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Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Raptors weigh trade pitches for No. 9 pick in NBA draft
Part misdirection, part fibbing, some truths only partially told. Welcome to the final days leading up to the NBA draft, and the annual rites of misinformation. How it ultimately ends up after the first round of the NBA draft unfolds Wednesday night is impossible to tell, which is why the Raptors, as always, are leaving all avenues open. Trade? That's a possibility. Choose for need or best player available? Well, you can talk yourself and fans into thinking the best player available happens to fill a need. Like the group that's expected to be available when they choose at No. 9, if indeed they choose at No. 9? Of course. It's not like anyone would say: 'This group at our slot is full of suspects and no-hopers and we don't like any of them.' So, take everything said with a grain of salt; it's how everyone approaches the final 48 or so hours before the picks start flying. True to history and script, Dan Tolzman, Toronto's assistant general manager and vice-president of player personnel, espoused a few theories in his annual chat with the media on Monday, all of which are sure to whet the appetite of fans. He admitted it's not likely Toronto will move higher than No. 9, but there's more than the usual amount of interest from teams below them wanting to move up. And if the Raptors think they can get the guy they want (or a close facsimile) a few pegs down, it'll be trade time. 'I think there's a lot of people that have the same feeling as we do, that the top 10, the (top of the) lottery … is a pretty good place to be,' Tolzman said in his session. 'There's definitely interest in people trying to get our pick, I think for the same reason. I wouldn't say (there's a specific) percentage chance that we do one or the other, but there (are) definitely conversations being had with teams trying to get into the top 10, for the same reason why we like being here right now.' Aside from Scottie Barnes (fourth, 2021) and Jakob Poeltl (ninth, 2016), this is the highest the Raptors have been scheduled to pick since they took Terrence Ross eighth in 2012. The various mock drafts floating around, for what they're worth, have the Raptors linked to a variety of big men to addressing the biggest roster need: a backup centre. But Tolzman didn't sound at all enthusiastic about the chance of getting a young big man who might be able to help right away, even a bit. 'Actual rotation minutes (for centres) is probably easier to fill in free agency or trade or different scenarios than to actually bank on a draft pick coming in and doing that,' he said. 'If they can do that … that's a perfect scenario. But to make that decision in late June and then hope by October that you're actually getting that production, it's just too hard to plan with that in mind.' The names that are being bandied about, and have been linked to the Raptors for weeks, are Duke centre Khaman Maluach, Maryland centre Derik Queen, French forward Noa Essengue from the German league and South Carolina defensive stalwart Collin Murray-Boyles. Much will depend on what happens in the top eight selections. And just because the Raptors haven't have a private session with anyone won't preclude them from being drafted. They didn't have a one-on-one with first-rounder Ja'Kobe Walter a year ago; didn't even meet with him at the Chicago pre-draft combine. It's not like the Raptors would be picking blind. 'It's always the song and dance you do with agents. They're going to tell you their guy's for sure going ahead of us … so they only work out for a certain number of teams,' Tolzman said. 'And then there's another whole group of players who say that we would never consider their guy at nine or wherever, so they don't send them to us because they have to prioritize teams in the range that they think their guy's going to go. 'It is what it is, but … we scout these guys so much during the season that … a workout doesn't really sway you that much.'
Toronto Sun
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Moving on from Masai: Getting to know new Raptors bosses Bobby Webster and Dan Tolzman
Leafs add some interesting life stories among their six draft picks GOLDSTEIN: What happened to Mark Carney's art of the deal? What was NHL thinking with idiotic format that set league's entry draft back decades? Moving on from Masai: Getting to know new Raptors bosses Bobby Webster and Dan Tolzman Both men have been with Toronto for years and other long-time staffers will also be sticking around. Get the latest from Ryan Wolstat straight to your inbox Sign Up Photo by ERNEST DOROSZUK / Toronto Sun files) Article content Masai Ujiri is out, but Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment leadership are handing the Raptors keys to his top lieutenants Bobby Webster and Dan Tolzman. Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account or Sign in without password View more offers Article content Webster and Tolzman are more low key than the dynamic Ujiri, but both have been around the game a long time and helped build the Raptors into a perennial contender and eventually, NBA champions in 2019. Article content tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Moving on from Masai: Getting to know new Raptors bosses Bobby Webster and Dan Tolzman Back to video tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video Article content Here's more on both: BOBBY WEBSTER Webster, a native of Hawaii, spent years working for the NBA's head office in New York, even helping write a collective bargaining agreement and was seen as a rules and salary cap expert upon his hiring in Toronto in 2013. He joined the NBA in 2006 and was serving as the league's associate director for salary cap management when he joined the Raptors as Ujiri's first hire. 'His skill set will beA valuableA in a number of areas, and his experience and knowledge of the CBA and its complexities from a league level will be aA greatA asset to the organization,' Ujiri said at the time. Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Webster hiring followed an MLSE trend of grabbing highly-regarded up-and-comers from league offices. The Maple Leafs did the same with Brandon Pridham, who is still with the club, and Toronto FC did it with Tim Bezbatchenko who became perhaps the best executive in Major League Soccer and helped TFC become a power until he left for his native Columbus. When queried by reporters about salary cap or rule minutiae over the years, Ujiri would often quip: 'I'll have to ask Bobby' (if the play was legal). Webster mostly operated in the background, first as Toronto's vice president of basketball management and strategy and then assistant general manager in 2016 when Jeff Weltman was promoted to general manager and Ujiri to team president. Your Midday Sun Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Your Midday Sun will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Article content Advertisement 4 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Weltman left the following year to head the Orlando Magic and Webster, at 32, became the NBA's youngest general manager. Toronto has won 341 games since Webster became GM, ninth-most in the NBA, including franchise-record 59 and 58 win campaigns, along with the 2019 title. Ujiri and Weltman are amongst the many who long believed Webster would run his own franchise one day. Webster was seen as a key driver of the franchise-changing Kawhi Leonard deal that sent out DeMar DeRozan, due to a close relationship with San Antonio Spurs general manager Brian Wright dating back to their time together as interns with the Magic. From before that and until the present day, Webster has done much of the heavy lifting for the Raptors in terms of trade and draft discussions, with Ujiri still of course having been involved and operating as the public face of the franchise. Advertisement 5 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Now, Webster will, somewhat reluctantly, given his preference to remain low profile (he once even interviewed for the CIA), step into the spotlight. Webster lives in Toronto with his wife Lauren and their three children. Photo by Ernest Doroszuk / Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network DAN TOLZMAN Tolzman's path to a prominent NBA job was different than Webster's, but also intriguing. Born in Tucson, Ariz., Tolzman went to Minnesota to play basketball, but ended up quitting the team at the University of Minnesota-Morris, to join the sports information department. He'd follow that media relations path all the way to the NBA, joining the Denver Nuggets in 2004-05 as an intern. By the time Ujiri was running the Nuggets, Tolzman had been promoted to media relations manager and he then shifted to a role as a scout, which isn't the most common switch in professional sports. Advertisement 6 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Ujiri saw enough out of Tolzman that he brought him with to Toronto as director of scouting when Ujiri replaced Bryan Colangelo as Raptors general manager in 2013. Tolzman was promoted in the summer of 2015 to director of player personnel and was also named the first general manager of Raptors 905, the club's developmental squad. 'I'm honoured to have been named the first GM of Raptors 905,' Tolzman said then. 'The NBA D-League is all about development, and I look forward to using this opportunity to develop in my career while building and maintaining a competitive roster of young up-and-coming players. 'The benefits of owning a D-League team will be tremendous for the players and staff of the Raptors organization for years to come.' Advertisement 7 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Sure enough, Raptors 905 would win a championship and a pair of conference titles in the renamed NBA G League and has served as a pipeline for the big club. When Webster was elevated and Weltman left in 2017, Tolzman became Raptors assistant general manager and vice president of player personnel, his current roles. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Play Video In general terms, Tolzman has been regarded as the head of Toronto's scouting department for years now and spearheaded the recruitment and signing of Fred VanVleet as an undrafted free agent and helped the team unearth gems like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Norman Powell. He was the chief spokesman for the Raptors when they used to gather the media to chat about draft prospects working out for the team, and he continues to mostly be the draft face of the club leading up to the event each June and right afterward (he talked twice last week, Webster once). Advertisement 8 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content He has often espoused the take the best player available strategy in drafts, and with Tolzman's input, the Raptors did just that in taking Collin Murray-Boyles ninth overall, despite a glaring need at centre. 'I think the biggest thing is to not make draft decisions based on your current roster and your current situation,' Tolzman had said years ago. 'You keep it in the back of your head. You'll take it into account when you're drafting players. But if the most talented guy or the highest guy on your list happens to be in a position where you're loaded up, you can work something out later.' While Webster and Tolzman are now at the top of the chain of basketball operations, MLSE president Keith Pelley said the club is searching for a new president (Webster will be in the running for the job) and other long-standing members of the front office (like senior basketball advisor since 2005 Wayne Embry and VP basketball strategy & research Keith Boyarsky, with the club since 2009, amongst others), will also be staying on. @WolstatSun Article content Share this article in your social network Read Next
National Post
27-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Masai Ujiri out as Toronto Raptors president in stunning move by new ownership
