According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, the Toronto Raptors and not the Heat are currently the favorites to land Lillard. The talks between the Raptors and Portland have intensified in recent days, and the two sides are getting closer to an agreement.

The Heat tried to make a deal with the Blazers, but their offer, which centered on shooting guard Tyler Herro and several first-round picks, has been deemed underwhelming by Portland’s front office. The Raptors’ offer, on the other hand, is regarded as much more attractive.

Toronto has several players that are interesting to the Blazers, including All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, and 2023’s steals leader O.G. Anunoby. It is believed that the Raptors can seal the deal if they offer two of the previously mentioned players alongside a couple of first-rounders.

There are several other suitors for Lillard who could make a late attempt, including the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blazers reportedly would like to have a deal in place by the end of the month, which would ensure a controversy-free training camp.

The post Toronto Raptors Emerge as Favorites to Land Blazers’ Superstar Damian Lillard appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In a recent report published on The Athletic, NBA insider Shams Charania wrote that the Raptors are willing to listen to offers from Siakam as they lean towards a rebuild. However, there hasn’t been much traction in talks with other teams, and only the Hawks made an official offer.

According to Charania, the Hawks offered a package that included forwards De’Andre Hunter and AJ Griffin alongside draft compensation. The Raptors ended up passing on the proposal, and the teams are yet to engage in another round of talks.

The Hawks are reportedly still interested in Siakam and might return with another offer at a later date. But they don’t intend to overpay for the 29-year-old forward and would be comfortable entering the 2023-24 NBA season with the current roster.

Pascal Siakam currently has one year left on the four-year, $130 million extension he signed with the Raptors back in 2019. He is coming off his best season as a pro, having averaged a career-high 24.2 points and 5.8 assists alongside 7.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23. Siakam won the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2019 and has two All-Star selections on his resume.

The post Hawks Had a Trade Proposal for All-Star Pascal Siakam, Rejected By the Raptors appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Among those whom the Raptors have obtained permission to interview are Golden State’s Kenny Atkinson, Miami’s Chris Quinn, Milwaukee’s Charles Lee, and Phoenix’s Kevin Young. The Raptors are also seeking to interview other candidates.

Candidates outside of the NBA that the Raptors have been in contact with include WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who led the Aces to the 2022 WNBA championship and was voted the WNBA’s coach of the year.

Former head coach Nick Nurse was dismissed from his role last week after the Raptors’ elimination from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. The team went 41-41 this season.

The post Raptors Broaden Search for Next Coach appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Nurse joined the Raptors as an assistant in 2013 and took over as a head coach in 2018. He would go on to win the NBA title, the franchise’s first, in his first year at the helm. 

“I think I’m concentrated on this job, for sure, and this game,” Nurse told reporters on Friday. “But I think that 10 years is a good time to sit back and reflect a little bit. I think we’re going to do that all when the season ends.”

Nurse’s comments follow months of speculations about his future with the franchise. Toronto struggled for the better part of the season and is currently sitting at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference with a 39-39 record. While Nurse isn’t considered the main culprit for the team’s poor form, many believe that the Raptors might want to bring in a new face in the building to shake things up.

If Nurse ends up leaving, he will have no shortage of suitors. The 55-year-old is a well-respected coach in the league, and recent reports have identified Houston Rockets as the team interested in hiring him.

The Raptors, on the other hand, are believed to be leaning towards former Boston Celtics’ head coach Ime Udoka as a candidate if they are required to make a coaching hire.

The post Raptors’ Coach Nick Nurse to “Sit Back and Reflect A Little Bit” After NBA Season Ends appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I don’t mind, I’ll take a fine, I don’t really care,” VanVleet said.

The major issue for VanVleet seemed to be technical, which Taylor gave him in the third quarter.

“You come out tonight, competing pretty hard, and I get a tech that changes the whole dynamic of the game, changed the whole flow of the game,” he added.

VanVleet continued by saying how some referees have been ruining the game for fans and that “the power trip that we’ve been on this year with some of our officials in this league is getting out of hand.”

The technical foul in the Clippers game was the eighth technical for the 29-year-old player this season. Curiously, three of those eight were handed to him by Taylor.

