Morning Coffee - Feb. 10, 2025
Raptors drop 4th in a row | Feeling better about the Ingram trade | Feeling like there's a real new plan
Quick Reaction: Raptors 87, Rockets 94 - Raptors Republic
S. Barnes - B+
38 MIN, 15 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 6-19 FG, 0-8 3FG, 3-4 FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, -4 +/-
Had a torrid defensive stretch to start the game where he had a hand in wrecking nearly everything the Rockets tried on offence. He also stuck on ball, keeping with Amen Thompsen and Dillon Brooks on multiple drives. Barnes’ motor was running on full tilt as he tied up Sengun for a jump ball and gobbled up boards. He only had two first half points though, and missed all of his 3s. Started to get his middy game going later on, making a couple of his signature turnarounds. Barnes beasted on the Rockets all game long on the defensive end. Found his on-ball defence particularly impressive here as he smothered his check time and time again. His passing reads were also exceptional as always.
Jamal Shead's basketball journey comes full circle in return to Houston - Sportsnet
The Raptors were missing starters Jakob Poeltl (hip pointer) and RJ Barrett (concussion protocol) while a third starter, Gradey Dick, left the game just before halftime with what was described as a neck contusion after he went to the floor hard on a layup attempt.
Quickley led the Raptors with 20 points on 6-of-15 shooting in 30 minutes, his longest stretch of playing time since returning from his hip strain 10 days ago. He had 18 points in the first half. Scottie Barnes had 15 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one blocked shot, but was 0-of-8 from three and is now shooting just 27.7 per cent from deep for the season on five attempts per game.
But a bright spot for the Raptors was Shead, who continues to make strides offensively after being drafted 45th overall out of Houston mainly on the strength of his defensive acumen.
He finished with 14 points in 19 minutes off the bench on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from deep.
Every shot he hit you could hear the distant cheers of a contingent of 60 or so friends and family who were at the Toyota Centre to watch Shead play his first game in Texas as a professional.
It was a nice touch to a weekend that featured him returning to the practice floor on his old campus on Saturday and seeing his name and likeness on the school’s wall of fame alongside Cougar legends like Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and Elvin Hayes.
“I think it's really cool just going back to where my real journey began before this [NBA] journey began,” said Shead. “I think it’s really cool just to see all the love and be in Texas again.”
Shead wasted little time giving his team and his island of fans something to be excited about. He assisted on an Ochai Agbaji layup the moment after he checked in and didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger on his first three after he relocated to make himself available to Barnes, who was stuck in the paint and out of options.
Shead hit his second triple midway through the third quarter when the ball was swung out of the corner and around to him at the top of the circle. He was wide open and let it fly.
It’s been a significant development in his game. Shead shot just 29.6 per cent from deep in college, where the three-point line is eighteen inches shorter around the top of the arc.
Jamison Battle has earned a spot on the Toronto Raptors one ladder rung at a time - The Athletic
Immanuel Quickley had four turnovers against the Rockets, but this was his best effort since he returned from a groin injury. He had 20 points, 18 of which came in the first half, eight rebounds and two assists. He was as aggressive in looking for his shot as he has been all year.
“The only way to really get rhythm back, get that conditioning back is to play,” Quickley said. “There’s nothing else that can simulate that. … I feel like I’m getting better and better.”
This is a year for development. With that in mind, Scottie Barnes should attempt his share of 3s. However, his process needs to be more rigorous than it has been lately. Barnes checked in after a bench-heavy lineup surrendered a 10-point lineup in the second quarter and quickly took a top-of-the-key 3 off of no passes. It was open, but there is a time and place for that shot when you are having a poor season from 3. The Raptors have often said Barnes sets the tone for them, but that cannot only be on defence. Barnes is shooting 26.6 percent from 3 on the year after going 0-for-8 on Sunday.
This was a homecoming for Jamal Shead, who was the collegiate defensive player of the year at the University of Houston last year. The Raptors held practice at the school Saturday. Rajaković said one of Shead’s areas for growth is driving to the left, and he got a layup after shifting to that side to go against the Rockets. He had 14 points in 19 minutes.
Gradey Dick left the game near the end of the first half with a neck contusion suffered when he fell to the floor after an attempt in transition. Ja’Kobe Walter started in his place in the second half. The Raptors said Dick cleared initial concussion testing.
