Raptors must adjust to tighter salary cap
Lost in all of the picks and trades at the NBA Draft was the news that the league’s salary cap projections were going to come in short by a couple of million dollars. This is largely a result of so many playoff series being one-sided and completed in quick fashion. The longer a series goes, the more money gets generated. What does that mean for the Raptors? For one, the club won’t be able to pay Kyle Lowry quite as much, and it makes it more difficult for potential Lowry suitors to create the room necessary to sign him. But it also means it will be harder to stay under the luxury tax if Lowry, Serge Ibaka and others are brought back. Before accounting for any of the free agents, Toronto’s salary stands at around $80 million. The cap will be $99 million, the luxury tax $119 million. Returning Lowry and Ibaka alone would put Toronto well over the tax line. That’s why the team tried to off-load Jonas Valanciunas (owed $15.5 million in 2017-18) and DeMarre Carroll ($14.8 million). Those efforts will continue heading into free agency, which starts on July 1.
CANUCK DUCKS FLY SOUTH
Dillon Brooks of Mississauga, Ont., who starred for Oregon, went to Memphis with the 45th pick (via trade with Houston). Brooks should be a nice fit with the Grizzlies and seemed like a good value pick. His teammate, Montreal native Chris Boucher, likely would have cracked the second round as well had his season not ended early due to injury. Boucher signed a partially guaranteed deal with the champion Warriors, a franchise that drafts extremely well.
HISTORY SAYS
The 23rd pick, which the Raptors used on OG Anunoby, has produced some solid NBA players, as well as many who never made an impact. Tayshaun Prince is probably the best recent 23rd selection. Rodney Hood, Wilson Chandler, Trevor Booker and Omri Casspi also proved beneficial. The jury is out on Nikola Mirotic. Many NBA execs peg the odds of getting a solid contributor after the 20th pick at 20-25 per cent.
TOO EARLY
Picking draft winners and losers before the rookies have even played a game is foolish, but clearly Philadelphia took a major step forward by adding Markelle Fultz. Sacramento finally appears to be making smart decisions after years of bungling. Taking a chance on Harry Giles, once perhaps the best talent in this class after adding intriguing point guard De’Aaron Fox and older winners like Justin Jackson and Frank Mason, all from the biggest programs in the NCAA, makes a ton of sense. Charlotte, Dallas, Toronto, Brooklyn and Indiana made nice additions and Minnesota cleaned up in the Jimmy Butler deal. Milwaukee added a third player with a wingspan measured around 7-foot-3 in D.J. Wilson. Good luck getting open looks against the Greek Freak, Thon Maker, Wilson and Tony Snell.
TOUGH FALL
It was odd to see UCLA centre Ike Anigbogu free-fall to 47th (the Raptors and other teams were said to be big fans), but Draftexpress.com revealed that a medical red flag on his knee crushed his stock.