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What Thunder said about Nikola Topic and his torn ACL progress

What Thunder said about Nikola Topic and his torn ACL progress

USA Today17-06-2025
What Thunder said about Nikola Topic and his torn ACL progress
Knocking down turnaround 3-pointers, excitement continues to build around Nikola Topic. While the Oklahoma City Thunder are a win away from a championship with a 3-2 2025 NBA Finals series lead over the Indiana Pacers, the 19-year-old has other events circled on his calendar.
Well over a year since he partially tore his ACL in May 2024, Topic could be on the verge of his NBA debut. He'll likely be back for the 2025 Summer League in July. That gives the Thunder at least one player to keep an eye on during the multi-week event.
Topic has rehabbed his torn ACL during the 2024-25 season. He served a redshirt season that helped the Thunder land him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. Before that, the tall playmaker was talked about as a possible top-five pick.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed Topic's progress before they collected a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Pacers. He's had a chance to get a frontrow view of a title contender and how to carry himself around as an NBA player.
"It's hard to tell right now. We obviously saw him in the draft. He's exciting when you watch him on film. In terms of what he's doing right now, he's still X amount of time post-op. He's still return-to-performance. I don't think he's the player right now that he will be in training camp," Daigneault said. "The thing that's most impressive about him to see is he's incredibly young, he's stateside for the first time, in the NBA for the first time, coming off a long-term injury and he's been unbelievably consistent and mature and professional in his approach.
To tear your ACL a month before the draft could be catastrophic for most prospects. Especially somebody as young as Topic. It could cost you millions as you slide down teams' boards. But Daigneault has been impressed with his mental fortitude.
"When you watch somebody go through that, you can learn a lot about them. They are part of the team but they are disconnected in a lot of ways. He didn't travel on most of our trips, and he's an arm's length away a lot of the time. Yet he again approached that with great poise and professionalism," Daigneault said. "Inserted himself into the mix in a very appropriate way. The guys really respect the way that he approaches things. He's an old soul. He's way beyond his years and so that bodes really well for him, regardless where he starts as a player on the court. That stuff translates, and he's been very impressive with that."
Even though the Thunder had a historic 68-14 regular season and are on the doorstep of an NBA championship, Topic could help fix their backup ball-handler role. That's been a struggle OKC has overcome for most of the year but could be solved with Topic's talents.
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How five interns are making a difference in news coverage at The Oklahoman
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  • Yahoo

How five interns are making a difference in news coverage at The Oklahoman

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Malik Beasley Under Federal Investigation Over Gambling Allegations, Social Media Dissects His Past Games
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Malik Beasley Under Federal Investigation Over Gambling Allegations, Social Media Dissects His Past Games

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time27 minutes ago

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NBA free agency winners and losers: Rockets going big; Bucks going nowhere

The NBA's player movement market, crunched by restrictive new salary cap rules, is in such a strange place that the biggest headline from the first 48 hours of this summer's free agency period wasn't a signing or even a trade, but the Milwaukee Bucks' stunning decision Tuesday to release all-star guard Damian Lillard. July 1 didn't exactly feel like Christmas this year for NBA fans, who digested a relatively mild opening to the offseason transaction window. The all-star class hasn't produced much in the way of fireworks: The Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets and the Bucks waived Lillard using the stretch provision for short-term salary cap relief, but that's it in the way of meaningful changes so far. Otherwise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kyrie Irving re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks, Jaren Jackson Jr. re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, and James Harden re-signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. Of course, there's still time for shake-ups: The New York Knicks didn't trade for Karl-Anthony Towns until Oct. 2 last year. While the full story of the NBA offseason hasn't been written yet, here's a rundown of the biggest winners and losers from the first two days of the free agency period. Oklahoma City is the first defending champion in years that managed to improve its roster immediately after winning the title. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti re-signed Gilgeous-Alexander to a no-brainer extension worth $285 million over four years, took care of glue guy Jaylin Williams with a three-year, $24 million deal, and re-signed reserve guard Ajay Mitchell to a three-year, $9 million contract. At some point, Presti will also need to strike rookie extension agreements with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, two crucial pieces of his scintillating core. 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While Oklahoma City should expect to face new threats from the improved Denver Nuggets and Rockets, a mostly quiet summer favors the team that wears the crown. Oklahoma City is the first defending champion in years that managed to improve its roster immediately after winning the title. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti re-signed Gilgeous-Alexander to a no-brainer extension worth $285 million over four years, took care of glue guy Jaylin Williams with a three-year, $24 million deal, and re-signed reserve guard Ajay Mitchell to a three-year, $9 million contract. At some point, Presti will also need to strike rookie extension agreements with Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, two crucial pieces of his scintillating core. With the moves so far, Presti ensured all 12 players who logged at least 50 minutes in the playoffs will be under contract for next season. 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The Bucks solved their massive Lillard problem with the NBA equivalent of taking out a personal loan to pay down credit card debt. After the nine-time all-star guard suffered a torn Achilles' tendon during the playoffs, Milwaukee was staring at a lost 2025-26 season and facing the possibility that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo would request a trade this summer. To appeal to Antetokounmpo and bolster their roster for next season, the Bucks waived Lillard using the NBA's stretch provision so they can spread out the $113 million remaining on his contract over the next five seasons. That maneuver granted Milwaukee enough salary cap flexibility to sign veteran center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract, but it also means Lillard will eat up more than $22 million every year through the 2029-30 season. Gulp. This extreme strategy might have been justified if Milwaukee were in position to be a serious title contender next season, but Antetokounmpo's supporting cast is still heavily reliant on underwhelming contributors such as Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince. The East's title landscape has been decimated by injuries to Boston's Jayson Tatum and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, but Turner's arrival doesn't exactly vault Milwaukee to the top of the standings. While the 29-year-old Turner projects as a clear upgrade over outgoing center Brook Lopez, he is fresh off a forgettable NBA Finals in which he averaged 10.6 points and shot 21.4 percent on three-pointers. The Bucks apparently concluded that the long-term cap damage done by Lillard's stretched contract was worth absorbing as long as Antetokounmpo remains in town. But Milwaukee's bleak future now involves Antetokounmpo stuck without a star sidekick while the Lillard payment plan hangs over the rest of this decade. The Bucks solved their massive Lillard problem with the NBA equivalent of taking out a personal loan to pay down credit card debt. After the nine-time all-star guard suffered a torn Achilles' tendon during the playoffs, Milwaukee was staring at a lost 2025-26 season and facing the possibility that two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo would request a trade this summer. To appeal to Antetokounmpo and bolster their roster for next season, the Bucks waived Lillard using the NBA's stretch provision so they can spread out the $113 million remaining on his contract over the next five seasons. That maneuver granted Milwaukee enough salary cap flexibility to sign veteran center Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million contract, but it also means Lillard will eat up more than $22 million every year through the 2029-30 season. Gulp. This extreme strategy might have been justified if Milwaukee were in position to be a serious title contender next season, but Antetokounmpo's supporting cast is still heavily reliant on underwhelming contributors such as Kevin Porter Jr., Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and Taurean Prince. The East's title landscape has been decimated by injuries to Boston's Jayson Tatum and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, but Turner's arrival doesn't exactly vault Milwaukee to the top of the standings. While the 29-year-old Turner projects as a clear upgrade over outgoing center Brook Lopez, he is fresh off a forgettable NBA Finals in which he averaged 10.6 points and shot 21.4 percent on