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NBA: Raptors Are Worst In NBA According To Their Own Player!

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Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani, who is pretty much the best player on the team ( which is not saying much ) seems to agree with most NBA fans. The Toronto Raptors are garbage!! At least he is smart enough to recognize it, but I am sure some teammates wont be too happy. Read more after the jump.
IamJOE357

In an Italian newspaper, Bargnani calls Toronto “Pretty much the worst team in the NBA”. He goes on to say they are a “tragedy” and are “Desperate”. I fully agree lol. I , however, do not have to deal with his teammates. As of today, the Raptors have the second worst record in the NBA, only slightly better than the terrible Washington Wizards.

ESPN


NBA Source: Toronto Raptors Intent on Trading Andrea Bargnani

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The Toronto Raptors are having another disappointing season as they sit with a 10-20 record.  Clearly some changes have to made and trading Andrea Bargnani is apparently one of them.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

It has been widely assumed for months that the Raptors would try to package (Jose) Calderon’s expiring deal with (Andrea) Barngani’s in hopes of landing a top-flight player in return. But the Raps have actually functioned better so far this season when (Kyle) Lowry — who brings an undeniable “swagger,” as coach Dwane Casey likes to say, but is also undeniably up and down with his moods — has been out of the lineup nursing a variety of injuries.

One source close to the situation said Friday that Bargnani remains “a lock to be moved.” That naturally depends on finding a taker for the underachieving Italian forward, but Lowry’s contract shouldn’t be too hard to attach to a trade.

One of the proposed trades was sending Bargnani to the Lakers in a trade that would send Pau Gasol to the Raptors.  For now the Lakers are looking much improved but that doesn’t guarantee Gasol’s safety.  Not that he’s ever really safe..
Hoopsworld

NBA: Raptors More Interested in Trading Kyle Lowry Over Jose Calderon

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As the February 21st trade deadline approaches, there’s more stories about who’s on the block.  While Raptors point guard Jose Calderon has been mentioned quite often, it turns out they have someone else in mind.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

Jose Calderon seems like a prime trade piece for Toronto — 11.1 points and 7.4 assists per game, shooting 43.4 percent from three, he is solid and plays smart, plus he is in the final year of a $10 million contract.

But that’s not the point guard they are looking to move, reports Ken Berger at CBSSports.com 

And while Jose Calderon has frequently been mentioned as trade bait, league sources say the Raptors are far more amenable to trading Kyle Lowry, who has not made many friends in his new surroundings….

Kyle Lowry, who has quickly worn out his welcome in Toronto, could be an option for the Mavs or Hawks, who are both in need of point-guard help. With only $1 million guaranteed next season, Lowry would be a short-term fix without clogging up future cap space.

While Lowry’s price tag is lower, his temperament is not.  There’s no shortage of stories about his issues in Toronto as well as Houston.

ProBasketballTalk

(Video) NBA: Caron Butler Tricks Jonas Valanciunas With High Five Then Steals Ball & Scores

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The Los Angeles Clippers got blown out by the Toronto Raptors last night and while they were down 98-71 with about 15 seconds left in the game everyone assumed it was over, well almost everyone.  Read more after the jump. Shay Marie

With just a few seconds left, Clippers forward Caron Butler casually approached Jonas Valanciunas to give him a high-five for a good game however he had more in mind when he decided to steal the ball and go for the easy open layup.  Check it out below.

BSO

NBA: Toronto Raptors Might Shut Rudy Gay Down For the Remainder of the Season

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IFWT Rudy Gay

A back issue caused Toronto Raptors Rudy Gay to not take the trip to New York as the Raptors took on the Knicks last night.  Now with playoff hopes definitely out of the picture, the Raptors might decide to shut him down for the rest of the season.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

ESPN.com:

Dwane Casey said he assumes the organization will discuss shutting the team’s leading scorer down.

Gay was getting therapy Saturday, and Casey said any decision could be based on how he responds to that.

“I would say that it’s something that will be talked about sooner rather than later,” Casey said.

Like the Magic ruling Aaron Afflalo out for the rest of the season it would make sense for the Raptors to shut down Rudy Gay as well rather then further aggravate the injury.  Gay is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game with the Raptors, since coming to Toronto in a trade from Memphis earlier this season.  While these teams aren’t vying for playoff seeding they are vying for a higher draft pick.  Let the tanking commence.

