Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol will reportedly miss a "period of weeks" because of his hamstring injury, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Gasol was forced to leave Wednesday's game against the Detroit Pistons with what the team described as a left hamstring strain and he was unable to return after just eight minutes of action.

The 34-year-old is currently averaging 6.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game in 27 appearances this season.

His scoring average is the lowest of his 12-year career, with the three-time All-Star once considered one of the top big men in the NBA. However, he still started every game this year for the Raptors thanks to his effort on the defensive end. 

Gasol currently leads the team with a 4.0 defensive box plus/minus, per Basketball Reference.

This could make his absence significant for a team that ranks fourth in the NBA in defensive rating.

Serge Ibaka can play a bigger role for the Raptors going forward, while Chris Boucher could play more minutes at center.

Toronto should still be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, as the squad has proved throughout the past few months that it is more than just Kawhi Leonard. Pascal Siakam should continue his ascent as one of the emerging stars in the NBA.

The Toronto Raptors have always struggled to attract major free agents north of the border. 

They're reportedly hoping Giannis Antetokounmpo will change that.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said Toronto will not compromise salary-cap flexibility for the 2021 offseason, when the reigning NBA MVP will become a free agent.

"I think for Toronto, they look at this season and then they look at the summer of 2021, when like a lot of teams, they want to be in the sweepstakes for Giannis Antetokounmpo," Wojnarowski said on the Woj & Lowe: Trade Season Special, per RealGM. "You're not going to see them do anything here that's going to compromise their salary-cap flexibility for the following year."

Antetokounmpo has given no indication he wants to leave Milwaukee, nor does Giannis have any ties to Toronto that would indicate he'd consider playing there.

The Raptors likely view Antetokounmpo as their best bet to land a marquee free agent because of their appeal to international players. Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in North America, and the Raptors organization has made it a priority to target players from outside the United States. 

Five players on the Raptors roster (Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol, OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher and Oshae Brissett) were born outside the United States. The Raptors' hope is that Antetokounmpo would feel comfortable enough in that environment to make Toronto a viable destination.

That feels like a long shot. Antetokounmpo has embraced Milwaukee since the Bucks plucked him out of relative obscurity in the 2013 NBA draft. The Bucks are currently 24-3 and tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA's best record. While another playoff failure or two may push Giannis to explore his options outside of Milwaukee, he'd have his pick of the 29 other franchises if he reaches free agency.

By that time, an NBA glamour market may seem more appealing, or there may be another young player with whom Giannis wants to team up and create a dynasty. The Raptors' best bet may be Siakam turning into that type of player. 

Kawhi Leonard admitted that he expected some boos Wednesday when he made his first trip back to Toronto since he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer.

When it came time for his pregame introduction and his championship ring presentation, though, Raptors fans made sure to show the 2019 NBA Finals MVP plenty of love:

Not only did the fans give Leonard a warm reception, but the Raptors organization made a tribute video in his honor:

When the Raptors acquired Leonard in July 2018, they knew he might be around for only one season. And while that turned out to be the case, it was a worthwhile one-and-done campaign.

Leonard led the Raptors to their first-ever NBA championship last season, averaging 30.5 points per game on 49 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from three-point range, in 24 postseason games. He hit what will be remembered as the most iconic shot in franchise history to win Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Leonard chose to return home to Southern California in free agency, but Raptors fans are forever grateful of the memories he provided during his short stint in the Six.

Kawhi Leonard is set to make his first appearance in Toronto since signing with the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent during the offseason, and even after leading the Raptors to their first-ever championship last season, he expects to be booed at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night. 

"I mean, there will be cheers," Leonard told reporters. "But definitely, I think, more boos because they want to win the game. They not gonna be cheering for a player that's on the opposing team. They still rooting for the Raptors."

Leonard spent just one season in Toronto, but it wound up being a memorable one. He averaged 25.1 points per game during the regular season before taking his game to the next level during the postseason.

The three-time All-Star averaged 30.5 points per game on 49 percent shooting, including 37.9 percent from three-point range, in 24 playoff games, hitting arguably the most memorable shot in franchise history. He earned 2019 NBA Finals MVP honors by averaging 28.5 points during a six-game triumph over the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Toronto acquired Leonard in July 2018, knowing that he could be one-and-done. Leonard revealed Wednesday that he gave the Raptors a "big consideration" before making a decision in free agency, but ultimately, he opted to head home to L.A.