VanVleet finished the Clippers game with 13 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. The loss dropped the Raptors to a 32-35 record, and they are currently sitting at No. 9 with just one game in hand on the Chicago Bulls, who are sitting outside the Play-In tournament at No.11. 

The post Raptors’ Fred VanVleet Criticizes Officiating After 108-100 Loss to Clippers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In order to free up the spot for Barton, the Raptors waived forward Juancho Hernangomez. The Spaniard, known for starring in Netflix’s Hustle, has been averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season.

Barton joined the Wizards in the offseason as part of the deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Denver Nuggets. The 32-year-old player played off the bench for Washington, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in less than 20 minutes per game. But when it became clear Burton would have an even more diminished role moving forward, the two sides agreed to part ways before his contract expires in the summer. 

Barton already had his first chat with the reporters in Toronto and said that he believes he can help the franchise make a playoff push. The Raptors are currently at No. 9 in the East with a 31-32 record, trailing the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets by 3.5 games.

“Definitely a team that’s way better than their record, everyone knows that around the league,” Barton said. “Very talented, well coached, well run organization, so, hopefully we can keep getting wins, get our record better and get into the playoffs.”

The post Raptors Sign Veteran Forward Will Barton appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Siakam incurred his injury during the third quarter of the Raptors’ 111-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The 28-year-old player immediately left the court after suffering his injury.

Losing Siakam will place a large strain on the Raptors, particularly since he is the team’s leading scorer this season. Prior to his injury, Siakam had been averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists for the season, all of which are career-high figures for the power forward.

In addition to attaining the Raptors’ top-scoring average, the Cameroonian national possesses the top rebounding average and shares the top assist average with teammate Fred VanVleet.

Currently, the Raptors are sitting in fifth place on the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 6-4.

The post Raptors’ Siakam Out For At Least Two Weeks appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While the 31st game overall in which two players from Cameroon started an NBA game together, this is the first time that both players were on the same team. Pascal Siakam has been involved in several of those encounters, coming up against Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid.

Siakam and Koloko proved to be an effective partnership in the Raptors’ Monday night victory, scoring a combined 25 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Still, the pair may make history once again later this week.

With the Raptors set to face the 76ers Wednesday and Friday, this could be the first time in NBA history that three Cameroonians start in the same match. For this to occur, all three of Siakam, Koloko, and Embiid will have to be selected for their starting lineups.

Koloko, who made his NBA debut last week, is only the fifth native Cameroonian ever to start an NBA game.

The post Pascal Siakam and Christian Koloko Make NBA History in Raptors vs Heat appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barnes underwent an X-ray following the conclusion of the game, however, the result came back negative. According to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, it remains unclear whether Barnes will require an MRI as well as the severity of his injury.

With 5 minutes and 15 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter, Barnes collapsed after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a layup. He immediately left the court, sitting on the bench during an injury timeout before returning to the court to take a free throw which he missed. Following the free throw, Barnes left the court and headed for the locker room where he remained for the rest of the game.

“You never want to lose a guy,” coach Nurse exclaimed. “Obviously he goes out and they’re talking about X-rays right away so you’re concerned it could be something really serious. We’ll just see.”

Last season, Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, beating Cleveland’s Evan Mobley to become Rookie of the Year.

The post Toronto Raptors’ Barnes Exits Heat Game Early Due to Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Raptors shared the news on social media by posting their NBA preseason schedule that will see them play two games at their Scotiabank Arena.

The preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 4th will be their first home game since February 2020. The Raptors will also open the regular 2021-22 season in front of their home fans, playing against the Washington Wizards.

Due to coronavirus pandemic-related travel restrictions, the Toronto Raptors did not receive clearance to host other teams in their home arena for the 2020-21 NBA season. This forced the team to find an alternative home in the United States, settling for Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay after also considering Nashville, Kansas City, and Buffalo.

Away from home, the franchise didn’t have the best of campaigns. The team struggled with injuries for the better part of the season and finished No. 12 in Eastern Conference with a 27-45 record. This was the team’s worst outing since 2011-12 and first season under head coach Nick Nurse that they didn’t make it to the postseason.

The post Raptors Receive Green Light to Play in Canada Again appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

According to ESPN’s Marc J. Spears, the Toronto Raptors and not the Heat are currently the favorites to land Lillard. The talks between the Raptors and Portland have intensified in recent days, and the two sides are getting closer to an agreement.

