Morning Coffee - Mar. 4, 2025
Raptors draft odds | Barrett was trade bait for Ingram | Serena Williams minority owner of Tempo
The Raptors have a wide array of outcomes, owing to their schedule: They play Washington three more times, plus Utah and Charlotte twice each. By losing most of these games, Toronto could move “up” toward the top of the lottery rather than staying in their current No. 5 spot.
Contributing to that picture is the fact that the fifth spot — where Toronto is fairly likely to finish the regular season — has quite evenly distributed lottery odds across the board, though, ironically, it’s very unlikely to result in the actual No. 5 pick in the draft.
Among the teams in this range, the Raptors appear the least aggressive in holding out players with minor injuries to improve draft position.
The Raptors might select …
The Raptors have most of their positions filled with players they recently acquired or extended, so clearly they should go with the best-player available. That said, Kon Knueppel, mocked at No. 8, overlaps significantly in skills with Toronto’s 2023 lottery pick, Gradey Dick.
NBA Intel: Jimmy Butler, Trae Young, LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Raptors, Wizards, 76ers, Mavericks - Hoops Hype
With the Toronto Raptors envisioning a frontcourt of Scottie Barnes and newly extended Brandon Ingram along with former lottery pick Gradey Dick at shooting guard, where does that leave current leading scorer RJ Barrett’s future?
Based on conversations before the deadline, Barrett could be a trade candidate to monitor this summer.
Barrett was discussed in trade talks for Ingram with New Orleans, but the Pelicans preferred the expiring contract of Bruce Brown and stretch-five center Kelly Olynyk, who’s owed $13.45 million next season, league sources told HoopsHype. With Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones already on the wing, the Pelicans didn’t view Barrett as a suitable fit for their roster as talks would have necessitated finding a third team, sources said.
Barrett, a Toronto native, is having the best season of his career, averaging career-highs in points (21.7), rebounds (6.4) and assists (5.6). He’s owed $27.7 million next season and $29.62 million for the 2026-27 season.
Editors Note: with Barrett being on the table, looks like he is going to be a hot topic in the off season.
Raptors report cards: Underwhelming work done so far - Toronto Sun
JAKOB POELTL – A
Poeltl has been excellent. He’s turned in one of, if not his best offensive season while still providing stout defence.
Toronto’s defence craters without the big man on the floor and the best way to assure good lottery odds is to not play him down the stretch.
Toronto is 6.3 points per 100 possessions better with Poeltl on the floor than when he’s off, trailing only Chris Boucher this season.
RJ BARRETT – B+
Barrett was superb offensively after being acquired from New York last season and the question was could he keep it up. While the shooting hasn’t quite been at the level it was for Barrett’s first 32 games as a Raptor, it’s still been better from everywhere than in the past and Barrett’s evolution as a playmaking forward has been a success. His usage rate has never been close to this high and Barrett has done a nice job of creating while still getting to the free throw line. Defensively he’s still below average, but his compete level is way up and he’s doing a better job at that end.
CHRIS BOUCHER – B+
As mentioned, Boucher leads all Raptors in on/off splits, he’s been the driving force off the bench in a number of wins and has done everything asked of him. He hasn’t complained when benched and he’s always ready when called upon. He’s known as a consummate professional for a reason.
Boucher worked hard to better understand how he could fit into Darko Rajakovic’s system and it has paid off.
OCHAI AGBAJI – B-
Agbaji looked bad in his first months as a Raptor. Certainly as poor as he’d played in his first two NBA seasons. But he returned a different player, getting off to a strong start to the season. Even if that play hasn’t quite carried over, Agbaji has overall been one of Toronto’s best two-way players. He’s shot 40% from three, been tasked with some of the toughest defensive assignments, especially when Scottie Barnes is out of the lineup, and has shown that he deserves consideration as a long-term bench piece, though financial considerations could make him expendable.
Serena Williams takes ownership stake in Toronto Tempo - Raptors Republic
“I am thrilled to announce my ownership role in the first Canadian WNBA team, the Toronto Tempo,” said Serena Williams, in a press release shared by the franchise. “This moment is not just about basketball; it is about showcasing the true value and potential of female athletes — I have always said that women’s sports are an incredible investment opportunity. I am excited to partner with Larry and all of Canada in creating this new WNBA franchise and legacy.”
Williams is joining forces with Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures, to form the team’s ownership. Kilmer Sports Ventures also owns a 20 percent stake in MLSE.
The announcement comes after Monica Wright Rogers was introduced as the team’s first general manager at a press conference on Feb. 21.
The press release also stated that “As part of her ownership role, Williams will contribute to bringing the Tempo to life visually. She’ll play an active role in future jersey designs and will help forge unique merchandise collaborations with the team.”
Williams made her professional tennis debut in 1995 at a qualifying event in Quebec City. She went on to win the most woman’s grand slam singles titles all-time with 23.
“Serena is a champion,” said Tempo President Teresa Resch in the press release. “She’s the greatest athlete of all time, and her impact on this team and this country is going to be incredible. She’s set the bar for women in sport, business and the world – and her commitment to using that success to create opportunities for other women is inspiring – we’re thrilled to be marking the lead-up to International Women’s Day with this announcement.”
Why Toronto is missing an opportunity with Jonathan Mogbo - Toronto Star
I don’t think the Raptors have done Mogbo a lot of justice this season. They see him eventually ending up as an NBA wing but keep using him out of position as a big, and it’s cost him a lot of developmental time. I don’t know what he’ll become now and that’s on the team. It’s not too late, but this has been a missed opportunity.