The man who did the seemingly impossible — lead the Toronto Raptors to an NBA title, is out. Article content Masai Ujiri, the architect of the 2019 NBA champions, mutually agreed with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to part ways ahead of the final year of his most recent contract extension, ESPN first reported Friday and a source confirmed to Postmedia. Article content In addition to the title, Ujiri and his staff helped lead the Raptors to unprecedented heights prior to the pandemic. Only three franchises won more regular-season games than the Raptors from 2012-13 to 2019-20 and a franchise that had only one playoff series victory before Ujiri took over from Bryan Colangelo in May of 2013 won nine playoff series over the years. Article content Things have not been as rosy since the NBA returned from its shutdown. Toronto sits 23rd of 30 teams in wins since with only one playoff appearance. Article content Ujiri was part of the team's draft process this week and even stopped by to greet reporters on Wednesday night, though general manager Bobby Webster did the official media duties that night and assistant GM Dan Tolzman the next. Article content Article content
National Post
26-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
How Raptors first-round draft pick Collin Murray-Boyles fits in Toronto
Collin Murray-Boyles cleared up his viral reaction to being drafted by the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday and now it's time to clear up how he should fit on the team starting next season. Article content Murray-Boyles, the former South Carolina star considered by some as the best off-ball defender in the draft, chiefly brings that skill to the table. Article content Article content Toronto will prioritize aggressive, disruptive defensive schemes and Murray-Boyles is an ideal fit in that regard. A master of blowing up plays with steals and deflections, Murray-Boyles should complement Scottie Barnes, who at times last year flashed all-defensive potential. Article content He can also maintain some of the disruptive qualities Barnes provides when the team's star is resting on the bench. Article content Raptors assistant general manger Dan Tolzman had said earlier this week that the team was looking for players who would be able to thrive in the playoffs when things get more physical. They want strong and smart players and Murray-Boyles is both. His defensive IQ is considered top level, he's a great competitor and a hard worker. Article content It's less clear how he fits on the other end, but head coach Darko Rajakovic likes multi-skilled players who can make quick decisions and Murray-Boyles fits the bill there as well. Article content Perhaps they try to let him bully small forwards or out-quick centres at times, even if power forward is his natural spot. Article content 'I think at the defensive end, he can guard all over,' Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said after the draft's first round. 'What's the natural fit on the offensive end? I think we'll see. I think he handles the ball well. He does a lot of things. You see sort of Darko does in his offence: Dribble handoffs, sort of operate from the top, pass well. So we think he fits sort of on both ends.' Article content The long-time Toronto GM said they had Murray-Boyles ranked higher than where he went (as did many draft evaluators in the public sphere). Article content 'We had our eye on him going into the season. Elite defence, versatile, good hands. He has a chance to be a really, really good defender in the NBA.' Article content On offence, shooting will be the swing skill for Murray-Boyles, the difference between Toronto getting a decent starter, a strong reserve or a potential high-impact starter. Article content While he led the SEC in field goal and effective field goal percentage, Murray-Boyles almost exclusively got two-point buckets, only attempting 34 three-pointers in 32 games, making just 26.5% of them. Keep in mind the NCAA three-point line is closer than the NBA one, so there's lots of work to be done on his outside shooting. Article content Murray-Boyles told us he has been working extremely hard on his jump shot and now will get into the Toronto system, which has had some success in the past (most notably recently with Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby and, to some degree, with Barnes, though he took several steps backward there last season). He already went from just five three-point attempts as a freshman to one or so per game as a sophomore.
New York Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Khaman Maluach, Carter Bryant and other players Raptors should target at NBA Draft
TORONTO — As you might have guessed based on my last column, I believe the Toronto Raptors should use their pick to select a rookie for next year's roster in Wednesday's first round of the NBA Draft, barring a star who fits better than Kevin Durant would have coming along. Actually, let's amend that a little bit — I believe they should use a pick to select someone for next year's roster in the first round. Making a trade is always more complicated in practice than in theory. With that said, finding a way to move down and gain a little something extra while still grabbing a player they like later in the first round could be a nice lane for the Raptors. Advertisement 'It doesn't seem like there's many options out there, at least to move up,' Raptors assistant general manager Dan Tolzman said Monday at a news conference. The Raptors have the ninth pick on Wednesday. They also have the 39th pick, or ninth in the second round, which is Thursday night. 'I think there's a lot of people that have the same feeling as we do — that the top 10, the lottery, whatever, is a pretty good place to be. 