It does not appear as though the Toronto organization holds any hard feelings toward the player who delivered Canada's first Larry O'Brien Trophy. On Tuesday, the Raptors tweeted out a tribute video to welcome the Clippers star back to the Six:

Leonard is averaging 25.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists during his first season in L.A., leading the Clippers to an 18-7 record and the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference. The Raptors (16-7), meanwhile, sit in fifth place in the East.

The Toronto Raptors have no plans to part ways with team president Masai Ujiri despite lingering rumors of the New York Knicks' interest in acquiring his services.

Larry Tanenbaum, the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and part-governor of the Raptors, said of Ujiri to Postmedia's Michael Traikos: "He is the best. But no team can come to talk to him. That's tampering. And every owner knows that. Masai is here to stay."

Tanenbaum said the Raptors haven't spoken about a contract extension with Ujiri, given that he's under contract through the 2020-21 season, but added the goal is to keep him in Toronto long-term.

"We hope so," he said. "We haven't talked [about an extension] at this point in time, but if you ask him, his intentions are pretty clear."

Ujiri, 49, masterminded the organization's first championship last season. The Raptors had made five consecutive postseason appearances without reaching the NBA Finals and had been eliminated by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers three straight times.

Toronto's front office took a major gamble, trading beloved star DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Leonard was coming off an injury-plagued and controversial season where he had a falling-out with the Spurs, and he was also entering the final year of his contract and was a threat to depart in free agency.

He did leave the next summer, but not before leading the Raptors to a title and winning Finals MVP. For title-starved Toronto, the one-year rental was the best trade in franchise history.

Ujiri's tenure with Toronto has made him one of the most highly regarded executives in the sport. As Ian Begley of SNY reported, the Knicks have eyes for him amid their annual, and borderline comic, ineptitude:

"Will the Knicks have a shot at landing Ujiri? That's unclear. But once the Knicks started struggling last month, multiple Madison Square Garden people in positions of influence have been 'obsessed' with—and 'enamored' by—the Raptors executive, per SNY sources.

"In order to land Ujiri, it will probably take significant money and full autonomy.

"Whether Knicks owner James Dolan will grant that kind of autonomy remains to be seen."

Landing Ujiri would be a major boon for the Knicks given the rebuilding job he did in Toronto since becoming the team president and general manager in 2013 (Bobby Webster was promoted to general manager in 2017).

Whether he would consider such a job is unclear. According to Begley, "One person in touch with Ujiri recently came away with the impression that he wasn't too excited about the idea of joining the Knicks."

However, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report reported that Ujiri might have interest:

"Sources also say Ujiri would be intrigued by the challenge of fixing the Knicks, the chance to build something from scratch and, not insignificantly, by the opportunity to elevate his Giants of Africa philanthropy by working in the New York market.

"Influential voices in the NBA have strongly advised Ujiri not to take the job, if it's ever offered, sources say. But those same sources say Ujiri might do it anyway, if the money is right, if he's granted the necessary autonomy and if Dolan funds Giants of Africa as generously as the Raptors ownership group has."

Expect the Raptors to make a major push to keep him if the links to the Knicks grow stronger.

The New York Knicks have been rumored to covet Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri should they relieve team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry of their duties, per SNY.tv's Ian Begley.

In light of that report, Michael Grange of Sportsnet revealed that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Raptors, has not offered Ujiri a contract extension after his current deal expires in 2021.

Ujiri, 49, ran the Denver Nuggets from 2010-2013 before joining the Raps. Per Grange, Ujiri's Denver and Toronto teams have averaged 53 wins per year and made the playoffs each season, including the Raptors' 2019 NBA title.

Fixing the Knicks would be Ujiri's toughest task yet. New York is last in the NBA standings and well on its way to a seventh straight losing season. The Knicks have made the playoffs only four times since the 2001-02 season and had a winning record only three times during that span.

They haven't had much postseason success in recent years, either. The Knicks have won only one playoff series since the turn of the century.

New York has a core player to build around in RJ Barrett, the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. But the rest of the roster features a host of mismatched pieces, namely an overabundance of power forwards and point guards.

Rebuilding the Knicks would take a lot of work, but Ujiri may be up for the challenge, per Bleacher Report's Howard Beck.

"Sources also say Ujiri would be intrigued by the challenge of fixing the Knicks, the chance to build something from scratch and, not insignificantly, by the opportunity to elevate his Giants of Africa philanthropy by working in the New York market.

"Influential voices in the NBA have strongly advised Ujiri not to take the job, if it's ever offered, sources say. But those same sources say Ujiri might do it anyway, if the money is right, if he's granted the necessary autonomy and if Dolan funds Giants of Africa as generously as the Raptors ownership group has.

