Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby will miss Monday night's game against the Washington Wizards with a finger laceration, according to Sportsnet's Blake Murphy. The 26-year-old cut himself while doing household chores Sunday.

Anunoby has played in all but one of the Raptors games this season.

"I wish I was there to help out," Toronto coach Darko Rajaković said of Anunoby's chores.

Gary Trent Jr. will also be out for the Raptors as he deals with a case of plantar fasciitis.

Murphy believes that Otto Porter will step up in Anunoby's absence and enter the starting lineup against Washington.

Fortunately, Toronto should still be able to dispatch a lowly Wizards team that is currently 2-7 and have the worst-ranked defense in the entire league. They are giving up 123.8 points per game, the second-worst mark in the NBA behind the San Antonio Spurs.

Anunoby—one of the better two-way players in the league—is averaging 16.4 points per game to go along with four rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals on 51.0 percent shooting from the field.

On Thursday night, Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby scored 16 points against the Philadelphia 76ers. Before the 2023-24 NBA season is over, perhaps Anunoby could be playing for the Sixers.

After sending James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers in a blockbuster deal earlier this week, Philadelphia has been the heart of trade rumors in recent days. Now that Harden is gone, who could the 76ers target to provide a boost to their roster?

Anunoby could be somebody the 76ers will have their sights on. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Anunoby and Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine are "potential targets to keep an eye on for Philadelphia." Scotto also reported that the Sixers will "monitor" Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.

LaVine and Mitchell are the top scoring threats among that group, but either would come at a higher cost. Plus, Chicago has "no intention of trading LaVine anytime soon," per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

That could make Anunoby the best potential target for the 76ers to consider. Plus, the 26-year-old is "loved" by Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse, according to Scotto. Nurse was an assistant in Toronto from 2013-18, then served as the Raptors' head coach from 2018-23.

"[Anunoby] offers two-way versatility on both sides of the ball, and the 76ers will have the necessary cap space to re-sign him this summer," Scotto wrote.

It would likely cost Philadelphia a bit to first trade for Anunoby and then sign him to an extension. A seven-year NBA veteran, the Indiana product has developed into a solid wing player.

Anunoby averaged at least 15.9 points per game each of the previous three seasons, including a career-high 17.1 during the 2021-22 campaign. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged 16.8 points and a league-best 1.9 steals in 67 games.

Despite trading Harden, the 76ers still have a strong core centered around Joel Embiid. They're in a position to be a contender in the Eastern Conference, and Anunoby could help them for both the short and long term.

Nurse's familiarity with Anunoby could help put him in a great position to succeed, which could help him make a smooth transition if he leaves Toronto for the first time in his NBA career. His defense and efficient shooting would also mark a great fit in Philadelphia's rotation.

It may not happen too soon, as the 76ers are likely to consider all of their options while identifying possible trade targets. But at some point, it would be wise for them to swing a deal for Anunoby, who would likely fit seamlessly into their core of talent.

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was injured Friday night in the final contest of the 2023 preseason.

Barnes exited the Raptors' contest with the Washington Wizards with a "right foot sprain," per Sportsnet's Michael Grange.

After the game, head coach Darko Rajakovic told reporters Barnes was "fine," per Sportsnet's Michael Grange.

Barnes appeared to suffer an injury on a defensive play in the third quarter.

Barnes dominated the game prior to his injury, putting up 23 points on 71 percent shooting as he led the Raptors to a lead of more than thirty points.

The Raptors are heading into this season hoping Barnes will be able to take on a larger role in the absence of Fred VanVleet, whose signing with the Houston Rockets represented the loss of one third of the team's remaining 2019 championship roster.

Although the Raptors responded to VanVleet's exit by signing Dennis Schroder, they'll need more playmaking and shooting from Barnes to make up for VanVleet's absence.

Although Barnes' production plateaued last season following his Rookie of the Year 2021-22 campaign, he showed signs he is ready to take on that role in the 2023 preseason so far.

He topped 20 points in each of his last preseason contests and began Friday's game by sinking a trio of threes, a feat he'd only accomplished five times last season, TSN's Keerthika Uthayakumar noted.

Those plans could be derailed if Barnes is injured, especially given his history of ankle issues.

Barnes missed two games in the first round of the 2022 playoffs after he suffered an ankle injury. After reportedly being slowed down at the beginning of last season by what former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse called a "light ankle issue," Barnes suffered a sprained right ankle in October of last year.

The Raptors open the regular season on October 25 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Toronto Raptors reportedly made Scottie Barnes "off limits" as they explored trades for Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard.

ESPN's Zach Lowe reported the Raptors were determined to retain the third-year forward, even if it meant losing out a pair of future Hall of Famers.

Barnes was largely a disappointment in his second NBA season, averaging 15.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists. The only area where Barnes showed noticeable improvement was as a passer, instead stagnating as a scorer after a stellar rookie campaign.