'There's definitely interest in people trying to get our pick, I think for the same reason. It's an interesting group of players around there. I wouldn't say (there's an) any-percentage chance that we do one or the other, but there (are) definitely conversations being had of teams trying to get into the top 10 for the same reason as why we like being here right now.' Tolzman was very clear that the Raptors' top eight players, or whatever the number might be, are surely different from other teams' lists. The notion of 'picking a player too high' is easy to say in the immediate aftermath of a draft, but not often simple to capitalize on as the draft unfolds. Still, when I look at the draft, there are two players I really like for the Raptors who might be there at nine. After that, the guys who make sense to me — not a draft expert! — might be available lower down. If the Raptors are confident in that and spot some urgency on the other end of a phone call, maybe they can make some magic happen. More likely: They'll take a player they like with the ninth pick. It's possible that draft experts will bemoan the value of the pick. Then everyone will go about living their lives. If you'd like to read up on the draft, Sam Vecenie's behemoth draft guide is a good starting point. Maybe you can get through his top 20 prospects between now and the time the draft starts. (His latest mock draft is here.) After having done my share of reading and talking to people I trust, I have formed some strong opinions, loosely held. These are my top five prospects for the Raptors at the ninth pick. I am assuming Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, Ace Bailey, Kon Knueppel and Tre Johnson will be off the board. Anybody else is fair game. 1. Khaman Maluach, centre, Duke 7-foot-1 | 253 pounds | 18 years old I've gone back and forth between my first and second choices, both of whom are unlikely to be available much further down than ninth (and might not make it here at all). If the Raptors end up with either, fans should be happy. I think there is a drop-off in the intersection of talent and Raptors fit after that. Advertisement Ultimately, I have Maluach a bit higher than the player below him because I think he has a clearer path to becoming a difference-maker. The Raptors may sign Jakob Poeltl to an extension this offseason, but he won't be in Toronto forever, and Maluach has the size and bravado to become an All-Defence centre. He's far from a sure thing, and he might top out at an effective rim-runner on offence, but Maluach makes sense. 2. Carter Bryant, wing, Arizona 6-7 | 215 lbs | 19 It's harder to project Bryant as a very good starter on a good team than Maluach, but it is easy to envision him contributing to a good team as a low-usage starter. He's got the size and shooting to do it, even if he was a reserve in his only college year. If you're married to the idea of the Raptors going high upside with this pick, Bryant won't be for you. He has shown very little as a scorer or playmaker off the bounce. I'm comfortable knowing he will be able to fit in, however the Raptors evolve. With so many guys who are used to having the ball, and Ochai Agbaji a candidate to be traded due to the Raptors' cap situation, give me a player who will fit in next to Scottie Barnes, if nothing else. 3. Thomas Sorber, centre, Georgetown 6-9 | 263 lbs. | 19 Thus ends my list of players whose fit and talent I would love for the Raptors, at least at nine. Sorber has some similarities to Poeltl. He catches the ball well on the move, is a good passer and shouldn't struggle much with the physicality of the NBA. Compared to Maluach and even Poeltl, he lacks the height to bring a lineup together defensively, although his 7-6 wingspan will give him a chance. He blocked two shots per game at Georgetown, so it is not as if he is a non-factor. Tolzman spent some time on Monday mentioning how having a centre that can function similarly to Poeltl would be useful. He then said there is also a benefit to having a stylistic difference behind the veteran. Never show your hand! Advertisement Sorber has enough skills to make sense playing in coach Darko Rajaković's system. He is smart on both ends. If the Raptors think they can turn him into a shooter — and they always think that — he would be a fun fit. 4. Jeremiah Fears, guard, Oklahoma 6-3 | 180 lbs | 18 Fears would be a long-term pick for the Raptors, and might have to spend most of the year with Raptors 905, assuming both Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead are healthy. That's fine. Fears gets into the paint with a blend of speed and shiftiness that nobody on the Raptors roster has. That is Quickley's biggest limitation, and Fears represents a massive swing behind him at guard. His shooting and passing vision are nowhere close to NBA-ready, and it would take some work for him to be an OK defender. Fears has a skill the Raptors haven't had forever, though, and the Raptors have enough depth to wait for him. If you believe in your developmental framework, he'd be a sensible gamble. For what it's worth, my sense is he would be a hard player to get in a trade-down scenario. 5. Kasparas Jakucionis, guard, Illinois 6-5 | 205 lbs. | 19 I believe in the player, but not the fit. (See also: Collin Murray-Boyles, the defensive-minded, non-shooting forward from South Carolina.) So long as Barnes is here, I don't love the idea of another player who wants the ball in his hands in pick-and-roll scenarios with a work-in-progress shot. People smarter than me say that his outsized role and a forearm injury accounted for his 31.8 percent shooting from 3 at Illinois, and that he is a better shooter than that. Then again, you are not drafting him for him to hang out off the ball. The Jakucionis-Barnes pick-and-roll combo would be comically pass-first. But he has great vision and would make a ton of sense in a post-Barnes world. If the Raptors were in a pure rebuild, he'd probably be third for me. But they are not. My next five: 6. Cedric Coward, wing, Washington State; 7. Murray-Boyles; 8. Noa Essengue, big, France; 9. Joan Beringer, big, France; 10. Derik Queen, big, Maryland (Top photo of Khaman Maluach: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
