Raptors Discussion: v97 Raptor's 2024-2025 - Training camp begins Oct. 1
- Thread starter The Nemesis
- Start date
I would be down for that trade. Fred is the better player, but Russell is 2 years younger.
saska sault
Registered User
Nope. Russell is an absolute liability on defense and a huge step down from Fred. If we are getting other pieces sure, but the Lakers basically dont have any draft capital to help make it appealing.
DLo is an overrated inefficient overpaid PG. You don't want him anywhere near the Raps unless you got the #17 pick and/or you flipped him to another team.
Sarunas Jasikevicius reportedly draws attention from Toronto Raptors - Basketnews.com
FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius is once again on the Toronto Raptors' radar.
Marc Stein reports that the Raptors have registered a level of interest in the 47-year-old Lithuanian coach.
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri met Jasikevicius 4 years ago, but at the time, the Canadian team decided to hire Nick Nurse eventually.
Nurse left the Raptors after the 2022-23 season, and Toronto is on the hunt for a new head coach once again.
Raptors executives met with Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo who was named among the main candidates to take over the Canadian team. Steve Nash is also being considered, according to multiple reports.
Raptors were also considering Monty Williams, but he decided to sign with the Detroit Pistons after agreeing to the largest deal in history.
Jasikevicius has been the head coach of Barcelona since 2020, with his contract expiring at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Jasikevicius guided Barcelona to three EuroLeague Final Fours in a row. He also won two Spanish King Cups and became the Spanish ACB League champion once.
At the moment, Barca lead the best-of-three series against Valencia in the Spanish ACB quarterfinals.
FC Barcelona head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius is once again on the Toronto Raptors' radar.
Marc Stein reports that the Raptors have registered a level of interest in the 47-year-old Lithuanian coach.
Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri met Jasikevicius 4 years ago, but at the time, the Canadian team decided to hire Nick Nurse eventually.
Nurse left the Raptors after the 2022-23 season, and Toronto is on the hunt for a new head coach once again.
Raptors executives met with Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo who was named among the main candidates to take over the Canadian team. Steve Nash is also being considered, according to multiple reports.
Raptors were also considering Monty Williams, but he decided to sign with the Detroit Pistons after agreeing to the largest deal in history.
Jasikevicius has been the head coach of Barcelona since 2020, with his contract expiring at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Jasikevicius guided Barcelona to three EuroLeague Final Fours in a row. He also won two Spanish King Cups and became the Spanish ACB League champion once.
At the moment, Barca lead the best-of-three series against Valencia in the Spanish ACB quarterfinals.
Suntouchable13
Registered User
Has a team that lost 3 straight and/or 4 of 5 at any point in the playoffs ever won a championship? I would think that would be rare. Denver probably takes it in 5.
Dr.Funk
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2004
- 19,959
- 2,649
Masai Ujiri Explains What He Looks For In A Coach As The Raptors Look To Fill Their Vacancy
Forbes Breaking News
June 2, 2023
Toronto Raptors vice-chairman and team president Masai Ujiri joins Forbes senior writer Jabari Young to discuss the business and growth of basketball in Africa.
A Nigerian native, Ujiri co-founded a non-profit, Giants of Africa. The organization is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023 and aims to enhance the lives of African youth through sports. Ujiri discusses what’s next for the Giants of Africa. In addition, he reflects on his career, leading the Raptors, his leadership style, and offers key financial advice for incoming NBA players.
Raptors Tabbed for Bilal Coulibaly as NBA Draft Buzz Grows - Sports Illustrated
Bilal Coulibaly appears to be skyrocketing up draft boards with less than a month to before the NBA Draft and has potentially been linked to the Toronto Raptors at No. 13.
The 18-year-old Frenchman and teammate of Victor Wembanyama has reportedly been promised a spot in the top 14, according to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman. The Oklahoma City Thunder are thought to be one of the teams targeting Coulibaly at No. 12, per Rafael Barlowe. If not Oklahoma City, the Raptors are a team known for taking risks on high-upside prospects like Coulibaly, as Wasserman noted.
Coulibaly has drawn comparisons to O.G. Anunoby as another long and versatile defender that fits the Raptors’ mold. He’s 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and is ferocious on the defensive end.
“His natural feel for the game is impressive, especially at his age. He’s also a very good athlete that uses his length and pop well,” wrote Sports Illustrated.
Offensively, though, Coulibaly needs work. He showed very little scoring ability when playing in France’s top league and struggles to create for himself and others. His assist-to-turnover ratio was at best one-to-one and often a little more turnover-prone than ideal.