Speaking of which, RJ Barrett is still in concussion protocol after developing symptoms Monday. He rejoined the team over the weekend in Houston, and Rajaković said he has a chance to play before the All-Star break. The Raptors play in Philadelphia on Tuesday before playing the Cleveland Cavaliers in Toronto on Wednesday.
Why every minute is important for Immanuel Quickley, even in another Raptors loss - Toronto Star
With his NBA season to this point laid waste by a series of injuries, there is much for Immanuel Quickley to salvage: timing, rhythm, chemistry with his teammates.
Quickley took a step in that direction Sunday afternoon, albeit it in another Raptors defeat, but his incremental improvement over the final 29 games is vital.
He played 30 minutes and had 20 points, eight rebounds and three assists in Toronto’s 94-87 loss to Houston in a desultory afternoon of low-wattage basketball.
But on a dull afternoon, Quickley shone in just his 13th game of the season.
“That’s the whole purpose of building him up and having that minutes restriction, so he can go and play really hard for 16 minutes … for 20 minutes … for 24 minutes,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “And as he is increasing that, his conditioning is (coming) back, he’s finding the rhythm more there … He was very solid on the defensive end. He did a lot of positive stuff today in this game.”
While the Raptors will spend the rest of this season force-feeding minutes and opportunities to a quartet of rookies, they cannot ignore the needs of Quickley and his importance to the future.
“Individually and as a team, I feel like we’re coming together,” he said. “For me, I know if I just improve daily, I’ll be where I want to be at the end of the year and I think the team has the same mindset as well.
“It’s all about not taking any day for granted, try to improve every day whether it be on the court, mentally, spiritually. I just want to be the best individual I can be.”
The Raptors need that, of course; but they also need Quickley to be the best teammate he can be. He has to mesh with the rookies and lead them, work with newcomer Brandon Ingram when he’s back and, most importantly, figure out how to thrive with Scottie Barnes.
They didn’t Sunday — Barnes was an abysmal 0-for-8 from three-point range and 6-for-19 from the field — but Rajakovic knows how vital it is. Since Quickley returned from groin and hip issues last week, the coach has tried to match him with Barnes in his limited time.
“I think it’s really good they are sharing the court more now to create that chemistry between them,” Rajakovic said. “I think it’s very, very important that they play together now.”
Raptors lose fourth in row despite great defensive effort - Toronto Sun
Toronto had lost three straight and 4-of-5 following a five-game winning streak, but Houston had been stumbling even more, losing six in a row to fall from second to fifth in the Western Conference.
Both teams were missing all kinds of key players. Toronto again played minus RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl, while new acquisition Brandon Ingram is not yet able to suit up. Houston missed former Raptor Fred VanVleet, talented young forwards Jabari Smith and Tari Eason and veteran centre Steven Adams.
Houston came in fourth in the NBA in defensive efficiency, but just 22nd over the last 10 games. Four of the games have been without VanVleet and he also missed most of another one. Smith, an impressive defensive big man, has been out since January 3.
To make matters worse, both sides quickly lost another important player.
Houston centre Alperen Sengun, who is set to make his all-star debut next week, tweaked something in his lower back in the first quarter and left the game without returning. Later, Gradey Dick collided with Amen Thompson while trying to finish a layup and had to bow out just prior to halftime.
The Raptors led 42-37 at the break in one of the lowest-scoring games of the year. Houston was held to an ugly 29.3% from the field, including 2-for-17 on three-pointers, while Toronto was only marginally better at 31.9% and 4-for-23.
Toronto actually led by five after three quarters, before finally slipping in the fourth, allowing 36 points in the fourth. Houston sank seven of its 10 three-pointers in the game in the final quarter, while Toronto went just 1-for-6.
Quickley continued to ramp up his minutes, going from 17 in his return to action on February 2, to 21 against New York on Tuesday, to 28 in Friday’s loss at Oklahoma City up to 30 in this one.
The Raptors get a day off Monday before finishing this three-game trip at Philadelphia. They’ll be home to complete the back-to-back against East-leading Cleveland Wednesday before going their separate ways for the NBA all-star break.
