human beings. How many of these incidents are not captured on video?"

Ujiri also discussed his own experience with racism, when an Oakland Police officer stopped him as he walked toward the court after the Raptors won the 2019 NBA Finals. Ujiri said his experience did not compare to Floyd's killing and encouraged all people to speak out against racism.

"Now is time for us to speak," he said. "Now is time for all races to speak and to speak to each other and to have these conversations with each other. Because if we don't, this cycle will continue. ... Let everybody step up and do it. Don't hide. Don't run away. When people say racist stuff, point them out. Call them out."

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri penned an op-ed for The Globe and Mail calling for the end of police violence as protests continue in the United States over the killing of George Floyd.

"Ever since I first saw the video, I’ve been thinking about the cycle," Ujiri wrote. "A death like this happens, and we rage about it, and the headlines recede, and the world moves on, and then a few weeks later something else happens and we’re outraged again and then we move on, again. We have to stop that cycle."

Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested and charged with the third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter of Floyd after video surfaced showing him kneeling on Floyd's neck during an arrest this week. The video sparked outrage because Floyd was not resisting arrest and told Chauvin he could not breathe. 

Chauvin and three other officers on the scene were fired, but criminal charges came only after days of protests in Minneapolis that have since spread nationwide. Many of the protests have become violent, leading to further altercations between police and citizens. 

"So many of you are asking: What can I do? There is a sense of helplessness, but that must not paralyze us," Ujiri wrote. "Your voice matters, especially when you are a leader or influential figure, and especially if you are white. Leaders have to be bold enough to state the obvious and call out racism."

Ujiri also briefly touched on his own recent issue with an Oakland police officer who attempted to stop him from going on the court after the Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship. Charges were initially considered after the cop alleged Ujiri shoved him, but that was later disputed, and no charges were filed. The officer filed a lawsuit against Ujiri and the Raptors earlier this year.

"There’s a lawsuit that’s still before the courts—he is suing me—so I can’t say too much," Ujiri wrote. "But I will say this: If it was another team president heading for the court—a white team president—would he have been stopped by that officer? I’ve wondered that."

Ujiri closed by calling on people in power to have conversations about race, even if they are "hard."

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet wants to return to the court when the NBA comes back, but the pending free agent understands others in his position who might want to stay out. 

ESPN's Rachel Nichols asked VanVleet on The Jump Wednesday whether soon-to-be free agents would be more reluctant to return because of the risk of injury. 

"Absolutely. I think they should be," the 26-year-old said. "I think everybody has to do what's best for them."

He noted Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both suffered devastating injuries last year in the NBA finals before hitting free agency last summer. Though both signed new contracts, they haven't played during the 2019-20 season.

Some less-established players could have a harder time getting a new deal after an injury.

"You don't want to think about things like that but also you have to be mindful of every risk that you're taking when you go out there," VanVleet said.

Of course, the former undrafted free agent clarified that he has every intention of returning to the court when the NBA season resumes.

"I haven't thought about it too much, I'm just itching to get back out there," he said Wednesday.

The NBA is in discussions to restart the 2019-20 season in late July. Though there has been debate about how many teams will come back—from playing regular-season games with all 30 teams to just going straight to the playoffs—the Raptors will be involved either way as the current No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

VanVleet signed a two-year, $18 million contract in 2018 but should be more in-demand this time around after helping Toronto win an NBA title in 2019. He is averaging a career-high 17.6 points and 6.6 assists per game so far in 2019-20.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet had a perfect view of teammate Kawhi Leonard hitting his legendary buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia 76ers last year, but his memory of the shot is similar to everyone else who was watching.

VanVleet discussed what he remembers from the moment Sunday on SportsCenter:

"Just how long that it bounced up there on the rim. I think that we all kind of knew what the play was. Obviously, we knew he liked that spot on the baseline. And then once he let it go, I think from where I was on the bench it didn't look like it was going in. And it bounced and those four bounces felt like 20 minutes. And then once it dropped, I think the whole arena just felt, our fans, felt a sigh of relief."

The shot came in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Toronto getting the ball with 4.2 seconds left in a tie game. Leonard took control and put up a shot that seemed to hang around forever before dropping:

It was the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA history, and it helped continue the Raptors' path to an NBA championship in 2019.

VanVleet, who was just a few feet behind Leonard on the Raptors bench at the time, likely won't forget it any time soon.

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said Sunday he thinks the 1990s Chicago Bulls are the most influential team in NBA history.

"Legendary. I think they gotta be at the top of most influential teams," VanVleet said Sunday on SportsCenter. "Mike obviously had a lot to do with that, but even Phil Jackson, Scottie. A lot of those guys, Steve Kerr. You see, just the guys who were on that team who went on to do more things after that. Not just basketball. They impacted the world, and especially sports, as one of the most legendary teams of all time."

The Bulls had already completed their first three-peat by the time VanVleet was born in 1994, and he was likely too young to remember their second three-peat. However, as a native of Rockford, Illinois—a city about 80 miles west of Chicago—VanVleet grew up right in the central hub of Bulls fandom.