NBA: Toronto Raptors Expected to Keep GM Bryan Colangelo For One More Year

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Expect the Raptors to keep Bryan Colangelo around another year as GM as of right now, they don’t have a replacement.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie 

According to the Toronto Sun.

There are those who believe a decision will be made official by as early Monday.

Unofficially, Colangelo’s option year is expected to be picked up, a route many in basketball circles had anticipated in the days leading up to the Raptors’ season finale.

That would mean you could expect Dwane Casey back as the Raptors coach.

Colangelo made it abundantly clear in his media availability following the Raptors’ season that Dwane Casey would be back, assuming Colangelo would be back.

The franchise has seemed like a rudderless collection of talent — even when they get good players there is a question of fit. Like how DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay really fit together… unless you’re a fan of inefficient slashers.

I haven’t seen a vision, and the defensive foundation Casey had seemed to put in place his first year crumbled amid rumors of poor communication with players.

Colangelo has had his chance. But without a replacement lined up it looks like he will get one more year.

ProBasketballTalk

NBA: Toronto Raptors Targeting Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri to Replace Bryan Colangelo

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IFWT Masai Ujiri

Toronto has until Monday to decide the fate of Bryan Colangelo as GM and the guy steering the Raptors ship — do they pick up his option for next season or release him?  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

It looks more and more like the new management of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment — which owns the Raptors — wants to go another direction. Which is what they should do. There have been Phil Jackson rumors, but those were always a long shot.

So now they reportedly are turning their eyes to Masai Ujiri, the Nuggets GM, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

Masai, the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year, has emerged as the top choice of the search firm – Korn/Ferry International – that’s been charged with finding a successor to Raptors president Bryan Colangelo, league sources said….

Ujiri’s contract as Denver’s general manager expires this summer and he has been in talks with ownership on an extension. Ujiri, 42, has a strong bond with Nuggets CEO Josh Kroenke but new MLSE top executive, Tim Leiweke, has expressed a desire to make a serious financial and organizational commitment to an elite executive to turn around the franchise.

If you are asking why he would jump, the answer is money — right now he is one of the lowest paid GMs in the league. Last year Neil Olshey jumped from the Clippers to the Trial Blazers for pretty much the same reason. You’d jump to a different job for a lot more money, too. Welcome to capitalism.

But the Nets came after Ujiri a year ago and he turned them down. He could do that again here to stay where he is comfortable, and maybe the Nuggets will up their offer to him. But it shows that people are targeting Ujiri and that the Raptors are willing to spend big to reshape their front office and eventually roster.

From Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk

NBA: Tracy McGrady Says the Raptors Could’ve Competed For Championships With the Lakers

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IFWT McGrady x Carter

It took some time but Tracy McGrady finally not only made it out the first round of the playoffs but he made it all the way to the NBA Finals.  Unfortunately he’s made it as bench player who probably won’t see a minute on the court which led him to reflect on his time in Toronto and what could have been.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

via Jacob Eisenberg of SheridanHoops.com

The Toronto Raptors possessed one of the most dynamic and electrifying scoring tandems the league had ever seen at the turn of the century. The only problem? Nobody knew.

Now, nearly fifteen years and six NBA teams later, Tracy McGrady is playing in his first NBA Finals with the San Antonio Spurs. Yesterday, McGrady admitted that he and his cousin, Vince Carter, had squandered an opportunity to build a dynasty by not staying together north of the border.

At the Spurs’ press conference yesterday, McGrady told the Toronto Suns’ Ryan Wolstat:

“At that time, I think Toronto probably could have competed for championships with the Lakers, that’s what I think.”

However, the Raptors never had an opportunity to realize their full potential. In 2000, McGrady, who was tired of playing in Vince Carter’s shadow, left the Raptors in a sign-and-trade for a max contract in his hometown of Orlando.

McGrady does not blame himself nor the Raptors for the premature ending to what could have been a championship team. Looking back, McGrady admits that he was never sure he would amount to the two-time scoring champion and seven-time all star that he became.

“Toronto, they didn’t know I was capable of that type of performance as far as scoring. I didn’t (even) know I had that in me,” he admitted.