Giants of Africa's stated mission is to "use basketball as a means to educate and enrich the lives of African youth."

Beck also reported that Ujiri's contract has an "out clause under certain circumstances" and that he did turn down an extension last summer.

We'll see whether a Ujiri-Knicks deal comes to fruition, but for now, the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year may be on pace to win another one of those awards after watching his Raptors jump out to a 16-7 record this season sans 2019 NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.

Ian Begley from SNY joins “The Full 48 with Howard Beck” to discuss David Fizdale and the New York Knicks!

Philadelphia apparently did not give Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry a hometown welcome during the 76ers' 110-104 victory Sunday.

"Come see me," Lowry told a heckling fan at the Wells Fargo Center as he headed toward the tunnel after the loss, per Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Hayes noted the Villanova product was "lightly" held back by his teammate.

Lowry discussed the crowd's treatment in the locker room and was not surprised by the taunting:

The chirping between Toronto's point guard and the fans in Philadelphia adds another layer to one of the Eastern Conference's growing rivalries. The two sides have split their two matchups in 2019-20 and battled in a thrilling seven-game series in the second round of last season's playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard's buzzer-beater in the decisive game proved to be the difference, and Serge Ibaka reminded the hostile crowd about it any chance he got Sunday.

Blake Murphy of The Athletic noted the big man "just kept pointing to his ring finger in response" whenever 76ers supporters were too vocal in his direction.

Those fans have been a major factor in Philadelphia's season to this point, as the team is 12-0 at home and just 5-7 on the road. They helped spur another win Sunday, as did Tobias Harris (26 points, six rebounds and three assists) and Ben Simmons (16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists).

Lowry spearheaded the effort for the visitors with 26 points, six rebounds, five dimes, two steals and one back-and-forth with someone in the stands.

Kawhi Leonard is staying on-brand when it comes to his first game north of the border against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 11. 

"I'll be thinking about just playing against the team and wanting to win the game, for the most part," the Los Angeles Clippers star said of the matchup, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha. "Just really getting my ring that night. ... We're there for one reason: to play the Raptors and try to win the game."

Unless the teams meet in the NBA Finals, this will be the Clippers' only game in Toronto this season.

Leonard has already faced his old team once, scoring 12 points in a 98-88 win for Los Angeles on Nov. 11. The Clippers have been careful with managing his workload, but they have a day off before playing the Raptors, so he'll presumably be in the lineup.

Even if Leonard doesn't play, he can expect a warm reception from the fans at Scotiabank Arena. Although he only spent one year in Toronto, he made it count. The Raptors won their only championship to date, and the 28-year-old captured his second Finals MVP.

Leonard's departure didn't engender the kind of ill will stars can receive for leaving in free agency. He'll forever be a beloved figure among the fanbase for his role in last year's title run. 

He wasn't afforded the same treatment for his first game back in San Antonio as Spurs fans booed him throughout what proved to be a 125-107 loss for the Raptors this past January.

Clearly, Leonard isn't getting wrapped up in the emotions of his Raptors reunion. And that's to be expected of a player whose stoic demeanor was the punchline in a commercial for the newest Terminator installment.

BR Video

With the loss of Kawhi Leonard in the offseason along with Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka being injured, the Toronto Raptors' season was up in the air. 

Pascal Siakam has stepped up from being a role player to being the leading man, making sure the Raptors are still contenders this season. 

Watch above. 

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There's been a lot of debate this season over load management in the NBA, but count Kyle Lowry as a fan. 

"Load management is an amazing thing. I believe in it," the Toronto Raptors star told Rachel Nichols on ESPN's The Jump. "Helped me win a championship." 

The question came up because Lowry had been playing more than ever to start the year with an average of 39 minutes per game in his first seven appearances before suffering a fractured thumb in Friday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. 

Despite being 33 years old in his 12th NBA season, the point guard is still willing to play as much as needed.

Of course, he saw first hand the benefits of load management last season when Kawhi Leonard was held to 60 games during the regular season. He was fresh for the playoffs, helping him carry the Raptors to an NBA title with 30.5 points per game.

Leonard has continued his load management this year with the Los Angeles Clippers, sitting out nationally televised games against the Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks. This has generated plenty of criticism around the league, but it appears the team will continue the practice.

Though Lowry doesn't plan to sit out when he's healthy, he clearly won't complain about any strategy that helps win a championship.