How Raptors' cap, roster picture look after Ingram deadline acquisition - Sportsnet
Ingram’s next deal
So, why trade for Ingram to re-sign him, rather than just wait until free agency?
The Raptors wouldn’t have had anywhere close to enough cap space to sign Ingram in free agency, given the contracts that are already on their books and Scottie Barnes’s extension kicking in this summer. In reality, very few top players move via free agency now, as most teams operate above the cap and use trades and sign-and-trades to manoeuvre (Fred VanVleet and Paul George are recent exceptions). Even letting all of their expirings just expire for nothing, there was no path to meaningful cap space.
Acquiring Ingram via trade means the Raptors acquire his Bird rights, which allow them to go over the cap to re-sign him. He still counts against the cap and tax, there’s just nothing stopping you from exceeding the cap to keep him.
Now, the Raptors can offer him up to his maximum in free agency (which would start at an estimated $46.4 million and could get to five years and $269 million total) or sign an extension right now for up to three years and $144 million. Those are his maximums, not projections.
Whether Ingram ends up with a contract that starts at $35 million or one that starts at $45 million, or anywhere in between, will make a huge difference in how this trade looks.
Holding Ingram’s Bird rights also leaves open the potential to sign-and-trade him elsewhere as a fallback option to recoup value if negotiations don’t go well. (It should be an interesting negotiation. Very few teams project to have meaningful cap space, and most of them will be bad. That gives Toronto leverage. Ingram, meanwhile, can point to what the Raptors paid for him and their lack of cap space as leverage of his own.)
Brandon Ingram ready to start anew with Raptors: ‘A change of scenery can be … good’ - The Athletic
“He’ll fit in seamlessly,” said Raptors veteran Garrett Temple, who added that the front office consulted him because he spent two years as Ingram’s teammate with the Pelicans. “The fact that we were able to get him without having to give up any of our, you know, core pieces was very impressive, and it’s great.
“He’s a really great guy. And you can’t say that about a lot of guys in the league, especially All-Star-level players. But BI is definitely that guy. He cares about playing basketball. He loves playing the game of basketball. In today’s league, that’s not easy to say about a lot of people that have been paid.”
That last comment might surprise those who have been watching from afar. Ingram hasn’t played since Dec. 7 because of an ankle sprain, and Ingram said there was no timetable on his return, as the Raptors’ medical staff will want to do its own assessment of him. The Raptors will not rush him back. While they want to get a glimpse of how he looks next to Barnes, Quickley, RJ Barrett and the rest of the team, the Raptors are still mindful of Ingram’s health. (Also, there are lottery odds to think about.)
Webster said he has faith this team’s medical staff will help the Raptors get the best version of Ingram. In his five-plus seasons in New Orleans, Ingram played in about 69 percent of the Pelicans’ regular-season games. He has not had notable recurring injuries, but he has a lankier frame and gained a reputation in New Orleans for not playing until he was fully recovered.
“I’ve been the victim of some bad luck,” Ingram said. “I guess it’s just being a basketball player, playing hard, working out hard, sometimes not knowing when to get off the basketball floor. I know I’ll get injured (again), but hopefully that trend is over and I can play some more games and be back on the floor a little bit more.”
For the time being, the most important thing is that Ingram seems at peace with the move. Sure, the Raptors eventually paying him helps with that, but he does not object to going to a team with only a slightly better record than his wayward former team, especially given the Raptors don’t want to be in the lottery much longer.
Given all the injuries in New Orleans, there is a gallows humour around the Pelicans that there must be some kind of voodoo curse — remember the city — on the team. The Raptors have surely had their own injuries this year, but Ingram is ready to absorb a new vibe.
“I was happy about it,” Ingram said of his first reaction to the trade. “It’s a change for me, being in New Orleans 5 1/2 years, it’s definitely a change for me.
“A change of scenery can be … good. I thought it was a chance for me to get out of my element, do something different.”
Why Scottie Barnes is happy to have Brandon Ingram on the Raptors: ‘He’s gonna take pressure off everybody’ - Toronto Star
What Ingram will ultimately provide is another scorer that should ease responsibility throughout the roster. And Barnes, in particular, could use it the way his offence is going right now.
