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Morning Coffee – Tue, Nov 24

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Assessing Raptors’ place in the East as offseason slows – The Athletic

Of all the surprising wins last year, the one I’ll remember most happened in Los Angeles against the eventual champions. The game before, the Raptors lost Lowry and Ibaka to injuries, and at the time, it seemed like they did not have the depth to manage those losses. Boucher, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Terence Davis combined for 38 points off the bench that evening, as the Raptors seemed to shock the coasting Lakers in the fourth quarter, causing the Staples Center to buzz.

After the game, I was chatting with Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, who rightfully pointed out how important such games could be for Boucher. The Raptors reserve was an older prospect, tore his ACL in his final year at Oregon and was released by the Warriors, his first NBA team.

The Raptors picked him up, eventually converting him from two-way to full-time status at the trade deadline during their purge of end-of-rotation players. Still, Boucher was a minimum-salary guy for his first three years in the league.

Boucher getting $6.49 million in the first year of a two-year deal, with the second year unguaranteed, is a moment worthy of celebration. The league revolves around the types of contracts mentioned in the section above, not the rare deals that come in between the taxpayer mid-level exception ($5.7 million) and the non-taxpayer version of the same ($9.2 million). Here’s hoping a lot of people can stop and appreciate how much this will mean to Boucher.

Assuming the Raptors don’t add another big body, he will have a tougher physical job than he has had in the past. OG Anunoby will likely have to defend some of the league’s thicker centres when Baynes is not available. Regardless, Boucher getting paid, and having an opportunity to prove he’s more than just a fun 10th or 11th man, is something to savour.

Don’t assume Raptors have taken step back despite disappointing free agency

The Raptors were hoping to have Baynes complement Ibaka or Gasol, I’m guessing, but not so much that they were willing to offer a second year of term to either.

Instead, the Raptors will be providing a significant opportunity to Boucher who has shown he can be wildly productive in small samples — he averaged 18 points, 12 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per 36 minutes last season — and will now get the chance to show he can do it over longer stretches.

And if Baynes or Boucher seem to be well-compensated given their profile, chances are they got a premium for being willing to accept deals where they don’t have a second-year guaranteed. As well, if the opportunity for a significant trade arises, the reality is you need some beefy contracts for salary-matching purposes.

And even with the signings (plus the addition of former Atlanta Hawks bench piece DeAndre’ Bembry) the Raptors remain about $5 million under the luxury-tax threshold, so nothing is lost there.

The Raptors’ focus in all of their business has included keeping flexibility for the summer of 2021 — right now it looks like they’ll be able to carve out enough room under the salary cap to either sign or trade for a max salary player — and clearly telegraphs what their priorities were in this off-season.

How that translates into this coming season is the more pressing question.

The temptation is to look at a team that has lost two key pieces of a championship roster and a 60-win team and assume they’ve taken a step back.

They might have. But the Raptors have in the past proven they can find a way to be competitive and to silence doubters.

Who is to say that if Anunoby takes another big step forward, Siakam grows a little more comfortable as a primary option and Powell remains as productive as he was for long stretches when healthy last season, the Raptors don’t continue steaming along?

Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have earned that level of trust.

But they’ve left themselves plenty of wiggle room too, with short-term deals and escape hatches all around if things don’t quite pan out.

Let’s review the Toronto Raptors’ roster after the NBA’s Free Agency weekend – Raptors HQ

What’s the deal with Terence Davis now?

We have to discuss the elephant in the room eventually. As reported, seven criminal charges were brought against Davis stemming from a domestic violence case back in late October. The Raptors have made it clear they’re waiting to see what conclusions the investigation and legal process arrive at. That said, the deadline to commit to the second year of Davis’ contract is November 29th, and his next court date is on December 11th. These two dates are in direct conflict.

Having positioned themselves as a team with a moral conscience, the Raptors should just cut Davis today, right now. But of course, he also represents great value for them — as an on-court player and as trade sweetener. To lose Davis for nothing — and then, in all likelihood, watch him go right to another team — is not something the Raptors would ordinarily contemplate. But this is not an ordinary situation; it’s one to which Toronto should apply their much-lauded organizational moral compass, one they should get in front of immediately, rather than trying to have it both ways.

Unfortunately, my guess is the Raptors will do just that: they will keep Davis and release a few public statements about how he is going to rectify the situation, complete with a public apology from Davis himself. In all likelihood the charges against him will also be dropped, and the Raptors will claim the legal process has done its work, nothing to see here, folks. None of this feels good, least of all for the woman still in Davis’ orbit, let down by the institutions that are theoretically supposed to protect her. All I can add here is: it no longer feels fun and exciting to cheer for Terence Davis, wherever he may end up in the NBA.

Raptors win and lose this offseason but ultimately have eyes on a bigger prize – Video – TSN

After a flurry of moves on the weekend, the dust has settled a little bit on the NBA free agency front and for the Raptors, the primary goal of re-signing Fred VanVleet was met but they lost Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol in the process. Toronto pivoted quickly to try and fill that gaping hole by adding Aron Baynes and re-signing Chris Boucher. Kate Beirness has more on how this offseason has been crafted towards an ultimate prize next summer.

