Toronto Raptors

The Marc Gasol era in Memphis has drawn to a close.   

On Thursday, the Grizzlies traded Gasol to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jonas Valanciunas, Delon Wright, CJ Miles and a 2024 second-round pick, the Raptors announced. 

The New York Times' Marc Stein first reported the Grizzlies had started exploring trade possibilities "amid a growing belief around the league" that Gasol would decline his $25.6 million player option for the 2019-20 season in order to become a free agent. 

The Raptors are already all-in this season with Kawhi Leonard hitting free agency this summer. Trading for Gasol only further solidifies Toronto pushing its chips to the middle of the table for this season. 

An 11-year veteran, Gasol has solidified himself as one of the NBA's premier bigs over the past seven seasons, racking up three All-Star nods and a 2012-13 Defensive Player of the Year honor during that stretch. 

Last season, Gasol continued to churn out big numbers as he averaged 17.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. 

According to Basketball-Reference.com, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook and DeMarcus Cousins were the only other players to hit those statistical benchmarks during the 2017-18 campaign. 

This season, Gasol has maintained that standard of excellence. The Spaniard has been his usual stat-sheet stuffing self to the tune of  15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals a night.

That's production the Raptors will be thrilled to absorb into their starting lineup. The question moving forward, however, is if the big man will be a half-season rental or extend his stay in Toronto with questions lingering regarding his desire to hit the open market on July 1. 

However, that's clearly a risk the Raptors were willing to accept. 

As was the case when they acquired Leonard, the Raptors will keep their sights set on the franchise's first Eastern Conference title in the short term while hoping Gasol's half-season stay north of the border pays dividends and convinces him to extend his stay. 

But even if he doesn't, nabbing one of the game's most gifted big men with a Larry O'Brien Trophy in sight is an admirable home run swing by Masai Ujiri and Co. 

Kyle Lowry's name came up in trade rumors on Tuesday, but the veteran Toronto Raptors point guard told reporters he understands the nature of the business:

"I think they will make decisions for themselves, and they'll do what's best for them. I don't think there's one thing I can say or do [to change that], you know what I mean? I think that's just how they work, and they operate. They make moves, and they make moves for the best of the organization. If they do something that will be their feeling to whatever the organization thinks is best for them."

Lowry also said he hadn't heard anything about a potential trade from the team after Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reported the Raptors have discussed dealing him to the Memphis Grizzlies.

"No, I haven't heard anything," he noted "Reassurance would be great, but at the end of the day, they don't have to call me. My job is, as a player, to go out here and do my job. If they want to call me, that'd be great. I would appreciate it. But if they don't, I understand.

Jake Fischer of SI.com reported that the talks with the Grizzlies involved Mike Conley and Marc Gasol:

Lowry, 32, is having another solid season for the Raptors, averaging 14.2 points, 9.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41.0 percent from the field. But his three-point shooting has taken a major dip this year (32.6 percent) and he's missed 12 games due to injury. 

In the meantime, the Raptors remain one of the NBA's best teams, going 39-16 on the season behind Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, the emerging Pascal Siakam and an impressive array of depth. Lowry believes the Raptors are dangerous as currently constructed.

"I think we're really good," he said. "I think we're really talented. I think once we get healthy, we're a really dominant team. I think at the beginning of the season we showed what we can do, we just have to continue to grow and get healthy. That's the biggest thing. Being healthy and being on the same page."

But the stakes in the Eastern Conference were raised on Tuesday morning when the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Tobias Harris in a blockbuster trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

With the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics loaded as well—and with the possibility that Leonard could bolt in free agency this summer—the Raptors can't afford to rest on their laurels.

The Toronto Raptors have reportedly engaged the Memphis Grizzlies in discussions on a blockbuster trade ahead of Thursday's deadline. 

According to SI.com's Jake Fischer, the Raptors offered point guard Kyle Lowry and center Jonas Valanciunas to the Grizz in exchange for guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol.

Fischer added that Lowry is "aware" of the trade talks the Raptors are holding.

