Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka sat down for a Bleacher Report AMA on Thursday, answering questions covering a wide variety of topics from basketball to food to music.

As he prepares for his 11th year, Ibaka enters an NBA season as the reigning champion for the first time. And after having waited a decade to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the veteran forward opened up about what it was like to be on top of the basketball world.

"Too good," Ibaka said. "It's a beautiful thing. For the athlete. We spent a lot of time, we worked so hard. Sacrificed a lot of things. Winning is a beautiful thing." 

Toronto's championship celebration was, at least momentarily, interrupted by Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard's decision to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency. On Wednesday, he revealed how he found out about Leonard's move: "Like everyone else."

Ibaka hosts a cooking series on YouTube called How Hungry Are You? Last season, the Republic of Congo native had Leonard as a guest on his show, where "penis pizza" was on the menu. Ibaka touched on that episode as well.

"It was pretty cool because I didn't expect him to be that open," Ibaka said of the episode. "He was kinda cool. We decided last minute what we were going to cook him. We decided to cook something crazy because it's Kawhi Leonard."

The penis pizza was not Ibaka's only memorable moment with Leonard, though. It was Ibaka who set up Leonard for his now-viral "What it do, baby?" moment. Needless to say, he didn't expect the clip to go viral.

"Actually. I was like did he just say 'what it do babyyyyyy'. To me it's like 'What's up' I say 'What's up baby?' and he said 'what it do baby'. What is so special about that? It was just because it was Kawhi. It was wild. At first I thought he created it or something."

Leonard's departure appears to hurt the Raptors' chance of repeating—but Ibaka doesn't believe anyone should count his team out.

"I think we can get far. We have a pretty good chance. Thing is us, we already know. We hear people. Like last year. Shame on them for saying it again. Last year it was the same. Then we won. This year we're gonna prove them wrong."

In the show's upcoming season, there will be an episode with Ibaka cooking a snake. Whether or not that was designed as a shot at former teammate Kevin Durant remains to be seen. 

"I cooked it for a reason," Ibaka noted. "But I don't want to answer that one right now because you need to tune into the show."

Ibaka's NBA career started with seven seasons in Oklahoma City, playing alongside three future MVPs in Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Though they made one Finals appearance together (2012), they never were able to capture a championship together, though Ibaka (2019) and Durant (2017, 2018) have each won titles since leaving OKC.

Had they stayed together longer, it's possible they could have become an iconic team. However, Ibaka believes that the Thunder core had plenty of time to do something special, though Harden's tenure with the team lasted just three years.

"We were together for a pretty long time too. If we can't accomplish anything in 7 years, then when is it going to happen? James left after his 3rd year. 3 years is, you see the Golden State team. It took them time to win. The rest of us were together for 7 years. When I think about it I start to get confused."

If he had the opportunity to reunite with one of those MVPs, it wouldn't be an easy choice.

"That's tough for me because I like all my guys," Ibaka said. "When I played with Russell that pick and pop was money. James was a good passer. Guys that feed us. If I had to pick one I would pick Kevin Durant."

As for his take on the never-ending debate regarding hoops legends? "Michael Jordan, LeBron James then Kobe."

Basketball was hardly the only topic of discussion, though. 

He shared some details about his pregame playlist, naming the artists he listens to help get him ready for a game. And, yes, Toronto ambassador Drake made the cut.

"T.I., Kendrick Lamar and Drake," Ibaka said. "They're all on the pregame playlist. Burna Boy too."

Ibaka has been known to cook up some unusual meals on How Hungry Are You?, giving him the opportunity to eat a variety of meals. He revealed during his AMA that his favorite meal to cook is worms, because they "taste good" and are "great protein." 

When asked who his dream guest for the show is, he singled out a Hollywood icon: "One guest...Will Smith. I follow him on social media. I like all the things he does."

The Toronto Raptors lost Kawhi Leonard to free agency this offseason, but they apparently aren't going to let Pascal Siakam go anywhere. 

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, "it's almost a certainty" the two sides will agree on a deal before Monday's deadline for rookie-scale extension candidates. "However, in order to finalize the agreement between the two sides, a maximum contract offer will be required," Haynes added.