“The shooting form looks okay with just a few tweaks here and there but most of it all he will have to speed up the shot and eliminate the low dip,” wrote Sports Illustrated. “You could see the 18-year-old making wide-open catch and shoot 3-point opportunities this next season but anything more than that will take some time.”
Against top competition, Coulibaly averaged just 5.5 points with three rebounds per game in 19 minutes played. Those numbers did skyrocket, though, in the lower levels where he averaged 22 points on 53% shooting. His three-point stroke at all levels sat at 34% but on just 2.3 three-pointers attempted per game.
If Toronto is trying to win now, Coulibaly likely isn’t the ideal pick for the Raptors due to his still-developing skill set. If, however, the Raptors decide to pivot toward a more long-term view, Coulibaly has the raw skills that should interest teams toward the end of the lottery.
Bilal Coulibaly appears to be skyrocketing up draft boards with less than a month to before the NBA Draft and has potentially been linked to the Toronto Raptors at No. 13.
The 18-year-old Frenchman and teammate of Victor Wembanyama has reportedly been promised a spot in the top 14, according to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman. The Oklahoma City Thunder are thought to be one of the teams targeting Coulibaly at No. 12, per Rafael Barlowe. If not Oklahoma City, the Raptors are a team known for taking risks on high-upside prospects like Coulibaly, as Wasserman noted.
Coulibaly has drawn comparisons to O.G. Anunoby as another long and versatile defender that fits the Raptors’ mold. He’s 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and is ferocious on the defensive end.
“His natural feel for the game is impressive, especially at his age. He’s also a very good athlete that uses his length and pop well,” wrote Sports Illustrated.
Offensively, though, Coulibaly needs work. He showed very little scoring ability when playing in France’s top league and struggles to create for himself and others. His assist-to-turnover ratio was at best one-to-one and often a little more turnover-prone than ideal.
“The shooting form looks okay with just a few tweaks here and there but most of it all he will have to speed up the shot and eliminate the low dip,” wrote Sports Illustrated. “You could see the 18-year-old making wide-open catch and shoot 3-point opportunities this next season but anything more than that will take some time.”
Against top competition, Coulibaly averaged just 5.5 points with three rebounds per game in 19 minutes played. Those numbers did skyrocket, though, in the lower levels where he averaged 22 points on 53% shooting. His three-point stroke at all levels sat at 34% but on just 2.3 three-pointers attempted per game.
If Toronto is trying to win now, Coulibaly likely isn’t the ideal pick for the Raptors due to his still-developing skill set. If, however, the Raptors decide to pivot toward a more long-term view, Coulibaly has the raw skills that should interest teams toward the end of the lottery.
Dr.Funk
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2004
- 19,959
- 2,649
The more I watch stuff on Scoot Henderson the more I want to find a way to trade up.
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
Windhorst on the Heat winning Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Nuggets are 0-3 when Jokic scores 40+ points in the playoffs & the latest on the Raptors head coaching search - TSN.ca
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst joins us live from Denver to chat about the Heat beating the Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Nuggets are 0-3 when Jokic scores 40+ points in the playoffs, why the Raptors main decision this off-season will be in the direction of the team, the latest on Ja Morant, Vogel getting hired by the Phoenix Suns and more!
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst joins us live from Denver to chat about the Heat beating the Nuggets in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Nuggets are 0-3 when Jokic scores 40+ points in the playoffs, why the Raptors main decision this off-season will be in the direction of the team, the latest on Ja Morant, Vogel getting hired by the Phoenix Suns and more!
There's more from the NBA coaching carousel
We lead off our latest roundup of bench developments with an update on Toronto and surprise staffing rumbles in Dallas
marcstein.substack.com
Five head coaching vacancies have been filled in the NBA. Only one remains.
The Toronto Raptors have been bringing presumed finalists to Canada for face-to-face interviews as the longest of the league's six coaching searches stretches into its seventh week.
(PS — We keep adding the word presumed because the Raptors appear to relish the external uncertainty they’ve generated and the curveballs they’ve thrown during this search. Like interviewing JJ Redick. And then Steve Nash.)
I reported Saturday that Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson was recently summoned to Toronto for an in-person interview.
It's believed that this establishes Atkinson as a candidate that the Raptors are still considering along with Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernández, Memphis Grizzlies assistant coach Darko Rajaković and Virtus Bologna and Spanish national team head coach Sergio Scariolo.