In Toronto’s last three games, all losses, Barnes has struggled off the bat. He is shooting 28 per cent (9-for-32) from the field and 25 per cent (2-for-8) from three-point range in the first half. He has been marginally better in the second half (33 per cent from the field, 30 per cent from three).
It’s a small sample, to be sure, and no one is too worried about it.
“There are going to be some hot starts to the game and then you might slow down in the second half; it might be a different game,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said Saturday. “I think it’s very important to stay the course and to keep making the right decisions.
“And he’s so big for us, the way he sets the tone and his energy. When he opens up the games the right way, he sets the whole team to play that way.”
Barnes isn’t concerned in the least about the shooting starts because of other ways he has an impact. But with the Raptors missing RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl and Ingram, if Barnes’s isn’t scoring a lot, they have little chance at winning.
“Even if the shots aren’t falling, I’m still trying to put pressure on the defence,” Barnes said. “I feel like I can make any shot I take (and) on the defensive end I feel like I make an impact every single time I step on the floor.
“I’m not worried about it at all. Keep attacking, keep being aggressive but … I make an impact on the floor no matter if shots are falling or not.”
Eventually, Ingram will help. Barnes knows how much he can do.
“I think the past two times I watched him play us, I don’t think it wasn’t great for us,” Barnes said. “The one game in New Orleans. I think he had, like, 41 (points), he was cooking, he was going crazy.
“He’s got a great game, gets to the mid-range, plays the right way. He’s an excellent player.”
Changing Brandon Ingram Trade Grade after Webster Talks - Raptors HQ
Brandon Ingram is here for the long haul
One of the arguments against the Ingram trade initially was that he is going to become a unrestricted free agent this summer. Webster pretty immediately eased the worry on that topic, saying that Ingram not only had input on his trade destination, but is enthusiastic about re-signing in the summer. Webster assured that they were able to talk to Ingram’s reps as well about what kind of deal he is hoping to sign, and they all felt comfortable with the conversation.
“Brandon wants to be here. We’ve been able to talk to his agent and we are comfortable where we are.” Bobby Webster
Webster then went on to say on The Raptors Show that they are in the process of putting together a contract extension for Ingram. Whether he ends up signing that or going into free agency, that is to be determined.
Sportsnet’s Blake Murphy also reported that Ingram turned down his $2.1 million dollar trade bonus. A contract stipulation that would have been added to the Raptors’ cap this season, Ingram does the team-friendly move and scrapped it. Anthony Davis did the same with the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week.
So, it seems like Ingram wants to be in Toronto and sees himself as a long-term member of this team.
Webster also expressed how the team likes to treat the deadline like “pre-free agency” in getting these players in before they become UFA’s. They get to learn about who they are, see the fit, get a trial run of sorts. As Webster said it’s “good due diligence.”
Are the Raptors still tanking?
Lastly, one of the biggest points around this trade was the idea that the Raptors are supposed to be tanking this season. The 2025 draft boasts high-level talents like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey and more, and Toronto fans are hoping one of those talents ends up in a Raptors jersey.
The concern around getting Ingram was that this changed those plans, and the team would want to win more this year. Getting a GM or team official to talk about tanking in itself is pretty hard, simply because they can’t talk about it — yet Webster toed the line pretty well today.
He was clear on the Raptors’ intentions to continue their rebuild this year (aka tank), and specifically mentioned the “desire to focus on the young players and rookies.” Again, another tongue and cheek way to say tank.
“That’s mission number 1, going out and travel the world and figure out which of these guys [fits]. The lottery gods and lottery balls will determine where we end up.” - Bobby Webster
Later on The Raptors Show, Webster urged fans to “pray to the lottery gods.”
So, rest assured — the Raptors aren’t suddenly trying to make the play-in. Especially with Ingram’s rehab and Quickley’s lack of playing time this season, the goal is just assessment. They definitely need to be scouting for back-up centers, which will happen through 10-day contracts. They also just signed Jamison Battle to a standard NBA deal as well.
Updated Grade: A
With all of this being said, I feel confident enough to upgrade this trade from a C+ to an A. That gives some room to grow into an A+ with time and seeing how Ingram ends up fitting into this system. It also reflects the planning that has gone into the timing of the deal as well as Ingram’s interest in staying on the team long-term.
Turns out, the Raptors were buyers at the deadline after all.