Siakam was the No. 27 overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft, and Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray have already received five-year, $170 million max extensions as members of that class. The Raptors star would be the third after helping lead his team to a title during the 2018-19 campaign.

It's no surprise the Raptors are planning on keeping Siakam in the fold with such a significant deal.

He is poised to be the face of the franchise for years to come seeing how Leonard is now on the Los Angeles Clippers and Kyle Lowry is 33 years old and only under contract through the 2020-21 season.

Siakam is just 25 years old and is coming off the best individual campaign of his career. He averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists a night while shooting 54.9 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from three-point range.

Those numbers were all his best marks since entering the league out of New Mexico State and suggest continued improvement as his role expands.

He was also a critical contributor during the run to the championship, averaging 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds a night in the postseason while providing important defense on the wing.

While many expect the Raptors to take a step back this season following Leonard's departure, Siakam's potential gives them reason for optimism and something to build around heading into the future.

The Toronto Raptors have a Kawhi Leonard-sized hole in their perimeter defense. It does not appear Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are doing an acceptable job of filling it.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse spoke of the new Raptors wings Wednesday with Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports and ripped into Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson for their defensive struggles.

"Those guys have not understood A) how hard we play, B) our schemes, that defense is a priority for them, etc. We've got some work to do with that crew. I tell them there's a couple spots, come Tuesday night there's a couple spots there open if somebody wants them. And I keep telling [them] show me you're going to play defense, show me you're going to play hard, show me you understand our coverages.

And then whatever you do on the other end you're going to get opportunities just because of who you're on the floor with and they'll come to you, you don't have to come down and occupy 95 percent of your mind with how you're going to break down and get your next shot. It's not going to get you on the floor right now. So we've got some work to do. We've got to find who's going to blend in quickly defensively with this crew."

Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson each signed short-term deals with the Raptors this summer. Johnson's struggles defensively are a bit of a surprise because most of his struggles as a pro have come on the offensive end. A career 37.4 percent shooter, Johnson has been borderline unplayable offensively but has flashed some potential as an athletic wing.

Hollis-Jefferson also flashed some defensive potential during his four-year tenure with the Brooklyn Nets but fell out of favor last season. He was seen as an intriguing buy-low, but it's clear Nurse has not been impressed with either young wing.

"These guys need to learn to play a little harder," Nurse said. "They think they're playing hard, but they need to play harder. That's another thing we learned from two months in the playoffs, how hard to play."

The Raptors need Johnson or Hollis-Jefferson to be a contributor because they don't have much depth at the 3 behind OG Anunoby. Hollis-Jefferson also played the 4 in Brooklyn and could find himself getting some minutes behind Pascal Siakam if he picks things up.

Defending a championship without Kawhi Leonard is hard enough, but the Toronto Raptors reportedly almost had to deal with Kyle Lowry trade demands as well. 

According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet, "if the Raptors weren't going to give him an extension, sources close to Lowry say, he was prepared to hold out and try and force a deal to a destination of his choosing rather than allow the club to control the timing."

The Raptors did just that, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported they inked him to a one-year, $31 million extension. He was previously set to be a free agent following the upcoming season.

Grange provided additional details on the situation, noting the fact Lowry did not participate in training camp and was ruled out of exhibition games against the Houston Rockets in Japan came as no surprise because those close to him thought he wouldn’t play until he received the extension.

From Toronto’s side, that the extension is just for one year is important because Lowry is 33 years old and will not be on the books in the summer of 2021 when Giannis Antetokounmpo headlines a talented free agency class.

Regardless of the contract situation, Lowry is a Raptors legend who is synonymous with the team’s ascent into contending status in the Eastern Conference during the past seven seasons.

Toronto won a single playoff series in franchise history before his arrival, and he and DeMar DeRozan led it to the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals and playoff series wins in 2017 and 2018. Lowry was a key piece alongside Leonard last season, helping lead the team to its first championship.