The Raptors were mentioned as an early suitor during Kevin Durant's first trade request last summer but never gained much traction. The Nets eventually traded Durant to the Phoenix Suns in February after the 13-time All-Star again requested a move out of Brooklyn.

Lillard angled for a trade throughout this summer, and there was a short period where the Raptors appeared to be a frontrunner. The Milwaukee Bucks wound up coming over the top with an offer to land Lillard, pairing the All-Star guard with Giannis Antetokounmpo to create the NBA's best 1-2 punch.

Toronto enters the 2023-24 season at a crossroads. All signs point to the logical move being a full-scale rebuild after guard Fred VanVleet left for the Houston Rockets this offseason. Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby can become free agents this summer and could be interesting trade chips if the Raptors start the season slow.

Barnes will likely be the only untouchable as team president Masai Ujiri navigates the roster's future over the next few months.

That said, it will be critical for Barnes to show improvement in 2023-24 after his disappointing plateau.

The Toronto Raptors responded to the lawsuit filed against them by the New York Knicks and described the litigation as "baseless" and a "public relations stunt by the Knicks," according to ESPN's Baxter Holmes.

SNY's Ian Begley reported the Raptors want the civil suit dismissed and the Knicks' complaint moved to arbitration.

A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden Sports provided a statement regarding the Raptors' recent filing: "As we have previously stated, given the theft of proprietary and confidential files and clear violation of criminal and civil law, we were left no choice but to take this to federal court and are confident the judicial system will agree."

Begley and colleague Alex Smith first reported in August the Knicks sued the Raptors and officials with the team for allegedly taking proprietary information from New York's basketball operations department.

An MSG spokesperson contended a former Knicks official "illegally took thousands of proprietary files with him to his new position" in Toronto.

The Raptors hired Darko Rajaković as their new head coach in the offseason, a move that resulted in wider changes to the coaching staff and behind the scenes. Ikechukwu Azotam was among those who joined the organization, and he's at the center of the lawsuit.

Per Begley, the Knicks allege the Raptors "conspired to use Azotam's position as a current Knicks insider to funnel proprietary information to the Raptors to help them organize, plan, and structure the new coaching and video operations staff."

New York alleged Rajaković was looking for an added edge as he approaches his first season as an NBA head coach.

Among the specific claims is that Azotam provided Toronto with access to the Synergy Sports account he had through the Knicks, which allowed the Raptors to see video clips and specific opponent breakdowns New York had compiled.

"These files include confidential information such as play frequency reports, a prep book for the 2022-23 season, video scouting files and materials and more," MSG said in its statement, per Begley. "Given the clear violation of our employment agreement, criminal and civil law, we were left no choice but to take this action."

In their response, the Raptors downplayed the significance of the information that was shared, calling it "little more than publicly available information compiled through public sources readily accessible to all NBA Members," per Begley.

The Athletic's Eric Koreen, Fred Katz, Mike Vorkunov reported on Aug. 25 that some people within the NBA office "were surprised when the suit dropped," in part because the matter seemingly fell under the league's purview.

Despite recent comments from Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri about the team's play last season, Pascal Siakam isn't holding a grudge as he thinks about his long-term future.

Per TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Siakam "would be open to signing an extension" with the Raptors if the team decides to make him an offer.

Ujiri told reporters during Monday's media day the team hasn't engaged Siakam in contract talks. He said that amid a larger point about the 2022-23 team playing "selfish" basketball.

"We do believe in Pascal," Ujiri said. "We do believe that a lot of our players didn't play the right way last year, and we want to see them play the right way," Ujiri explained. "I said that we were selfish. I'm not running away from that. We were selfish and we did not play the right way. So, let us see it when we play the right way."

There was also speculation during the offseason that Toronto might look to trade Siakam. Michael Grange of SportsNet.ca reported in July the two-time All-Star "could" be dealt before the start of the regular season.

Amid the trade buzz over the summer, B/R's Chris Haynes noted there was "growing sentiment" around the league that Siakam wouldn't sign an extension with any team that attempted to acquire him because his preference is to remain in Toronto.

Siakam is going to earn $37.9 million in 2023-24. He is currently eligible to sign a four-year, $202.3 million extension, but could potentially be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth about $304 million next summer if he makes the All-NBA team this season.

The 29-year-old previously made the All-NBA second team in 2019-20 and third team in 2021-22. He averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in 71 starts last season.

Siakam has spent his entire career with the Raptors since being selected with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam is ready to defend himself against allegations of selfish play.

After Raptors president Masai Ujiri spoke about "selfish" play from the team last season, Siakam was quick to defend himself, saying that he has "never been a selfish player in my life."

"Ever since I started playing basketball, I don't have an ounce of selfishness in me," Siakam told reporters.

Ujiri's comments came as it was reported that the team had not "initiated contract talks" with Siakam. The two-time All-Star is set to make $37.8 million in 2023-24 but will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

When asked about his future, Siakam was quick to deflect, saying, "I'm under contract," and that his representatives will handle his future.

