Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said last week that the Raptors would not be caught in no-mans land, and seems to have made a move with an eye towards the future.
[b]Jonathan Isaac Magic Jersey[/b] . Numbers Game looks at the Raptors sending Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings Get: SF Rudy Gay, C Aaron Gray and SF Quincy Acy. Gay, 27, is the second-leading scorer on the Raptors, averaging 19.4 points per game, which is about standard for his last five seasons, but hes doing it this year while shooting a career-low 38.8% from the field, with a career-low effective field goal percentage of 42.1%. That poor field goal percentage speaks to some ineffective close shots because Gays long-range shooting (37.3% on threes) is the second-best percentage of his career, as is his number of free-throw attempts per game (4.9). Gay is also averaging a career-best 7.4 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game, making him one of three players in the league to average at least 19 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. New teammate DeMarcus Cousins is one of the others. In 33 games with the Raptors last season, Gay saw a bit of surge in his Player Efficiency Rating, back to 17-plus, but this seasons poor shooting leaves Gay with a 15.9 PER, barely ahead of last years 15.6 PER. Gay is an above average defender, but the Raptors have been more successful with him off the floor this season in terms of points for and against per 100 possessions, but it has to be taken into account that Gay, playing more than 35 minutes per game, is spending the vast majority of his time playing against the oppositions starters. In Sacramento, there is an opening at small forward in which Gay can easily fit, but he can also play some minutes as an undersized power forward, where hes been effective enough at times this season. He may not get as many shots -- Cousins leads the Kings with 17.3 field goal attempts per game, compared to Gays 18.6 per game -- but, with all those bodies leaving the Sacramento rotation, there will be ample opportunity for Gay to continue scoring in the 18-20 points per game range. Gay, who is making nearly $17.9-million this season, holds a player option for next season worth more than $19.7-million. Clearing out that salary was a top priority for a Raptors team facing a rebuilding process. Aaron Gray is a 29-year-old, big lug of a centre who has hardly played this season. He has the size (7-foot, 270 pounds) to handle matchups with bigger centres, but hasnt been able to rise above being used as a situational player. Gray earns a bit more than $2.6-million and his contract expires at seasons end and can offer frontcourt depth for the Kings in the meantime. Quincy Acy, 23, was a second-round pick in 2012 and has averaged 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game during the 36 games in which he has seen action since the start of last season. Hes a hustle guy who will be hard-pressed to hold a regular spot in the rotation, but if he gets a chance to play a bit, he could be a cost-effective bench player. Acy has reasonably-priced team options for the next two seasons, at a cost of a little over $2-million, total. There is debate over whether the Raptors are simply a better team without Rudy Gay, who controlled the ball a lot, but was spectacularly ineffecient; his 1.05 points per shots ranked worst among Torontos top seven scorers. Maybe the Raptors will be better with others taking Gays looks on offence, but the real objective of this trade is clearing out Gays contract and giving the Raptors an opportunity to land a high draft pick. It says something about his career that Gay, the 8th overall pick in 2006, isnt likely to make the Raptors regret this move, no matter what contributions they get from the players they received in return. The Raptors Get: SF John Salmons, PG Greivis Vasquez, PF Patrick Patterson and PF Chuck Hayes. Salmons, 33, has made a decent career as a useful role player on the wing, starting quite a bit later in his career, even as his production has waned. This season, hes averaging a modest 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, his lowest averages since 2004-2005; not coincidentally, thats also the last season in which Salmons played less than the 24:44 per game hes playing this season. Stricly a jump-shooter at this point in his career, Salmons isnt even doing that particularly well, shooting a career-low 35.0% from the field, with a 41.9% effective field goal percentage. Salmons can continue to play as part of the Raptors rotation, as a place-holder, but could easily be relegated to the bench, so that Landry Fields and Terrence Ross have more opportunities to play on the wing. Its extremely unlikely that the Raptors will pick up the $7-million team option