The five-time All-Star averaged 14.2 points, 8.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals a night last season and was dominant in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors with 26 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

He can turn in performances like that for the Raptors for another season beyond the 2019-20 campaign after inking the extension.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry agreed to a one-year, $31 million contract extension Monday, keeping him with the franchise through the 2020-21 season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the news.

"We are so appreciative of how [President Masai Ujiri] and [general manager Bobby Webster] handled every aspect of this negotiation," agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN. "Once again, they displayed how they look after their players in a first-class manner, especially someone like Kyle, who they recognize has such a legacy with the franchise."

With two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard now a Los Angeles Clipper, the Raps were motivated to retain Lowry, a five-time All-Star who's inarguably one of the Raptors' three most productive players in team history alongside Vince Carter and DeMar DeRozan.

Toronto won its first NBA title with Lowry running the point and averaging 14.2 points and a career-high 8.7 assists during the regular season.

The 33-year-old struggled from the field, shooting just 41.1 percent. He also hit 34.7 percent of his three-pointers, his second-lowest mark since 2010-11.

However, Lowry came through when Toronto needed him most. He averaged 16.2 points, 7.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals in the NBA Finals, including 26 points in the series-clinching Game 6. He also excelled against the 60-22 Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to 19.2 points on 50.7 percent shooting.

Lowry will be 34 years old in March and is 13 years into his career, but he should still be productive in the short term.

Injuries likely played a part in his regular-season struggles, as he missed 17 games overall with various ailments and load management. He's been named an All-Star for the last five years for a reason, and he should provide value for the Raptors on both ends of the floor if his postseason is any indication.

Expect Fred VanVleet to also see extended minutes at point guard.

The Raptors' backup averaged 11.0 points and 4.8 assists in 27.5 minutes per regular-season game before turning it up a notch late in the playoffs.

From Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals until the end of the NBA Finals, VanVleet averaged 14.7 points on 51.1 percent shooting, hitting 52.6 percent of his three-pointers along the way. He scored 22 points in the NBA Finals-clinching Game 6.

VanVleet is signed through 2019-20, and with both in the fold, the Raptors should have one of the NBA's best point guard duos going into the regular season—at least until they decide how to move forward with the franchise.

Lowry wants to end his career in Toronto, per Wojnarowski, but this extension could also make him a more attractive trade piece if the team struggles out of the gate.

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is seeking a max contract extension following a breakout performance in 2018-19, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Siakam is eligible for a four-year, $130 million extension or a five-year, $170 million deal.

A first-round pick in 2016, Siakam is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, though he would be a restricted free agent next offseason if the Raptors extend a $3.5 million qualifying offer. He will make $2.4 million in 2019-20, per Spotrac.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN previously reported the two sides had "engaged in preliminary talks," though an agreement was not "imminent."

Siakam emerged as a star last season, averaging a career-high 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during the regular season, a performance that earned him the 2018-19 Most Improved Player award.

He played a vital role in Toronto's postseason run, putting up 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game throughout the playoffs. He averaged 19.8 PPG and 7.5 RPG during the 2019 NBA Finals while helping the Raptors capture their first-ever championship.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, the duo of Siakam and Kawhi Leonard combined to score the second-most points by a pair of teammates (1,187) in a single postseason, tying a mark previously accomplished by the Chicago Bulls' Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have the record of 1,222 from 2012 with the Miami Heat.)

Leonard—the reigning Finals MVP—has moved on to the Los Angeles Clippers, so Siakam has the opportunity to take on a bigger role in the Six, and the 25-year-old has shown enough upside to warrant a max contract.

From a business standpoint, Toronto faces little pressure to get a deal done prior to next offseason, as The Athletic's Blake Murphy pointed out:

Raptors-relevant update within. if Siakam's camp is holding firm on the max, not a lot of downside for Raps letting it ride until RFA next summer. Still time to get something sub-max done. https://t.co/4T6O5JOVcK

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) October 4, 2019

The Raptors' season tips off Oct. 22 versus the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Toronto Raptors will begin their NBA title defense on Oct. 22 against the New Orleans Pelicans, and their roster from a season ago looks largely the same with the glaring exception of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. 

Even with the departure of Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency, the Raptors aren't expected to make another splash move.