League sources say that Scariolo was scheduled to visit Toronto as early as Monday for his second summit with Raptors officials. Stay tuned to see if that meeting goes ahead or if it has to be conducted remotely with Scariolo’s Bologna team due to begin its Italian League best-of-seven championship series Friday against Ettore Messina-coached Olimpia Milano. Masai Ujiri and top aide Bobby Webster already visited Scariolo in Italy early in their search on top of the three seasons the trio has already worked together when Scariolo was an assistant on Nick Nurse's staff.
The level of interest Toronto has shown to date in Scariolo has led some to conclude that he is the favorite, but it remains a struggle to find much consensus. Fernández was also recently described to me as a "name to watch."
Like we said: Toronto appears to be enjoying how off balance it has the rest of the league.
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
That's great and all but I want to see thr trades more than anythign atm lmao
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
:format(webp)/https://www.thestar.com/content/dam/thestar/sports/raptors/analysis/2023/06/05/whos-on-the-shortlist-to-be-raptors-head-coach-two-front-runners-dropped-from-second-interview-round/steve_nash.jpg)
Analysis | Who’s on the shortlist to be Raptors head coach? Two front-runners dropped from second interview round
Which direction the team will go on the court is certainly part of the consideration of what kind of coach the front office will want.
As the Raptors wrestle with philosophical issues about the direction the franchise will take, two presumed favourites to at least get serious consideration as the team’s head coach have not advanced past preliminary discussions.
According to multiple NBA sources, neither ex-Brooklyn head coach and Canadian icon Steve Nash nor Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez have been invited for a second interview for the Toronto job that’s been vacant since Nick Nurse was let go in late April.
Given the pace of the process and the exhaustive nature of the search being conducted by vice-chairman and team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster, it’s not inconceivable they could revisit either or both.
And given the uncertainty of what the team will look like when training camp opens in late September, keeping open all options makes sense. If no one in a current group of “finalists” has the skill set Ujiri and Webster want for the team they ultimately envision having, there’s no reason they couldn’t backtrack and talk again with number of candidates who may fit their needs as those needs evolve.
Who remains in the running past Nash and Fernandez is a deeply held secret with only snippets leaking out in dribs and drabs. The Raptors organization is widely regarded as one of the most secretive in the NBA and possible coaches and their agents would surely be aware of Ujiri’s aversion to any news getting out into the public realm.
One name being bandied about last week in some NBA circles is current Memphis assistant Darko Rajaković and reports from Italy last week said ex-Raptors assistant and current Virtus Bologna head coach Sergio Scariolo was among the “finalists” for the job.
The Raptors did conduct interviews last week, several NBA sources said, but even the number of them has not been confirmed.
But whether it was three or four doesn’t really matter. A “list” can be expanded or contracted on a whim; there are 30 NBA head coaching jobs, a candidate for the last one that’s open isn’t going to take themselves out of the running because the selection process is taking a month or two.
The fact is, there is no immediate need to fill the job, which is the only head coaching vacancy in the NBA, any time soon.
LaPlante94
Registered User
- Apr 12, 2011
- 7,133
- 3,476
Kind of hoping Sergio would come here and possibly Nash as an assistant. I think Nash could be a good head coach working under someone with as much experience as Sergio and if he could help our guards get better then even better.
Cap Space & Free-Agency Make Orlando Magic ‘Real Important’ This Offseason: Execs
The Orlando Magic will have cap space and free-agent targets in mind this offeason ... but will they use it?
heavy.com
Could Gary Trent, Grant Williams Be in Magic’s Future?
Harris is another story. While he was the Magic’s best shooter from the 3-point arc last season, making 43.1% of his 3s, he is 28 and a bit outside the age range of Orlando’s core. He has been a solid leader for the team, but also struggled to stay healthy (48 games last year).
The Magic, according to league sources, have their eyes firmly on Toronto free-agent guard Gary Trent Jr., a solid two-way guard who averaged 17.4 points last season and made 38.4% of his career 3-point tries.
“He’d be a good bet as their top priority in free agency,” the East exec said. “But that’s if they want to go all in.”
It’s possible the Magic could make a run at Trent while keeping Harris aboard. They have the space for that. But that brings us to the deeper question the exec raised: Do they want more? Do they go all-in now?
If so, the Magic could let Harris walk and create around $40 million in cap space to go after another free agent. Fellow Raptor Fred VanVleet has been rumored to be among Orlando’s targets, though some sources say the team will take a year to see how combo guards Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs continue their development before addressing the point-guard spot more fully.
Ad
Latest posts
-
Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Part XIII (Nanaki edition)- Latest: KirkAlbuquerque
-
-
