Toronto Raptors – Hoop-Ball

Fantasy Snapshot: Toronto Raptors

Hoop Ball Fantasy FeaturesMay 26, 2020

The Raptors surprised everyone as they have a better winning percentage so far this year compared with their championship season in 2019. Let's take a broad overview of their season so far.

Season So Far: Toronto Raptors

Hoop Ball Fantasy FeaturesMay 25, 2020

The defending champs were supposed to take a step back without Kawhi Leonard, but the Raptors just keep on defying expectations.

The Raptors’ willingness to try new things is…

Toronto RaptorsDecember 8, 2019

The Raptors have been praised for being "innovative" on defense, but the reality is a lot simpler than that. They're just happy to test things out.

Western Conference road trip reveals Raptors’ identity

Toronto RaptorsNovember 18, 2019

The Raptors went 3-2 against some tough opponents, but the real victory won't be measured in the standings.

This year’s Raptors reflected in OG Anunoby’s play

Toronto RaptorsNovember 4, 2019

OG Anunoby's play is representative of the Raptors as a whole, where defense comes first and offense remains a promising work in progress.

Pascal Siakam era begins in Toronto with big…

Toronto RaptorsOctober 22, 2019

The Raptors were always destined to sign Pascal Siakam. Why his max contract makes sense, and why the Raptors did the right thing in passing up short-term flexibility.

What to watch for in the preseason: Eastern…

Atlanta HawksOctober 7, 2019

With preseason mercifully upon us, we've picked one thing to keep an eye on as the exhibition games play out. We'll try to find meaning in certain areas for each team in the league.

Raptors push back on the narratives in improbable…

Toronto RaptorsJune 21, 2019

The Raptors may go down as the league's unlikeliest champions, which is why their story is worth remembering

Raptors need to re-prove their resilience after draining…

Toronto RaptorsJune 13, 2019

The Raptors have been unfazed so far, but the test only gets tougher from here

Discipline shines through as Raptors move to brink…

Toronto RaptorsJune 9, 2019

The Raptors are steadfast in playing their way, and do not look ready to lose that battle of wills

Raptors backcourt steps up in Game 3

Toronto RaptorsJune 7, 2019

Kyle Lowry, Danny Green and Fred VanVleet combined to lift the Raptors in a must-win spot

Raptors defense being pushed to new limits

Toronto RaptorsJune 5, 2019

The Raptors have a lethal defense, and they'll need to rediscover their mojo after getting picked apart in Game 2

Pascal Siakam could be the focal point of…

Toronto RaptorsJune 2, 2019

Pascal Siakam dominated Game 1, and how he proceeds could define the series

The Raptors’ best players make history, where the…

Toronto RaptorsMay 29, 2019

The Raptors got what they needed from the top dogs, but the challenge gets greater from here

Fred VanVleet’s Game 5 indicative of something more…

Toronto RaptorsMay 25, 2019

The Raptors took Game 5 in FVV style

Recent News ♦ Fantasy Analysis

Marc Gasol

C, Toronto Raptors

According to reports, Marc Gasol will leave the NBA to join FCB Barcelona for next season.

It is possible that we saw the last of the Gasol brothers in the NBA with this news. Pau Gasol is close to retiring and is unlikely to play another minute in the NBA while Marc is on his way back to his hometown in Spain. It is worth noting that Barcelona's head coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, told Emiliano Carchia of Sportando that “We have not talked to Marc Gasol." We will have to wait for all the moves from the offseason but there is definitely some center minutes that got vacated if Gasol does in fact leave Toronto.

Source: Sergi Carmona on Twitter

September 30, 2020, 4:18 pm

Pascal Siakam

PF, Toronto Raptors

The long-term future of Raptors President Masai Ujiri, whose contract runs out at the end of next season, is a growing concern among the team’s fans, but the chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Larry Tanenbaum, said on Tuesday that there is a plan for it.

The Raptors wanted to take care of their senior management first, with extensions for coach Nick Nurse and general manager Bobby Webster kicking in during the last few weeks. Ujiri is next and any talk about him leaving Toronto seems to be pure speculation at this point.

Source: The Star

September 30, 2020, 11:39 am

Montrezl Harrell

PF, Los Angeles Clippers

According to Sam Amico of Sports Illustrated, the Mavs are expected to have interest in Montrezl Harrell this offseason, as will the Raptors, Bulls and Knicks.