Meanwhile, retired NBA guard Kevin Martin has reportedly decided to make a splash in Australia's National Basketball League.

Read more about these rumors below.

       

Toronto Raptors Believed to Stick With What They Have

Yes, the Toronto Raptors lost NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard to the Los Angeles Clippers in free agency a month after he led them to their first title in franchise history. 

But no, according to Heavy.com's Sean Deveney, the Raptors are not desperate to rebuild in the aftermath:

"League sources told Heavy.com that the Raptors are quite happy with where they are entering this season and have not been entertaining trade talks on its three big-dollar veterans—center Marc Gasol, guard Kyle Lowry and forward Serge Ibaka—each of whom happens to be in the final year of his contract.

[...]

"'This is where they always wanted to be,' one source with knowledge of the team's thinking said. 'Masai [Ujiri] was always going to rebuild things around [Pascal] Siakam and OG [Anunoby] and the other young guys eventually. He’s going to have a ton of cap space. But he's got to be able to get free agents to go there and it’s still a tough sell, getting guys to go to Canada. So they’ve got the ring, if they can get to the playoffs again, he has something more to sell when that cap space comes available.'"

Of Raptors' expensive veterans, Lowry has the biggest cap hit this year at $34.97 million. Gasol comes in at $25.60 million and Ibaka at $23.27 million. 

On Sept. 28, Ujiri differentiated Lowry from the other two as far as long-term futures in Toronto:

Ujiri asked if Lowry's pending situation different than Gasol/Ibaka/VanVleet (all unrestricted in June). "No question ... He definitely deserves that. There's legacy status for him."

— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) September 28, 2019

That's not at all surprising given Lowry has spent the most time with the Raptors. The five-time All-Star arrived to Toronto in 2012. Ahead of the 2017-18 season, he re-signed with the team on a three-year, $100 million contract and called Toronto his "home" in a Players' Tribune piece.

Gasol was traded to Toronto from Memphis before the deadline last season, and Ibaka was traded from the Orlando Magic in Feb. 2017.

The Raptors have given Lowry an incentive to finish his career as a Raptor with Siakam, which seems to be their priority. According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Toronto has held preliminary talks with Siakam's representatives regarding an extension, "but there's no indication that a deal is imminent."

"Siakam's camp is surely looking for an extension at or close to his maximum of roughly $170 million over five years, as they should," Lewenberg wrote. "The dialogue is ongoing and both player and team are hopeful they'll reach an agreement prior to the deadline, TSN is told."

Siakam ranked second last season behind only Leonard in points per game at 16.9 and will be expected to grow into a more prominent—if not the most prominent—role for the Raptors moving forward. And if the 25-year-old 2016 first-rounder can develop as Toronto hopes, he can do something nobody has done before: lead the Raptors to a title as a homegrown player.

In the short term, this roster as currently constructed can still compete in the Eastern Conference, but a drop-off is to be expected, especially after losing their best player. 

However, this season doesn't seem to be bolded in the overall game plan for Ujiri and the Raptors. 

       

Kevin Martin Set to Buy the Brisbane Bullets of Australia's NBL

Kevin Martin's retirement from the NBA will reportedly include expanding the game in Australia, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times:

Martin is expected to spend the coming season in more of an observance/fact-finding mode before taking a more hands-on role the following season. Worldwide interest in the @NBL is rising thanks in part to the presence of American prospects LaMelo Ball (@MELOD1P) and @RjHampton14

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 29, 2019

Stein added that, should the deal go through, Martin will become the third American controlling owner in the NBL.

Martin retired from the NBA in 2016 after spending 12 seasons split between five different franchises. The 36-year-old was taken 26th overall in 2004 by the Sacramento Kings, where he spent the first five years of his career. His most productive campaign was 2008-09, his last with the Kings, when he averaged 24.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals. 

The Brisbane Bullets were founded in 1979 but left the NBL in 2008 because then-owner Eddy Groves had to sell the team, according to the club's official website, and the organization returned to the league in 2016-17. 

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri said Saturday during the team's media day for the 2019-20 NBA season new contracts for point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Pascal Siakam are a top priority.