three-pointers. The Bucks apparently concluded that the long-term cap damage done by Lillard's stretched contract was worth absorbing as long as Antetokounmpo remains in town. But Milwaukee's bleak future now involves Antetokounmpo stuck without a star sidekick while the Lillard payment plan hangs over the rest of this decade. The Rockets mean business, agreeing to trade for Durant and re-signing Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., and Steven Adams before nabbing wing stopper Dorian Finney-Smith and center Clint Capela in free agency. Now that the dust has settled, they freed themselves from Jalen Green, an inconsistent guard who underwhelmed in his playoff debut, and built out a rotation with 10-plus quality contributors. Houston has many of the necessary ingredients to win a championship: lineup flexibility, size, proven scoring, perimeter defense, rebounding and depth. On paper, the Rockets have a case as the biggest threat to the Thunder in the West. Perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the Rockets is that they will need Durant to be a big-time late-game performer if they want to make a deep playoff run. After several wasted seasons with the Suns, Durant will get a chance to return to the NBA's center stage for the first time since his 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets fell just short of the East finals. Does the two-time champion, who turns 37 in September, have one more signature playoff run left in him? The Rockets mean business, agreeing to trade for Durant and re-signing Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., and Steven Adams before nabbing wing stopper Dorian Finney-Smith and center Clint Capela in free agency. Now that the dust has settled, they freed themselves from Jalen Green, an inconsistent guard who underwhelmed in his playoff debut, and built out a rotation with 10-plus quality contributors. Houston has many of the necessary ingredients to win a championship: lineup flexibility, size, proven scoring, perimeter defense, rebounding and depth. On paper, the Rockets have a case as the biggest threat to the Thunder in the West. Perhaps the most thrilling aspect of the Rockets is that they will need Durant to be a big-time late-game performer if they want to make a deep playoff run. After several wasted seasons with the Suns, Durant will get a chance to return to the NBA's center stage for the first time since his 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets fell just short of the East finals. Does the two-time champion, who turns 37 in September, have one more signature playoff run left in him? The charitable approach would be to give the Lakers a 'TBD' grade because they still hadn't addressed their top priority — adding a starting center — as of Wednesday morning. But granting Los Angeles a pass for its early inactivity doesn't feel entirely appropriate given that this summer was its first chance to reshape its roster around Luka Doncic. Instead of lining up perimeter defenders and a lob threat for the Slovenian star, the Lakers watched as the Rockets poached Finney-Smith and saw several center candidates, including Lopez and Capela, sign with other teams. Meanwhile, LeBron James and his agent, Rich Paul, set off trade speculation by issuing a cryptic statement that suggested James and the Lakers have differing priorities. The Lakers really needed some game-changing additions after getting smoked by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Yet so far, they've only taken a step back by replacing Finney-Smith, one of the few players that Lakers Coach JJ Redick trusted in the playoffs, with career backup Jake LaRavia. The charitable approach would be to give the Lakers a 'TBD' grade because they still hadn't addressed their top priority — adding a starting center — as of Wednesday morning. But granting Los Angeles a pass for its early inactivity doesn't feel entirely appropriate given that this summer was its first chance to reshape its roster around Luka Doncic. Instead of lining up perimeter defenders and a lob threat for the Slovenian star, the Lakers watched as the Rockets poached Finney-Smith and saw several center candidates, including Lopez and Capela, sign with other teams. Meanwhile, LeBron James and his agent, Rich Paul, set off trade speculation by issuing a cryptic statement that suggested James and the Lakers have differing priorities. The Lakers really needed some game-changing additions after getting smoked by the Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. Yet so far, they've only taken a step back by replacing Finney-Smith, one of the few players that Lakers Coach JJ Redick trusted in the playoffs, with career backup Jake LaRavia. The Nuggets' decision to replace general manager Calvin Booth with Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace has paid immediate dividends. After Booth's tenure was defined by inactivity and missed opportunities, Denver's new regime struck quickly by trading forward Michael Porter Jr. and a first-round pick to the Nets for Cam