Per Fischer, the Grizzlies rejected Toronto's initial offer since they would prefer to receive draft picks and younger assets such as small forward OG Anunoby in a deal involving Conley and Gasol.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported that the Grizzlies initiated the offer to gauge the market on Conley and Gasol, but he noted that talks "did not progress very far."

At 38-16, Toronto is second in the Eastern Conference, and it trails the first-place Milwaukee Bucks by two games. While the Raptors are on track to reach the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, postseason success has eluded them with just one trip to the Eastern Conference Finals and no NBA Finals appearances during their current run.

The 32-year-old Lowry has been a driving force behind the Raptors' recent playoff berths, as he has been named an All-Star in each of the past five seasons.

Lowry has struggled through injuries this season, however, and his shooting has suffered as well. In 42 appearances, he is averaging 14.1 points, 9.2 assists and 4.5 rebounds, while shooting 40.9 percent from the field and 31.9 percent from three-point range.

While Lowry is an All-Star this season and Conley still has yet to make an All-Star Game during his 12-year NBA career, Conley has arguably been the superior player this campaign. The 31-year-old veteran is having a career year with 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 35.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Gasol, 34, is also having a strong season with 15.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game. Of all the players in the reported trade proposal, Gasol is arguably the most accomplished with three All-Star nods and an NBA Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit.

Valanciunas is the youngest player in the mix at 26, but he remains out with a thumb injury that has limited him to 30 games this season. In those games, Valanciunas has averaged 12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 57.5 percent.

Contractually, Conley has one year remaining on his deal and an early termination clause for 2020-21, while Gasol can become a free agent at the end of the season if he opts out. Meanwhile, Lowry has one year remaining and Valanciunas can also hit free agency at the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign.

If the Raptors manage to make the deal, it will have the feel of a win-now move since the combination of Conley and Gasol has been more productive than Lowry and Valanciunas this season. Adding Conley and Gasol to a core that includes Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam would give the Raptors one of the NBA's strongest starting lineups.

As Fischer mentioned, the trade will likely depend on whether Toronto adds more to the deal.

Fischer also reported the Grizzlies are in discussions with other teams regarding Conley and Gasol, including the Utah Jazz for Dante Exum and Grayson Allen and the Detroit Pistons for Reggie Jackson.

This season may represent Toronto's best chance to win a title since Leonard can potentially leave via free agency during the offseason, so there is plenty of motivation to make a big move and establish itself as the clear top team in the East.

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard says his four-game absence that will end Friday night was a way to make sure he's as close to 100 percent as possible for the playoffs.

Leonard told Michael Grange of Sportsnet the Raptors are "listening" as he works toward full strength after playing just nine games last season with the San Antonio Spurs because of a lingering quad injury. He didn't provide much detail about his overall health status, though:

The 27-year-old is enjoying a strong bounce-back campaign to the tune of 27.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game across 36 appearances. He ranks fourth in the NBA in player efficiency rating.

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Toronto won the first three games Leonard missed for rest before dropping Wednesday's contest against the Indiana Pacers.

At 36-14, the Raptors are still tied with the Milwaukee Bucks atop the Eastern Conference and should cruise into the postseason, even if Leonard requires more rest periods during the season's second half.

While the 2014 NBA Finals MVP said the postseason is the reason for his rest breaks, his uncertain future is likely also part of the equation. He can become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn't exercise his player option for 2019-20, and health concerns could impact his free-agent value.

His availability as the season wears on will be a storyline to watch, especially if he requires more multigame absences.

The Raptors will be happy to have him back on the floor when they battle red-hot James Harden and the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard purchased a $13.3 million, 13,000 square foot home in Rancho Santa Fe, California, according to a Thursday report from Neal J. Leitereg of the Los Angeles Times.

Ashish Mathur of ClutchPoints tweeted out a picture via Redfin:

The natural question is whether this purchase foreshadows a summer move to the Los Angeles Clippers, since Leonard can opt out of his current contract and become a free agent next offseason. 

Tim Bontemps of ESPN reported on Jan. 3 that "the popular opinion among league executives six months before Leonard makes his decision is that he'll choose between the Raptors and the Clippers."