Siakam averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists across 71 games for the Raptors in 2022-23. It was his fourth consecutive season averaging more than 20 points per game.

However, the direction of the team is unclear.

The Raptors fired head coach Nick Nurse following the 22-23 season after a 41-41 record that saw the team fall short of the playoffs. While this may have signaled a shift toward a rebuild or a retool, the Raptors were rumored to be in on Damian Lillard, although Ujiri called the interest "sensationalized" on Monday.

Regardless, Siakam will surely start the season with the Raptors but will likely remain a trade candidate as long as his future remains uncertain.

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri told reporters on Monday that the team's interest in Damian Lillard was "sensationalized" and that they have been "aggressive" in trade talks but that it "takes two to make a deal."

"The right one will come," he added regarding a potential trade in the future. "I think we've shown in the past that we can do that"

Instead, the Raptors head into the 2023-24 season with an uncertain future.

Building around up-and-coming star Scottie Barnes is a lock. But the Raptors already lost veteran point guard Fred VanVleet in free agency, and next summer Pascal Siakam and Gary Trent Jr. will be free agents and OG Anunoby could also hit free agency if he declines his player option, as expected.

It's hard to imagine the Raptors letting Siakam walk without getting anything in return, and Anunoby remains the team's best trade chip given his talent but redundancy alongside Barnes, a similar but arguably more talented player.

That always made them a potential Lillard suitor, with Anuoby and draft capital giving them a competitive potential package (although the Milwaukee Bucks ultimately won the Dame sweepstakes). A big three of Lillard, Siakam and Barnes would have been intriguing, especially if Siakam eventually committed to a long-term extension.

Ujiri said he would like to see Siakam return, though he also took the opportunity to criticize the team's style of play from last season.

"We do believe in Pascal. We do believe that a lot of our players didn't play the right way last year, and we want to see them play the right way," he told reporters. "I said that we were selfish. I'm not running away from that. We were selfish and we did not play the right way. So, let us see it when we play the right way."

Siakam pushed back on that sentiment.

"I'll speak for me, personally—I've never been a selfish player in my life, always played the game the right way, and that's from the first time I started playing basketball," he told reporters. "I've always been a team player. All the things that I do on the basketball court is about our team, and I've always done that my whole career."

It sounds, at least from the outside, that there might be some underlying tensions in Toronto. Since winning the NBA Finals in the 2018-19 season, the Raptors have won just one playoff series in four years and only reached the postseason twice.

It wouldn't be shocking if they found themselves at the center of the rumor mill before February's trade deadline, especially if they get off to a slow start this season.

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby reportedly plans to enter free agency next summer and will not agree to a long-term contract extension.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein reported the Raptors' maximum possible extension—four years, $117 million—will not be enough to convince Anunoby to skip out on free agency. The 26-year-old has been a consistent subject of trade rumors that will likely persist throughout the 2023-24 regular season.

Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and led the NBA with 1.9 steals per game last season. He was named to his first All-Defensive Team in 2023, continuing to emerge as one of the league's most valuable 3-and-D talents.

The Raptors are facing a crossroads with their current core. They already saw Fred VanVleet leave in free agency this summer and replaced him with Dennis Schroder, a noticeable downgrade.

Anunoby and Pascal Siakam can become free agents next summer and are among the top options who seem gettable for teams with cap space. Several teams are expected to have significant cap space next summer, a deviation from recent offseasons where the available space has been limited.

Barring a catastrophic injury, Anunoby is not risking anything by allowing his contract to play out. When the likes of Dillon Brooks are signing contracts for $86 million over four years, Anunoby should be able to command a starting salary of at least $30 million per season.

Anunoby also has the option of accepting his $19.9 million player option for 2024-25 if things go awry.

The Toronto Raptors and forward Pascal Siakam have reportedly not had any discussions regarding a long-term contract extension.

Michael Grange of Sportsnet reported Siakam and the Raptors are "taking a wait-and-see approach" before determining whether they have a future together.

If Toronto struggles out of the gate, it's possible—if not likely—that Siakam will find himself on the trade block ahead of February's deadline.

Siakam's contract expires after the 2023-24 season. He is one of several high-profile players who can hit the open market next summer but perhaps the biggest name to likely change teams. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George all have the ability to hit the open market next summer but seem like strong bets to stay in Los Angeles.

With the Raptors' immediate future uncertain, all bets are off for Siakam. The 29-year-old made his second All-Star team last season while posting averages of 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

While those are strong numbers, Siakam is clearly best suited for a second-banana role rather than the type of player you can build a franchise around. The Raptors are stuck in neutral for as long as they keep this core together; they're a team bound to win between 35-45 games and stay afloat while the rest of the league passes them by.

Fred VanVleet's departure this summer should be the first domino in a full-scale rebuild.