Johnson, trading Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas, and signing both Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. Even if Russell Westbrook departs as expected, the Nuggets accomplished important goals by ditching Porter's overly generous contract; replacing Porter's shooting with Johnson's; and improving a shaky second unit with the additions of Brown, who was a member of Denver's 2023 title team, and Valanciunas, a capable backup for franchise center Nikola Jokic. Hypotethetically, Denver might have outlasted Oklahoma City in its second-round playoff matchup had it been able to swap Porter, Westbrook and Saric for Johnson, Brown, Hardaway and Valanciunas before the playoffs. After all, the Nuggets pushed the Thunder to Game 7 despite erratic play from Westbrook and injuries to Porter and Aaron Gordon. Jokic, 30, now looks like he has enough help to lead his fourth straight 50-win team and compete for his fourth MVP award next season. The Nuggets' decision to replace general manager Calvin Booth with Ben Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace has paid immediate dividends. After Booth's tenure was defined by inactivity and missed opportunities, Denver's new regime struck quickly by trading forward Michael Porter Jr. and a first-round pick to the Nets for Cam Johnson, trading Dario Saric to the Sacramento Kings for Jonas Valanciunas, and signing both Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency. Even if Russell Westbrook departs as expected, the Nuggets accomplished important goals by ditching Porter's overly generous contract; replacing Porter's shooting with Johnson's; and improving a shaky second unit with the additions of Brown, who was a member of Denver's 2023 title team, and Valanciunas, a capable backup for franchise center Nikola Jokic. Hypotethetically, Denver might have outlasted Oklahoma City in its second-round playoff matchup had it been able to swap Porter, Westbrook and Saric for Johnson, Brown, Hardaway and Valanciunas before the playoffs. After all, the Nuggets pushed the Thunder to Game 7 despite erratic play from Westbrook and injuries to Porter and Aaron Gordon. Jokic, 30, now looks like he has enough help to lead his fourth straight 50-win team and compete for his fourth MVP award next season. The new cap rules, which were designed to undercut high-spending teams, have cut off the Warriors at the knees. After pulling off a midseason trade for Jimmy Butler, Golden State made no additions of consequence during the opening stage of free agency. Instead, longtime center Kevon Looney, a starter on the Warriors' 2022 championship team, was poached by the New Orleans Pelicans. No wonder Draymond Green recently criticized the National Basketball Players Association for agreeing to the latest collective bargaining agreement, which he said resulted in 'the players [getting] screwed more' despite the league's financial growth. With Stephen Curry, Butler and Green earning nearly $140 million in 2025-26, when the salary cap line is $154.6 million, Golden State has few avenues to make a splash. In a best-case scenario, the Warriors will find a way to sign-and-trade restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga for a piece or pieces that fit better with their core trio. Even if that happens, the Warriors still might not be deep enough to compete with the West's top teams. Golden State looked dysfunctional on offense in the playoffs once Curry got injured in the conference semifinals, and keeping its three aging stars healthy throughout another 82-game season and four rounds of the playoffs will be a tall order. The new cap rules, which were designed to undercut high-spending teams, have cut off the Warriors at the knees. After pulling off a midseason trade for Jimmy Butler, Golden State made no additions of consequence during the opening stage of free agency. Instead, longtime center Kevon Looney, a starter on the Warriors' 2022 championship team, was poached by the New Orleans Pelicans. No wonder Draymond Green recently criticized the National Basketball Players Association for agreeing to the latest collective bargaining agreement, which he said resulted in 'the players [getting] screwed more' despite the league's financial growth. With Stephen Curry, Butler and Green earning nearly $140 million in 2025-26, when the salary cap line is $154.6 million, Golden State has few avenues to make a splash. In a best-case scenario, the Warriors will find a way to sign-and-trade restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga for a piece or pieces that fit better with their core trio. Even if that happens, the Warriors still might not be deep enough to compete with the West's top teams. Golden State looked dysfunctional on offense in the playoffs once Curry got injured in the conference semifinals, and keeping its three aging stars healthy throughout another 82-game season and four rounds of the playoffs will be a tall order. Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh, who was appointed to the position in April, has hit the ground running. In the past two weeks, Saleh has acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics, nabbed an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans, executed a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and signed free agent guard Luke Kennard. Saleh gave up nothing of consequence in the deals for Porzingis and Alexander-Walker, and he handily won the trade with New Orleans. The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but they are well positioned now to climb into the East's second tier. Alexander-Walker arrives as a playoff-tested third guard to complement lead playmaker Trae Young and perimeter stopper Dyson Daniels, and Kennard represents another shooting threat. While Atlanta's ceiling will hinge on Jalen Johnson's health and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher's development, Saleh has added size, experience and athleticism to an organization that had spent years spinning its wheels. Hawks General Manager Onsi Saleh, who was appointed to the position in April, has hit the ground running. In the past two weeks, Saleh has acquired Kristaps Porzingis from the Celtics, nabbed an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans, executed a sign-and-trade with the Timberwolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker and signed free agent guard Luke Kennard. Saleh gave up nothing of consequence in the deals for Porzingis and Alexander-Walker, and he handily won the trade with New Orleans. The Hawks have missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but they are well positioned now to climb into the East's second tier. Alexander-Walker arrives as a playoff-tested third guard to complement lead playmaker Trae Young and perimeter stopper Dyson Daniels, and Kennard represents another shooting threat. While Atlanta's ceiling will hinge on Jalen Johnson's health and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher's development, Saleh has added size, experience and athleticism to an organization that had spent years spinning its wheels. Speaking of Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves were forced to part with the Canadian guard after re-signing forwards Julius Randle (three years, $100 million) and Naz Reid (five years, $125 million). All things considered, Minnesota was able to salvage its big and physical identity by retaining Randle and Reid alongside defensive lynchpin Rudy Gobert. With franchise guard Anthony Edwards entering his age-24 season, Minnesota avoided taking a major step back despite its cap constraints. Still, losing Alexander-Walker will thin out a backcourt that was already overmatched in the Western Conference finals against the Thunder. Mike Conley will turn 38 before the 2025-26 season opens, and Edwards needs assistance when it comes to ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities. Unless 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham can take a major step forward, Minnesota's shallow backcourt rotation could hold it back from reaching a third straight West finals. Speaking of Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves were forced to part with the Canadian guard after re-signing forwards Julius Randle (three years, $100 million) and Naz Reid (five years, $125 million). All things considered, Minnesota was able to salvage its big and physical identity by retaining Randle and Reid alongside defensive lynchpin Rudy Gobert. With franchise guard Anthony Edwards entering his age-24 season, Minnesota avoided taking a major step back despite its cap constraints. Still, losing Alexander-Walker will thin out a backcourt that was already overmatched in the Western Conference finals against the Thunder. Mike Conley will turn 38 before the 2025-26 season opens, and Edwards needs assistance when it comes to ballhandling and playmaking responsibilities. Unless 2024 lottery pick Rob Dillingham can take a major step forward, Minnesota's shallow backcourt rotation could hold it back from reaching a third straight West finals. The Grizzlies win points for self-awareness. Their late-season collapse, which culminated in a first-round playoff exit against the Thunder, made it clear to management that the trio of Jackson, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane wasn't going to be delivering a championship any time soon. With Morant's trade value submarined by his off-court shenanigans and Jackson in line for a lucrative contract extension, Memphis traded Bane to better balance its books. Finding a buyer for a two-way talent such as Bane was the easy part. The Grizzlies then set about replacing his production by striking a draft-day trade for Cedric Coward and signing free agent guard Ty Jerome, who was fresh off a career year with the Cavaliers. Memphis also landed veteran backcourt stopper Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Bane trade, re-signed coveted forward Santi Aldama in free agency and agreed to sign Jackson to a five-year, $240 million extension. Instead of a top-heavy salary sheet for a team that wasn't good enough to push the West's best, Memphis has restored its