"No question," Ujiri told reporters about Lowry's situation being different because of his longtime contributions leading up to last season's NBA championship. "He definitely deserves that. There's legacy status for him."

He added there's already been discussions with Siakam's agent: "Whether it's going to be this fall or this summer, he's definitely someone we're going to keep here (long-term)."

The Raptors are in a unique place. Rarely does a defending champion head into the following season with so little attention, but the departure of superstar forward Kawhi Leonard to sign with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers has left the reigning champs well off the radar.

Yet Toronto still features a strong foundation with Lowry, Siakam and Marc Gasol alongside plenty of depth, led by Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Norman Powell and Serge Ibaka.

Add in a wide-open Eastern Conference and the Raptors definitely possess sleeper appeal, especially if they're able to add another star before the trade deadline.

Caesars Sportsbook lists Toronto with the seventh-best odds to win the East at +1800. The Milwaukee Bucks (-125) are the favorite followed by the Philadelphia 76ers (+150).

It's a key season for the Raptors because their roster could look dramatically different by the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Lowry, Gasol, VanVleet and Ibaka are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the season. Siakam is a pending restricted free agent.

That puts a lot of pressure on Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster to keep the Raptors' other key pieces in place after watching Leonard leave for L.A.

As the Toronto Raptors prepare to defend their NBA championship, they don't intend to trade their best players right now.

Per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the Raptors are "quite happy" with their roster heading into 2019-20 and haven't been entertaining trade offers for Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol or Serge Ibaka. 

The Raptors have been consistent throughout the summer that they aren't going into an immediate rebuild in the wake of losing Kawhi Leonard as a free agent.

TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg reported in July that Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri wanted to let the team "sink or swim" before making any big roster decisions. 

One source told Deveney the Raptors right now are "where they always wanted to be" because Ujiri has been planning "to rebuild things around Siakam and OG (Anunoby) and the other young guys eventually." 

Deveney added Toronto doesn't want to approach this season as a "throwaway" right out of the gate coming off the franchise's first championship. 

If Ujiri eventually determines his best course of action is looking toward the future, Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka can be put back on the trade table. All three players are over the age of 30 and entering the final season of their contracts.

That trio could net Toronto multiple future assets if they get shopped around before the February trade deadline. 

There's no practical reason for the Raptors to go into sell mode right now less than four weeks away from raising their title banner at Scotiabank Arena prior to the Oct. 22 season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans.  

Pascal Siakam and the Toronto Raptors have "engaged in preliminary talks" about an extension, but a deal does not appear to be "imminent," according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.

Lewenberg noted that Siakam's camp is expected to be seeking a max contract worth approximately $130 million over four years.

A first-round pick in the 2016 NBA draft, Siakam is scheduled to enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2019-20. Toronto can, however, extend a $3.5 million qualifying offer next offseason, making the forward a restricted free agent.

Siakam is coming off a breakout performance in 2018-19, one that saw him average a career-high 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during the regular season. That strong season earned him the 2018-19 Most Improved Player award.

He then took his game to another level in the postseason while helping the Raptors win their first-ever championship. He recorded 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during the postseason run, posting 19.8 PPG and 7.5 RPG while dethroning the two-time reigning champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

With Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard moving on to the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent, the 25-year-old Siakam now will have the opportunity to be the focal point in Toronto. 

If Siakam is looking for the max, there is no pressure on the Raptors to get a deal done at this point. They may be looking to wait and make him prove that last season was not a fluke, a tactic that would involve very little risk for the team. After all, it would have the right to match any offer sheet he receives next offseason if the qualifying offer is extended.

One Eastern Conference executive told HoopsHype's Frank Urbina recently, though, that Toronto needs to be careful in its handling of the situation:

"If Siakam doesn't get extended, he would enter the market next summer where a few teams will have cap space and there isn’t much of a free-agent class. ...If they don't pay Siakam, someone else will—especially in that 2020 market. Restricted free agency is a blessing and a curse because you won’t lose your guy, but it can create bad feelings."

Should Siakam continue to play at a high level, the Raptors would almost assuredly pay up rather than let him walk.