The Heat tried to make a deal with the Blazers, but their offer, which centered on shooting guard Tyler Herro and several first-round picks, has been deemed underwhelming by Portland’s front office. The Raptors’ offer, on the other hand, is regarded as much more attractive.

Toronto has several players that are interesting to the Blazers, including All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, former Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, and 2023’s steals leader O.G. Anunoby. It is believed that the Raptors can seal the deal if they offer two of the previously mentioned players alongside a couple of first-rounders.

There are several other suitors for Lillard who could make a late attempt, including the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blazers reportedly would like to have a deal in place by the end of the month, which would ensure a controversy-free training camp.

The post Toronto Raptors Emerge as Favorites to Land Blazers’ Superstar Damian Lillard appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In a recent report published on The Athletic, NBA insider Shams Charania wrote that the Raptors are willing to listen to offers from Siakam as they lean towards a rebuild. However, there hasn’t been much traction in talks with other teams, and only the Hawks made an official offer.

According to Charania, the Hawks offered a package that included forwards De’Andre Hunter and AJ Griffin alongside draft compensation. The Raptors ended up passing on the proposal, and the teams are yet to engage in another round of talks.

The Hawks are reportedly still interested in Siakam and might return with another offer at a later date. But they don’t intend to overpay for the 29-year-old forward and would be comfortable entering the 2023-24 NBA season with the current roster.

Pascal Siakam currently has one year left on the four-year, $130 million extension he signed with the Raptors back in 2019. He is coming off his best season as a pro, having averaged a career-high 24.2 points and 5.8 assists alongside 7.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23. Siakam won the NBA Most Improved Player award in 2019 and has two All-Star selections on his resume.

The post Hawks Had a Trade Proposal for All-Star Pascal Siakam, Rejected By the Raptors appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Among those whom the Raptors have obtained permission to interview are Golden State’s Kenny Atkinson, Miami’s Chris Quinn, Milwaukee’s Charles Lee, and Phoenix’s Kevin Young. The Raptors are also seeking to interview other candidates.

Candidates outside of the NBA that the Raptors have been in contact with include WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, who led the Aces to the 2022 WNBA championship and was voted the WNBA’s coach of the year.

Former head coach Nick Nurse was dismissed from his role last week after the Raptors’ elimination from the Eastern Conference play-in tournament at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. The team went 41-41 this season.

The post Raptors Broaden Search for Next Coach appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Nurse joined the Raptors as an assistant in 2013 and took over as a head coach in 2018. He would go on to win the NBA title, the franchise’s first, in his first year at the helm. 

“I think I’m concentrated on this job, for sure, and this game,” Nurse told reporters on Friday. “But I think that 10 years is a good time to sit back and reflect a little bit. I think we’re going to do that all when the season ends.”

Nurse’s comments follow months of speculations about his future with the franchise. Toronto struggled for the better part of the season and is currently sitting at No. 8 in the Eastern Conference with a 39-39 record. While Nurse isn’t considered the main culprit for the team’s poor form, many believe that the Raptors might want to bring in a new face in the building to shake things up.

If Nurse ends up leaving, he will have no shortage of suitors. The 55-year-old is a well-respected coach in the league, and recent reports have identified Houston Rockets as the team interested in hiring him.

The Raptors, on the other hand, are believed to be leaning towards former Boston Celtics’ head coach Ime Udoka as a candidate if they are required to make a coaching hire.

The post Raptors’ Coach Nick Nurse to “Sit Back and Reflect A Little Bit” After NBA Season Ends appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

“I don’t mind, I’ll take a fine, I don’t really care,” VanVleet said.

The major issue for VanVleet seemed to be technical, which Taylor gave him in the third quarter.

“You come out tonight, competing pretty hard, and I get a tech that changes the whole dynamic of the game, changed the whole flow of the game,” he added.

VanVleet continued by saying how some referees have been ruining the game for fans and that “the power trip that we’ve been on this year with some of our officials in this league is getting out of hand.”

The technical foul in the Clippers game was the eighth technical for the 29-year-old player this season. Curiously, three of those eight were handed to him by Taylor.

VanVleet finished the Clippers game with 13 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. The loss dropped the Raptors to a 32-35 record, and they are currently sitting at No. 9 with just one game in hand on the Chicago Bulls, who are sitting outside the Play-In tournament at No.11. 

