Status quo no longer a luxury for Raptors

Ujiri makes pair of deals to avoid tax implications

Only a few days ago, team president Masai Ujiri said his Toronto Raptors had ways to avoid the NBA luxury tax and they’d utilize one of them “as time goes (on), whether it’s now or later in the season.” Well, now it is. Early Sunday morning, Ujiri and Brooklyn Nets counterpart Sean Marks, a one-time Raptor, agreed on a salary dump that will send DeMarre Carroll to rebuilding Brooklyn along with Toronto’s 2018 first-round pick (which is lottery protected, per USA Today) and the least favourable second-round pick from Orlando or the Los Angeles Lakers (acquired when Toronto’s former general manager Jeff Weltman became Magic president earlier this summer).

The Raptors also received centre Justin Hamilton, a former D -League standout, but it’s unclear if he fits into the team’s plans.

The move was made to shed the US$14.8 million and US$15.4 million remaining on Carroll’s four-year deal. Hamilton is owed only $3 million. The Raptors need to sign promising swingman Norman Powell to a large new contract next summer and were trying to maintain flexibility around the luxury tax to make other immediate moves.

At least one of those dominoes fell later Sunday with ESPN reporting free-agent C.J. Miles would be joining the club on a three-year deal via a sign-andtrade with the Indiana Pacers.

Pickering, Ont., native Cory Joseph, Toronto’s backup point guard the past two seasons, will head the other way.

Joseph only had one year remaining on his contract and was expected to opt out in a year.

With intriguing former 20th-overall selection Delon Wright looking increasingly capable of stepping into Joseph’s role and sophomore Fred VanVleet also on the roster behind Kyle Lowry, a move involving Joseph had long been speculated.

Powell’s role will increase in Carroll’s absence and rookie OG Anunoby, who the Raptors liked enough to make a promise to that he would be selected if still on the board at No. 23 at last month’s NBA draft, is also projected to be brought along quickly once he gets healthy.

Ujiri continues to work at reshaping the roster while keeping finances at a reasonable level, considering the calibre of the team.

Before the deal, only two teams had higher total payrolls.

“We’re very comfortable. We’ll figure it out as it goes,” Ujiri had said earlier this week of being able to get off of the luxury tax.

“We’ve got many ways to get around it.”

The Carroll part of the equation was an expensive way, considering the fact draft picks are more valuable than ever in today’s NBA landscape, but with no market for traditional centres like Jonas Valanciunas it was the right call to make.

“We’re going to try to figure out how we can get a couple guys in to help our basketball team,” Ujiri had said.

In Miles, Toronto gets a swingman who has split time between shooting guard and small forward nearly evenly throughout his 12-year career and has guarded three positions well at times. Miles has averaged 2.2 three-point makes in each of the past three seasons.