While overall rankings may vary, the '90s Bulls are on a list that includes the Celtics of the 1960s and '80s, the Lakers of the 1980s and the Big Three Miami Heat of the 2010s. None of those other teams has a 10-part documentary series, so it's safe to say these Bulls would probably sit atop most people's list.

Jordan is perhaps the most influential athlete in modern history, arguably the GOAT of his sport who also created a multibillion-dollar shoe brand. Perhaps more than any player, Jordan proved you can be both an individual brand and a superstar in your sport at the same time. 

With Phil Jackson going on to be the most accomplished coach in NBA history and Steve Kerr eventually shepherding a dynasty of his own in Golden State, the number of legends attached to these teams is jaw-dropping. That's all without mentioning Scottie Pippen or Dennis Rodman, two of the best and most influential players of their time. 

Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet is back home in Rockford, Illinois waiting for the NBA to return and readying himself for the possibility it won't.  

"I think everybody is just preparing for the worst-case scenario, the season being canceled," VanVleet said on a conference call Wednesday, per Ian Harrison of the Associated Press. "We have to do what we have to do to try to shoulder the hit as best we can for us as players and owners and the league, while also working to try to resume as best we can."

When the NBA suspended its season on March 11, the Raptors were 46-18, trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference as their title defense marched toward the playoffs. 

That's especially painful for VanVleet, who was set to hit free agency this offseason after what had been, so far, the best year of his career. 

Through 48 games the Wichita State product is averaging 17.6 points, 6.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game—all career-highs. That's forced him to prepare to hit the open market without the opportunity to make a statement in the playoffs. 

“I think the league and the union will try to do a good job to make sure that the free agents this summer get a fair shake and there’s fair negotiating,” said VanVleet. “Obviously, we’ll probably all take a hit at some point, and hopefully the hit is just kind of minimized to this year.”

Should the NBA cancel the rest of the season, VanVleet can certainly call his time in Toronto a success. After going undrafted in 2016 and playing just 7.9 minutes per night as a rookie, he's become a starting guard in a league that places top value at the position, winning an NBA title in 2019 along the way.

As much as he wants basketball to return, be it with fans present or without, he's keeping a wide prospective on the hurdles the NBA would need to overcome. 

“If our league is going to be a leader in terms of public health and public safety and player safety, you’ve got to follow the guidelines of what the virus is speaking to you, so the odds are probably against us in terms of that,” VanVleet added. “But money, right? So, I think they’ll find a way somehow, some way and try to make it happen. I could definitely see it going either way. I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t come back and I wouldn’t be surprised if we do come back.

"I think people’s health and well being, and frame of mind, is a lot more important than a couple of million here or there, because we’re filthy rich compared to what we came from in the first place. So I don’t think anybody’s crying over it.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently told media the league is still not in a position to make a determination on resuming play after speaking with public health officials. He said it's unclear when he will be able to.

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri joined TNT's Ernie Johnson on Monday for an extensive interview that covered a number of topics such as the decision to part ways with DeMar DeRozan and head coach Dwane Casey, his relationship with Kawhi Leonard and whether he believes the NBA will finish its 2019-20 season. 

"I have a great relationship with Kawhi," Ujiri said while revealing their families are close to each other and keep in contact.

He also said their "friendship has evolved" even though Leonard joined the Los Angeles Clippers after just one season in Toronto.

Ujiri, who won the NBA's Executive of the Year award with the Denver Nuggets before he came to the Raptors prior to the 2013-14 season, was able to acquire Leonard and Danny Green from the San Antonio Spurs before the 2018-19 campaign for a trade package that included fan favorite DeRozan.

Toronto selected DeRozan with the No. 9 overall pick of the 2009 NBA draft, and he was half of a formidable one-two punch with Kyle Lowry that guided the team to the playoffs five straight years before the trade.

Casey was a big part of that as the head coach from 2011-12 through 2017-18, but the team moved on from him in the same offseason it traded DeRozan. It just fell short against LeBron James in the Eastern Conference playoffs too many times and was looking to take the next step.

"It's not easy, Ernie," Ujiri said of those decisions. "That human part of you, you feel it in your heart."

The team president said he cried after moving on from both Casey, who he called "an unbelievable person," and DeRozan, noting "we all have human sides to us."

Ujiri said he still has a solid relationship with Casey but admitted there is "still plenty of work to be done" when it comes to DeRozan.

Still, the trade was a fruitful one, as Leonard led the Raptors to the championship in his only season. While his arrival was well-timed with James' departure to the Western Conference, he was the NBA Finals MVP in a victory over the Golden State Warriors and stunned the Philadelphia 76ers with a buzzer-beater to win Game 7 of their second-round series.

The Raptors may not have a chance to defend their title if play doesn't resume this season, but Ujiri believes it will.

"I am confident that we will get back to playing in some kind of way," he said.