However, it seems unlikely the house purchase has an effect on his future NBA destination.

First, the drive from Rancho Santa Fe to Playa Vista, where the Clippers practice, clocks in just under three hours, according to Google Maps. Of course, that doesn't factor in the massive amounts of traffic one could hypothetically face between the two destinations. Hours-long commute times aren't unheard of, but chances are Leonard would live somewhere closer to Playa Vista if he becomes a Clipper.

Second, Leonard is from Southern California originally and went to San Diego State, so perhaps this is just where he'll be in the offseason, as Leitereg implied.

Leonard, who is averaging 27.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals for the 36-14 Raps, will be an excellent addition for whichever team he plays for next season.

And the Clippers look like a real possibility. Aside from Bontemps' comments from his sources, Marc Stein of the New York Times (h/t Chris Bengel of 247Sports) wrote the following remarks in a Jan. 2 newsletter:

"The Raptors, however, know that they almost certainly have to win it all to convince Leonard to spurn a return to his native Southern California. It turns out that merely winning the LeBron-less East will be tougher than the Raptors ever imagined because of Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Boston and pesky Indiana.

"The Clippers’ hopes of signing Kawhi away from the Raptors, as a result, feel rather real as the calendar flips. One likewise presumes that a full Toronto teardown, headlined by a Kyle Lowry trade, would soon follow if Kawhi exits."

For now, however, Leonard and the Raptors are neck-and-neck with the Milwaukee Bucks for the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed.   

Guard Patrick McCaw plans to sign with the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, three days after he was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reports the one-year deal will be for the veteran's minimum of $786,000.

McCaw, 23, played three games with the Cavaliers after signing a two-year, nonguaranteed contract in December. Cleveland waived him before the guarantee date of Jan. 7, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Per Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Golden State Warriors have asked the league to look into McCaw's signing and near-immediate release with the Cavs. Stein notes that Cleveland could face "serious penalties" if found guilty of any wrongdoing. According to WKYC's Ben Axelrod, a multi-million dollar fine or loss of draft picks could be in play.

A member of the Warriors' rotation during his first two NBA seasons, McCaw held out two months into the 2018-19 campaign to maneuver his way out of restricted free agency. The Warriors had given him a qualifying offer and a two-year, $5.2 million contract offer, both of which he turned down.

When the Cavs handed him the two-year offer sheet, which Golden State did not match, it seemed more like an avenue to unrestricted free agency than anything. McCaw admitted he wanted to move on from the Warriors in his introductory press conference with the Cavs. 

"I loved playing in Golden State," McCaw told reporters. "My teammates, the coaches, it was nothing really … nothing stands out to me to say I didn't want to go back. Think it was just a personal thing where I was just like, I think it was time for me to move on for a new opportunity within myself. Nothing against Golden State, front office, coaches, players, the environment, it had nothing to do with any of that. It's just a personal thing, and I wanted a new opportunity to move on.

"I can't say anything other than it was all me. Nothing against Golden State. I just wanted to move on."

McCaw was clearly a bit rusty during his short stint with the Cavs, producing just five points on 2-of-9 shooting while playing 53 minutes. Cleveland has been experimenting with its lineups all season following the departure of LeBron James and adding McCaw on the fly was clearly a work in progress.

Toronto will have more time to integrate McCaw, who will have to hope this fiasco to get him out of Golden State pays off in the long run. 

The Toronto Raptors reportedly are interested in Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal. 

According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the Wizards are asking for two players and two draft picks in exchange for Beal.

While Beal could be a good fit in Toronto, Deveney speculated that the Raptors would have to part with promising players Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby, as well as two first-round selections to land him.

Deveney added that Toronto would also have to convince Washington to take a 2023 first-round pick as part of the deal since its 2019 first-rounder is already owed to the San Antonio Spurs.

Given those circumstances, a deal involving Beal is unlikely to come to pass.

Beal would give the Raptors another bona fide offensive star, though, as he is averaging a career-high 23.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season.

The 25-year-old is also knocking down 2.3 three-pointers per contest.