NBA Report: Knicks & Raptors Agree on Andrea Bargnani Trade

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IFWT_bargnani

The Knicks are pretty cash strapped and won’t be able to make much of an impact during free agency.  Still in an attempt to upgrade their roster they’ve entered into a trade with the Toronto Raptors to acquire Andrea Bargnani.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

The Knicks will acquire Andrea Bargnani and in return the Raptors will receive Marcus Camby, Steve Novak, a 2016 first-round pick, a 2014 2nd round pick via OKC and a 2017 second round pick.

While Bargnani is a good shooter and has the ability to help the Knicks space the floor, he’s a 7-footer who can’t rebound or play defense.  He has yet to live up to his potential after being selected 1st overall in the 2006 draft.  Honestly the Knicks should by no means be giving up draft picks for Bargnani.  The Raptors have been trying to trade him for quite some time which means they’re desperation level wasn’t minimal.  He has career per-game averages of 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in seven N.B.A. seasons. He is owed $22.25 million over the next two seasons.
Camby and Novak however were expendable so relieving themselves of those contracts works in the Knicks favor.
Camby, 39, averaged 1.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 24 appearances for the Knicks last season. One of the oldest players in the NBA, Camby will make $4.4 million in 2013-14 and $4.2 million in 2014-15, although only $1 million of that figure is guaranteed.
Novak, 30, averaged 6.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 81 appearances for the Knicks last season. A three-point shooting specialist, Novak signed a four-year, $15 million contract last summer that is fully guaranteed.

NBA: Andrew Wiggins Reveals What NBA Team He Wants to Play For

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IFWT Andrew Wiggins

Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins hasn’t played one college game yet but he’s already projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft.  The basketball sensation has drawn comparisons to Lebron James and is expected to be a huge game changer.  In fact there’s already jokes about teams “tanking for Wiggins”.  While we don’t know exactly where he’ll end up due to the NBA lottery, it’s already clear what team Wiggins wants to play for.  Read more after the jump.

Shay Marie

Wiggins, hailing from Vaughan, Ontario, was asked which NBA team would be the best fit for him and didn’t hesitate to spurt out the only NBA team currently residing in Canada.

“I would like to say the Raptors because I want to play for them,” Wiggins said, via Sportsnet.ca.

If Wiggins plays for the Raptors similarly to the way Derrick Rose plays for his hometown Chicago Bulls, it’d be a perfect marriage given the fanbase. Even though Wiggins hasn’t laced up for an NCAA game, it’s not a far assumption to say folks in Toronto will be crossing their fingers for the right ping pong ball next spring.
Hoopsworld

(Video) NBA: Ankle Breaker! Landry Fields Crosses Tim Hardaway Jr. But Misses Dunk

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IFWT Fields x Hardaway

The Knicks took on the Raptors last night and although it was just a preseason game it had the feel of something much greater.  It was Andrea Bargnani’s first game back in Toronto since being traded to the Knicks this past offseason.  Former Knick Landry Fields crossed up Tim Hardaway Jr. then drove to the basket where he was blocked by Josh Powell.  Ironic considering what Tim Hardaway Sr. used to do peoples’ ankles, welcome to the league Junior… Check it out after the jump.

Shay Marie

Hardaway was teased by his teammates but if it’s any consolation, Fields not being able to finish the play was an epic fail.

NBA: Amir Johnson Says He Asked to Be Demoted From Starter to the Bench

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IFWT-Amir-Johnson

Recently Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey made a switch at power forward by demoting starter Amir Johnson to the bench in favor of Tyler Hansbrough. Johnson says he actually asked for the change in his role on the team.

Shay Marie

“I kind of asked to be on the bench,” Johnson told the Toronto Sun on Friday. “I guess everybody didn’t know that, huh? … Yeah. I wanted to see if there would be a difference. I wanted to see if we could get the offence going that way. I had talked to the coach weeks before the decision was made. I just wanted to make that clear.”

Johnson has done well as a reserve over the two games as he played 33 minutes and scored 16 points against Golden State on Tuesday and played 33 minutes and scored 22 points on Friday against Phoenix. Unfortunately both games ended in losses for the Raptors who now have a 6-12 record.

ESPN

NBA: Toronto Raptors Trade Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings

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It looks like Rudy Gay is on the move again.  Less than a year after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Toronto Raptors, he’s now being traded to the Sacramento Kings.