The Clippers, as has been reported elsewhere already, are also expected to be interested in continuing their current relationship with Harrell. The bubble was generally unkind to the Sixth Man of the Year as he was repeatedly attacked on defense, but his energy and efficient offensive game are standout facets. It should also be noted that Harrell missed a huge chunk of the Orlando session while away for personal matters and may not have been operating at full strength. One thing is for certain, however — even with a poor postseason showing, Harrell's due for a big raise over last season's $6 million salary.

Source: Sports Illustrated

September 26, 2020, 1:03 pm

Marc Gasol

C, Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are unlikely to offer Marc Gasol more than a one-year deal in free agency as the team looks to maintain cap flexibility for the 2021 offseason.

It's no secret the Raptors' entire game plan this offseason will revolve around maintaining enough cap space to sign a max free agent in 2021. In light of that goal and various statements made by GM Masai Ujiri it seems the team is unlikely to bring back Gasol on a long-term deal. However, the big Spaniard is in the final years of his career and will probably be looking for a two- to three-year contract to cap off his time in the NBA. Of course there is also the recent report that he's considering returning to Europe. All these things considered, odds are Gasol won't return to Toronto next year.

Source: Doug Smith in The Toronto Star

September 21, 2020, 3:20 pm

Fred VanVleet

PG, Toronto Raptors

Masai Ujiri said on Thursday that Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol are all priorities for the team in the offseason.

All three are set to hit free agency, and Ujiri gave VanVleet the extra special nod as a "big priority." The Raptors figure to go big game hunting in the 2021 offseason and would like to maintain enough space to add a max player, but will also try and thread the needle by keeping as much of the band together as they can. Despite losing two starters from their championship run, Toronto didn't skip a beat and took the Celtics all the way down to the final 20 seconds of a fantastic seven-game series. VanVleet will command the most on the market as a starting-caliber guard, but all indications to this point have been that the Raptors will try and work something out. Ibaka has previously indicated a willingness to re-sign but might have to take a discount for that to happen. Gasol is rumored to be considering a deal in Europe to wind down his career, though he is still a superb defensive player even if his game looks a little uglier than it used to. We'll see what Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster do to try and reload for another title run.

Source: Josh Lewenberg on Twitter

September 17, 2020, 2:56 pm

Kyle Lowry

PG, Toronto Raptors

Marc Stein is reporting that we could see new long-term deals for Raptors POBO Masai Ujiri and GM Bobby Webster shortly.

Apparently, talk of such extensions was a "strong rumble" in the Orlando bubble, where both Ujiri and Webster stayed with the Raptors for the duration of their stay. Toronto had to get to Florida two weeks before any other team and it had been reported that Ujiri and Webster's constant presence with the team was both unique and appreciated by the players. The duo have been the architects of the Raptors' rise to legitimacy and hopefully these eventual extensions will stop the rumors that pop up whenever another franchise has a top job open up. Coach Nick Nurse was also without an extension until just a few days ago, which suggests that Raptors ownership is going to move quickly to secure the rest of the organization's brain trust. In his end-of-season press conference, Ujiri said that he had not begun negotiating with ownership yet while a deal with Webster is "getting close."

Source: Marc Stein on Twitter

September 17, 2020, 12:38 pm

Marc Gasol

C, Toronto Raptors

Xavier Saiso Garcia of Radio Ser Catalunya is reporting that Spanish center Marc Gasol is considering a return to Europe due to family reasons.

This comes out of nowhere and it will be interesting to see how accurate this report is. Gasol looked slow in the playoffs but he remains one of the smartest big men in the NBA and he has enjoyed his time in Toronto. At 35, he is a free agent this offseason.

Source: Sportando

September 16, 2020, 10:36 am

Pascal Siakam

PF, Toronto Raptors

Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that Nick Nurse has signed a multiyear extension with the Raptors.

This is well deserved for a team that exceeded expectations and fell one shot short of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals this year, after winning the NBA title last season. Nurse was named the 2019-20 NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach to be selected as Coach of the Year in both the NBA and the NBA G League. He has posted a 111-43 record (.721) during the regular season with the Raptors the last couple seasons and proved to be an excellent hire by Masai Ujiri.

Source: Shams Charania on Twitter

September 15, 2020, 11:07 am