second-unit depth and maintained its fast-paced style. With better health for Morant, the Grizzlies could easily climb over a few teams that finished above them in last year's West standings. The Grizzlies win points for self-awareness. Their late-season collapse, which culminated in a first-round playoff exit against the Thunder, made it clear to management that the trio of Jackson, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane wasn't going to be delivering a championship any time soon. With Morant's trade value submarined by his off-court shenanigans and Jackson in line for a lucrative contract extension, Memphis traded Bane to better balance its books. Finding a buyer for a two-way talent such as Bane was the easy part. The Grizzlies then set about replacing his production by striking a draft-day trade for Cedric Coward and signing free agent guard Ty Jerome, who was fresh off a career year with the Cavaliers. Memphis also landed veteran backcourt stopper Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Bane trade, re-signed coveted forward Santi Aldama in free agency and agreed to sign Jackson to a five-year, $240 million extension. Instead of a top-heavy salary sheet for a team that wasn't good enough to push the West's best, Memphis has restored its second-unit depth and maintained its fast-paced style. With better health for Morant, the Grizzlies could easily climb over a few teams that finished above them in last year's West standings. The Raptors' offseason got off to a demoralizing start when franchise icon Masai Ujiri was let go on Friday, one day after the NBA draft concluded and just three days before the free agency window opened. Ujiri, an executive who transformed the Raptors from a laughingstock into the 2019 champions, apparently fell out of favor with ownership following two consecutive dismal seasons. In the years since his bold trade for Kawhi Leonard set up Toronto for its first title, Ujiri lost his golden touch in the draft and watched major talents — Leonard, VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby — leave town. Ujiri's critical flaw in the post-championship years was that he undervalued shooting. Still, many of Toronto's most important young players are simply not good enough shooters to be major weapons in the modern era. Bobby Webster, Ujiri's deputy, has made only one notable move this week: re-signing center Jakob Poeltl to a four-year, $104 million contract, which was in the discussion for the week's biggest overpay. Poeltl, 29, hasn't played in a playoff game since 2019 and crunches the court because — you guessed it — he is a non-shooter. The Raptors have now made major financial commitments to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Poeltl, a group that presents countless fit questions and is wholly lacking in playoff success. Toronto must hope that Ingram, who arrived in a midseason trade but didn't play down the stretch because of injury, and Barnes, a talented but immature 23-year-old forward, can boost its outlook next season. That's not impossible given the tattered state of the East, but Ujiri's abrupt exit provided a harsh reminder of just how far the Raptors have fallen — and how much work they have ahead of them to climb back up. The Raptors' offseason got off to a demoralizing start when franchise icon Masai Ujiri was let go on Friday, one day after the NBA draft concluded and just three days before the free agency window opened. Ujiri, an executive who transformed the Raptors from a laughingstock into the 2019 champions, apparently fell out of favor with ownership following two consecutive dismal seasons. In the years since his bold trade for Kawhi Leonard set up Toronto for its first title, Ujiri lost his golden touch in the draft and watched major talents — Leonard, VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby — leave town. Ujiri's critical flaw in the post-championship years was that he undervalued shooting. Still, many of Toronto's most important young players are simply not good enough shooters to be major weapons in the modern era. Bobby Webster, Ujiri's deputy, has made only one notable move this week: re-signing center Jakob Poeltl to a four-year, $104 million contract, which was in the discussion for the week's biggest overpay. Poeltl, 29, hasn't played in a playoff game since 2019 and crunches the court because — you guessed it — he is a non-shooter. The Raptors have now made major financial commitments to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Poeltl, a group that presents countless fit questions and is wholly lacking in playoff success. Toronto must hope that Ingram, who arrived in a midseason trade but didn't play down the stretch because of injury, and Barnes, a talented but immature 23-year-old forward, can boost its outlook next season. That's not impossible given the tattered state of the East, but Ujiri's abrupt exit provided a harsh reminder of just how far the Raptors have fallen — and how much work they have ahead of them to climb back up.

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