#toronto-raptors

#toronto-raptors

Lawson made his way to Toronto by a circuitous route. The Canadian native attended South Carolina before going undrafted in 2021. After a year in the G League, the Minnesota Timberwolves scooped him up onto a two-way contract and he made his NBA debut. A few months later, he was waived and joined the Dallas Mavericks, ultimately hitting free agency once more last fall.

The eighth overall pick in June's draft checked in with 10:40 left in the second quarter, Brooklyn trailing by 14, and was immediately met by Toronto's swarming defense. The moment tested his composure, but Demin looked comfortable from the start - handling the ball with confidence, helping organize the offense and flashing his defensive instincts with an early block and a pair of sharp deflections.

Reese is a 6'9″ forward who mainly plays under the basket and uses him length and size to aid him on the defensive end. He was a four-year player at Maryland and saw steady improvement to his game during his time there. In his final season at Maryland he posted averages of 13.3 points per game, 9 rebounds per game, as well as 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.5 percent from the field.

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors agreed to voluntarily dismiss a 2023 lawsuit involving the alleged theft of thousands of confidential files, according to a court filing Friday that was obtained by ESPN. Spokespersons representing the teams issued the same statement to ESPN: "The Knicks and (Raptors owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future."

Brandon Ingram got to display his above-the-break 3-point shooting very early as the beneficiary of a Mogbo short roll pass, and then a baseline-corner-atb sequence for two separate makes. It was immediately different from game 1 of the preseason, as the Raptors were succeeding in the halfcourt, and not necessarily reliant on getting out and running. A different bring up ball handler nearly every time and playing in space.

No, the Toronto Raptors have lots to figure out.Even NBA intellectual extraordinaire, Zach Lowe, on his latest podcast with John Hollinger, proclaimed Toronto as one of the most confusing NBA teams heading into the season. Rightfully so. All the way down the roster there remain questions about fit, roles, rotations, long-term vision, you name it. General Manager, Bobby Webster, might claim to know the answers to those questions; so, too, might head coach, Darko Rajaković. But from the outside looking in, it's all opaque.

Brown was a key x-factor for the Denver Nuggets during their 2023 NBA championship run. After the team celebrated their victory and moved into the 2023 offseason, Brown hit free agency. During the team parade, he highlighted that re-signing with the Nuggets was a priority for him. However, Brown decided to chase the bigger payday, signing a two-year, $45 million deal with the Indiana Pacers.

In the opening moments of his media day availability, Toronto Raptors head coach made it clear what the Toronto Raptors will be hanging their hat on this year and that's defense. Last season after the all star break the Toronto Raptors had the second best defense in the league, only behind the 2025 NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. "When we talk about defense I really believe that everything starts with Scottie Barnes... our identity starts with him" said Rajakovic.

Out of nowhere, Houston is now going to be in need of a guard upgrade. Meanwhile, Quickley is one of the Raptors' more tradeable pieces, and Toronto has reportedly been open to moving him in order to upgrade their roster. The Rockets are a partner that could work well in a potential deal for a number of reasons. The first of which being that they need specifically what Quickley brings to the table.

It doesn't get more devastating for an NBA team than hearing that one of their key players has been injured and will likely be out for the entire season. That's exactly what has happened to Fred VanVleet, the former Raptors star who is now with the Houston Rockets. Yesterday, Shams Charania announced the injury news on X, revealing that VanVleet had sustained an ACL injury during offseason training.

What if it was possible, when facing a critical juncture in life - a big job interview, an emotionally charged conversation, even the prospect of parenthood - to plan for every potential variable by rehearsing the situation over and over. From a meticulous recreation of The Alligator Lounge to (small spoiler alert!) packing a 737 full of actors to circumvent aviation laws and investigate the dynamic between pilot and co-pilot in a cockpit, Fielder's formulaic, flowchart-driven approach is intended to leave nothing to chance.

Headed into his 16th season - the days of Temple adding value with his on-court play are behind him, but he can still provide value on the sidelines, and in the locker room. With there being a bevy of young players on the Raptors roster such as Ja'Kobe Walter, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, and Collin Murray-Boyles, Temple has ample opportunity to guide new players.

Hats off to Markkanen for making the most of his situation in Utah. He was a key piece in the Donovan Mitchell trade to Cleveland back in the 2022 offseason, and the Finnish sharpshooter surprised everyone by stepping into the role of Utah's franchise player right away. Markkanen would, of course, be awarded the Most Improved Player award and earn an All-Star selection during his breakout in 2023. That season, he averaged nearly 26 points on 49.9% shooting from the field, 39.1% from three, and also grabbed 8.6 rebounds.

Toronto entered the 2022 draft coming off a 48-win season and a fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Their reward was a first-round matchup against the fourth-seed Philadelphia 76ers, led by Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. The series began poorly, with Philadelphia racing to a 3-0 lead behind blowout wins in Games 1 (20-point margin) and 2 (15-point margin). Game 3 went to overtime, but the Sixers edged Toronto in the final moments.

But there's one guy who might get overlooked in that conversation, and I'd argue he was a pretty noteworthy signing at the time. Considering Toronto's limited appeal to free agents, grabbing Otto Porter Jr. seemed like a sleeper move; I remember being pretty excited to see a savvy veteran and a still-solid player (at least I thought so) join the Raptors.

Just a few months ago, the NBA rumor mill was buzzing with speculation that Toronto might make a big splash over the summer by trading for a 'big fish', with names like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant at the forefront. As it turned out, those rumors were mostly just smoke and mirrors. Giannis seems set to stay in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future, and Durant ended up being traded to the Houston Rockets instead.