Beal was named an All-Star for the first time last season, and with John Wall out for the remainder of the 2018-19 campaign with a heel injury, he is an even more important figure for the Wiz moving forward.

Washington is a disappointing 15-23 this season but only three games out of a playoff spot in the top-heavy Eastern Conference.

Beal has two years remaining on his contract beyond 2018-19 at an average yearly salary of around $28 million.

Toronto could use some backcourt help with point guard Kyle Lowry nursing a back injury, but Fred VanVleet has been a solid fill-in during his recent absence.

Even with Lowry missing some time, the Raptors are in great shape, as Kawhi Leonard has led them to a 28-12 start, which has them in a virtual tie with the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 1 seed. 

The belief within the NBA is reportedly that Kawhi Leonard will choose between two teams when he becomes a free agent during the offseason.

According to ESPN.com's Tim Bontemps, league executives believe Leonard's destination will be either the Toronto Raptors or Los Angeles Clippers.

Leonard was traded to the Raptors from the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2018-19 season, but the allure of playing in his hometown of L.A. is something that will be a constant topic of conversation until he makes a decision.

After being limited to nine games with the Spurs last season due to a quad injury and seemingly falling out of favor with the organization, Leonard has transitioned seamlessly to Toronto.

The two-time All-Star and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year is averaging a career-high 27.3 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals.

He is also shooting 49.7 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from three-point range.

At 28-11, the Raptors are second in the Eastern Conference and are just a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks.

After years of playoff failures, Leonard likely gives the Raptors their best-ever chance to reach the NBA Finals.

The Clippers have parted ways with several high-profile players in recent years, including Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Even so, they hold the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference at 21-16 and are four games out of first place.

L.A. lacks a bona fide superstar, but it has a lot of good pieces, including Tobias Harris, Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.

Leonard would be the Clippers' unquestioned top player unless they acquire another superstar along with him, and he may be exactly what the Clips need in order to be contenders.

It may be difficult for Leonard to leave if the Raptors make a deep run this season and establish themselves as the dominant team in the East, but the opportunity to go back home and potentially make the Clippers the preeminent team in L.A. over LeBron James and the Lakers could be tempting.

Toronto Raptors superstar forward Kawhi Leonard said he hasn't even started to think about his potential foray into the free-agent market following the 2018-19 NBA season.

On Thursday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com provided comments from Leonard, who can utilize a player option in his contract to enter free agency after his first campaign with the Raptors.

"I'm not thinking about that," he said. "I'm focused on right now, what this is bringing for me and focused on the opportunity that I have here and what we can do this season. Later down the road, that's when I'll make my decision."

Leonard, who was limited to nine appearances for the San Antonio Spurs last season because of a lingering quad injury, has enjoyed a bounce-back year after an offseason trade to Toronto. The NBA MVP candidate is averaging 27.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 30 games.

While the 27-year-old Los Angeles native's return to form makes the Raptors a serious NBA Finals threat out of the Eastern Conference, his long-term future is uncertain.

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Toronto general manager Bobby Webster told Bontemps the organization is confident in the pitch it can make Leonard once he's ready to discuss a new contract:

"When we came aboard six years ago, we wanted to bring this organization to a level where you can make this pitch. So you have strength in excellence around the organization—the basketball side, the coaching staff, the medical and support staff, obviously ownership—to where when we have a superstar player, an MVP-candidate-type player, now we can go to him and say, 'We are really confident in who we are, we're really proud of what we've built, and these are all the reasons why we think you should stay.'"

The Raptors are in position to contend long term with a deep, talented roster, especially if Leonard decides to stick around. Championship contention could help sway the 2014 NBA Finals MVP.

"He always just says, 'I want to win, man,'" head coach Nick Nurse told ESPN. "'I want to be healthy and play. I love playing, and I want to win.' It's not sexy, but it sure is cool."

A lot of other teams probably feel the same way, which is why Leonard will be in high demand if he does hit the open market in the summer.

The two L.A. teams, the Lakers and the Clippers, are most often speculated as his likely landing spots in a potential return to his hometown, and Bontemps reported Thursday that league executives believe his choice will come down to the Raptors and Clippers.