Shay Marie

IFWT Woj 1 IFWT woj 2

Gay is currently averaging 19.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.  But he’s averaging 38.8% from the field and taking 18.6 shots a game.  Things had gotten so bad Gay banned stat sheets from the locker room.  It’ll be interesting to see how things work out with both him and DeMarcus Cousins on that Kings roster.

(Video) NBA: Check Out Drake’s NBA All-Star Message

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I guess Drake remembered he’s the ambassador for the Toronto Raptors.   After filming an endorsement for DeMarcus Cousins to make it to the All Star game, Drake now has a new message.

Shay Marie

“We have to send our Toronto Raptors to the All-Star game.”

The NBA All-Star 2014 Ballot is here, so vote now for DeMar DeRozan, who is currently averaging 21.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG and 1 SPG, and the other Raptors.

stunnalife

NBA: Toronto Raptors Planning “Drake Night” In January

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IFWT_drake
When the season started, the Raptors announced that Drake would basically be an ambassador for the team. The Raptors pretty much need all the media and publicity they can get. Now they announced sometime next months they will have a “Drake Night”. Not really sure what that means or what the night will consist of, but it will be against the Brooklyn Nets and limited edition t-shirts will be handed out for the game. Drake will not be performing, that is the one thing we are sure of. So that leaves the question, what exactly is a Drake Night? I guess we will find out together next month.

@IamJoeSports

BSO


NBA Report: Toronto Raptors Looking to Keep Kyle Lowry & Make a Playoff Run

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IFWT Kyle Lowry

The Toronto Raptors entered this season with everyone thinking tanking was the mission.  Things however have gone in the opposite direction.  They traded Rudy Gay and many thought Kyle Lowry was next but the Raptors have been playing so well it looks like they’ll keep the young point guard and make a playoff run.

Shay Marie

“Tank for Wiggins” was the motto with the Raptors hoping to land the No. 1 draft pick and get hometown hero Andrew Wiggins.  But it’s January and the Raptors are currently 17-17 with the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and the top of the Atlantic Division.

While trade discussions had heated up for Lowry it now seems unlikely.

via Marc Stein of ESPN

For the first time, there are certifiable rumbles emanating from Toronto suggesting that the Raptors might well keep point guard Kyle Lowry for the rest of the season. Word is new GM Masai Ujiri continues to resist locking into any sort of firm position — leaving open the possibility of a Lowry deal if the offers suddenly get sweeter — but team officials appear to be growing increasingly comfortable with the idea that it’s better to go for what would be just Toronto’s third playoff berth in 13 seasons rather than try to do the absolute uber-tanking it would take from here for the 17-17 Raps to get into Andrew Wiggins range now.

(Photos) NBA: Toronto Raptors Host “Drake Night”

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IFWT Drake Night 1

The Toronto Raptors announced Drake as their global ambassador and he would be vital for the rebranding of the team.  As part of their initiative they held “Drake Night” on Saturday as the Raptors hosted the Brooklyn Nets.

Shay Marie

Each person in the arena received a limited edition t-shirt like the one Drake is wearing.  The night was a huge success as Drake amped up the crowd and was pretty excited himself as he watched the game from the sideline.

The Raptors won 96-80 stopping the Nets win streak at five games.

*PHOTOS IN GALLERY ABOVE*

c/o Toronto Sun

(Photos) NBA: Drake Rocks Suit Lined With Vince Carter’s Raptors Jersey

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IFWT Drake Raptors

The Toronto Raptors held “Drake Night” on Saturday during their game against the Brooklyn Nets.  During the pregame press conference Drake took off his suit jacket and revealed it was lined with a vintage Vince Carter Raptors jersey.

Shay Marie

*PHOTOS IN GALLERY ABOVE*

(Video) NBA: Drake Does Special Player Introductions During Raptors “Drake Night”

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IFWT Drake announcing

In addition to giving out special edition shirts and hyping up the crowd on the sidelines, Drake also did special player introductions during the Toronto Raptors “Drake Night”.

Shay Marie

(Photos) NBA: Dope, Toronto Raptors Will Wear These Throwbacks Next Season

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IFWT_Raptors
I love throwback Jerseys and the Raptors have really nice ones. They announced today that to mark their 20th anniversary as an NBA team next year, they will go back to wearing the original purple dinosaur jerseys and colors that they had when they started. Some teams should never wear their throwbacks again, but not the Raptors, these jerseys are dope. Check them out.

@IamJoeSports

*Pics in Gallery*

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