The post Raptors’ Fred VanVleet Criticizes Officiating After 108-100 Loss to Clippers appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

In order to free up the spot for Barton, the Raptors waived forward Juancho Hernangomez. The Spaniard, known for starring in Netflix’s Hustle, has been averaging 2.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game this season.

Barton joined the Wizards in the offseason as part of the deal that sent Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Denver Nuggets. The 32-year-old player played off the bench for Washington, averaging 7.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in less than 20 minutes per game. But when it became clear Burton would have an even more diminished role moving forward, the two sides agreed to part ways before his contract expires in the summer. 

Barton already had his first chat with the reporters in Toronto and said that he believes he can help the franchise make a playoff push. The Raptors are currently at No. 9 in the East with a 31-32 record, trailing the sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets by 3.5 games.

“Definitely a team that’s way better than their record, everyone knows that around the league,” Barton said. “Very talented, well coached, well run organization, so, hopefully we can keep getting wins, get our record better and get into the playoffs.”

The post Raptors Sign Veteran Forward Will Barton appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Siakam incurred his injury during the third quarter of the Raptors’ 111-110 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The 28-year-old player immediately left the court after suffering his injury.

Losing Siakam will place a large strain on the Raptors, particularly since he is the team’s leading scorer this season. Prior to his injury, Siakam had been averaging 24.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists for the season, all of which are career-high figures for the power forward.

In addition to attaining the Raptors’ top-scoring average, the Cameroonian national possesses the top rebounding average and shares the top assist average with teammate Fred VanVleet.

Currently, the Raptors are sitting in fifth place on the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 6-4.

The post Raptors’ Siakam Out For At Least Two Weeks appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

While the 31st game overall in which two players from Cameroon started an NBA game together, this is the first time that both players were on the same team. Pascal Siakam has been involved in several of those encounters, coming up against Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid.

Siakam and Koloko proved to be an effective partnership in the Raptors’ Monday night victory, scoring a combined 25 points and 11 rebounds in the game. Still, the pair may make history once again later this week.

With the Raptors set to face the 76ers Wednesday and Friday, this could be the first time in NBA history that three Cameroonians start in the same match. For this to occur, all three of Siakam, Koloko, and Embiid will have to be selected for their starting lineups.

Koloko, who made his NBA debut last week, is only the fifth native Cameroonian ever to start an NBA game.

The post Pascal Siakam and Christian Koloko Make NBA History in Raptors vs Heat appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

Barnes underwent an X-ray following the conclusion of the game, however, the result came back negative. According to Raptors coach Nick Nurse, it remains unclear whether Barnes will require an MRI as well as the severity of his injury.

With 5 minutes and 15 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter, Barnes collapsed after landing awkwardly on his right foot following a layup. He immediately left the court, sitting on the bench during an injury timeout before returning to the court to take a free throw which he missed. Following the free throw, Barnes left the court and headed for the locker room where he remained for the rest of the game.

“You never want to lose a guy,” coach Nurse exclaimed. “Obviously he goes out and they’re talking about X-rays right away so you’re concerned it could be something really serious. We’ll just see.”

Last season, Barnes averaged 15.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists, beating Cleveland’s Evan Mobley to become Rookie of the Year.

The post Toronto Raptors’ Barnes Exits Heat Game Early Due to Injury appeared first on yoursportspot.com.

The Raptors shared the news on social media by posting their NBA preseason schedule that will see them play two games at their Scotiabank Arena.

The preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 4th will be their first home game since February 2020. The Raptors will also open the regular 2021-22 season in front of their home fans, playing against the Washington Wizards.

Due to coronavirus pandemic-related travel restrictions, the Toronto Raptors did not receive clearance to host other teams in their home arena for the 2020-21 NBA season. This forced the team to find an alternative home in the United States, settling for Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay after also considering Nashville, Kansas City, and Buffalo.

Away from home, the franchise didn’t have the best of campaigns. The team struggled with injuries for the better part of the season and finished No. 12 in Eastern Conference with a 27-45 record. This was the team’s worst outing since 2011-12 and first season under head coach Nick Nurse that they didn’t make it to the postseason.

The post Raptors Receive Green Light to Play in Canada Again appeared first on yoursportspot.com.