From Aron Baynes to Alex Len, the Raptors will have fresh options when NBA camps open next week. Just the way Nick Nurse likes it | The Star

The Raptors are certainly smaller and slighter after swapping out Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka for Aron Baynes and Chris Boucher, but the way the NBA is going — where versatility is king and size doesn’t matter all that much — they might just have enough.

Baynes is a more than passable defender if people are worried about the likes of Joel Embiid of the Sixers or Bam Adebayo in Miami.

The addition Monday of young big man Alex Len, on a minimum-value contract with no hefty guarantees, is little more than fodder for the end of the roster.

The one thing the Raptors are rightfully proud of is how they develop their own talent, and that might hold the key to the season.

Matt Thomas made giant strides as a defender and ball-handler/offensive creator during the pandemic-induced hiatus, and he’s one player who might work himself into a more prominent role.

The backcourt does give Nurse all kinds of options. With Lowry, VanVleet, Powell, Thomas, Patrick McCaw, Terence Davis II and the odd contribution from rookie Malachi Flynn there should be enough depth to be successful.

Davis is a question mark. He’s still facing multiple charges from an incident involving a woman in New York last month. His next court date isn’t until Dec. 11, and his contract is not fully guaranteed until this coming weekend. There would not be major financial savings if the Raptors release him.

With or without Davis, Nurse’s creativity will have to involve a large group of relative interchangeable wings and guards, because the Raptors certainly aren’t big.

Rebounding could be an issue, and the likes of Anunoby and Siakam will have to be more effective on the glass because they are sure to see considerable time in frontcourt roles.

The one thing the Raptors have always been able to do, though, is adapt. Nurse and the returning core have proven they can improvise on the fly, and over the course of a 72-game season they are surely going to have to again. Having more potential contributors — McCaw’s a wild card and Nurse is intrigued by his abilities; Thomas could see an enhanced role — gives the coach more options, which is never a bad thing.

Raptors smoothly mix present and future in pivoting from Gasol and Ibaka to Baynes, Len | Toronto Sun

That should be good enough to compete for a “home”-court spot in the playoffs and to challenge any conference opponent.

Equally important (and factors in why they didn’t retain two pillars of their championship squad in Gasol and Ibaka) the Raptors made sure that their moves (VanVleet aside, because it simply wasn’t an option) gave them the flexibility to not be on the hook beyond this season. Baynes, Len, Boucher and swingman DeAndre Bembry all reportedly took deals that don’t have a second year guaranteed in some form or another.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been the apple of Masai Ujiri and co.’s eye. The two-time MVP could be available after this season, should he not sign a super-max contract with the Bucks. Toronto made sure a play for the Greek Freak remained a possibility. Other top names potentially on the market that year include Leonard, Rudy Gobert, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, Holiday, LaMarcus Aldridge and others.

But that’s the future and a lot is going to change before then. Here in the present, the Raptors can surprise if Siakam morphs back into the player he was before the bubble, not the shell of his old self he played like in Orlando. If Lowry doesn’t finally start to show his age. If VanVleet and Anunoby continue to keep strides and if Baynes and Len bring the expected rebounding, defence, screen-setting (both Baynes and Len averaged more screen assists and generated more points off those screens than either Gasol or Ibaka) and outside shooting threats as anticipated. Len also drew twice as many charges (16, eighth in the NBA) as Gasol and is only a notch below him as an outside shooter (and is more willing to let it fly than the reluctant Spaniard).

The Bucks, finalist Miami, Raptor-beaters Boston, a more balanced Philadelphia squad and Brooklyn should all be solid and another team or two usually are a lot better than expected, but this Raptors group should be in the mix in the East.

Of course getting back to where they want to be, contenders again for the NBA title, will take that second part of the plan paying off next off-season.

In the meantime, expect a competitive, fundamentally sound, reasonably deep Toronto Raptors team to take the court in Tampa Bay in 2020-21.

Considering who has exited, that doesn’t sound too bad.

NBA Free Agency 2020 Report: Toronto Raptors sign Alex Len to free-agent deal – Raptors HQ

He signed with Atlanta as a free agent in the summer of 2018, before being traded to Sacramento at last season’s trade deadline. He averaged 8.0 points and 5.8 boards last season.

Len expanded his three-point range in Atlanta, taking 260 total three-pointers during his season-and-a-half there, at 34%.

In Toronto, he’ll presumably be the third centre on the roster behind Aron Baynes and Chris Boucher, and provides solid insurance should the injury bug hit. He should fit in nicely as a screen-setter for Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet.

In terms of roster construction, the Raptors now stand at 15, if you include the non-guaranteed deals for Terence Davis and Dewan Hernandez. Oshae Brissett remains a restricted free agent, and second-round pick Jalen Harris has yet to sign a contract.

Given Davis’ legal situation and the potential that Brissett flashed last year, one would expect the final roster would see Davis gone, Brissett on a low-cost deal and Harris on a two-way contract. We shall see!

Send me any Raptors related content that I may have missed: rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com

Morning Coffee – Tue, Nov 24 originated on Raptors Republic.

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