on Salmons contract for next season. Vasquez is a 26-year-old decent point guard, who effectively lost the position battle to Isaiah Thomas in Sacramento. Vasquez had started all 18 games for the Kings, but was playing fewer minutes than Thomas. Vasquez did have something of a breakout season in 2012-2013, for New Orleans, when he posted 13.9 points and 9.0 assists per game for the Hornets. Though Vasquez has size (6-foot-6) that might figure to give him an advantage on the defensive end, hes been a poor defender in the NBA. Until that part of his game improves, hes probably more suited to a backup role over the long haul. However, if the Raptors are going to keep stripping down their roster, and that could mean dealing starting point guard Kyle Lowry, then there may be a nice opportunity for Vasquez to play significant minutes. So long as Lowry remains there arent going to be big minutes available to Vasquez. Vaszuez, who makes $2.15-million this season, requires a qualifying offer of $3.2-million for next season. Patterson is a 24-year-old power forward who has been an adequate offensive player in the past, averaging a career-high 10.4 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field last season, but has struggled this year, scoring 6.9 points per game on a career-low 41.0% from the field, including an abysmal 23.1% on three-point attempts. In his fourth NBA season, Pattersons production has gone up and down. When hes good, hes a useful part of the rotation, and can probably compete with Tyler Hansbrough for minutes in Toronto. Patterson is earning $3.1-million this year and has a $4.3-million qualifying offer for next season, which would be a reasonable cost if he proves to be a solid member of the rotation. Hayes, 30, has made the most of his ability, handling a physical role at power forward and centre, despite being 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds. He doesnt need touches, averaging 2.0 field goal attempts per game this season (averaging 2.1 points on 43.8% shooting, with 2.9 rebounds), yet his team is consistently more effective with Hayes on the floor. Hayes earns a little more than $5.7-million this season and is due to make a bit under $6-million next season. At his age, he hardly fits the rebuilding plan in Toronto, but hes a blue-collar worker and can give the Raptors minutes in the frontcourt, if needed. The botton line for the Raptors isnt so much what this new foursome brings to the floor -- if any of them are a factor long-term, its a bonus -- but moving out Gay gives Toronto both financial flexibility and a fair shot at lottery positioning for the 2014 Draft. Playing for next years draft isnt pretty but its a reality of this NBA season, with so many teams having no shot at title contention, while there is an elite crop of talent in the NCAA, not least of which is Canadian-born Kansas small forward Andrew Wiggins, who would probably be the dream scenario for the Raptors but, Ujiri has positioned the franchise to be in a better place going forward no matter who is ultimately brought in to be the core of the Raptors future. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
[b]Grant Hill Jersey[/b] . 9 Baylor Bears just needed some time to get on track in their first game after the Christmas break.
[b]D.J. Augustin Magic Jersey[/b] . Villa has already confirmed his short-term deal and the Daily Mirror reported early Tuesday that Lampard will join him as both build up match fitness ahead of moves to the new Major League Soccer franchise New York City.ORLANDO, Fla. -- Orlandos last-second victory over Western Conference leader Oklahoma City on Friday had the potential to be a season highlight for a team seemingly already holding a one-way ticket to the lottery. It turns out the Magic werent quite done turning heads. Victor Oladipo had 23 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, and the Magic rallied to surprise East-leading Indiana Pacers 93-92 on Sunday night. Indiana stole Orlandos inbounds pass with nine seconds left and Paul George was able to get off a 20-foot jumper. But it came up short and was rebounded by the Magic, who ran out the clock. "Today going into the fourth quarter (coach Jacque Vaughn) just simply told us whoever plays hard is going to win the game. If you really want to win youll play harder than them," said Oladipo, who played the entire fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. "That second unit played hard, played together, and most of all we just played D, let our defence juice our offence." Orlando has now beaten the top teams in both conferences in back-to-back games, following its 17-point comeback against the Thunder. The victory ties the Magics season-high win streak of three games. It also extends their home win streak to five consecutive games. Nik Vucevic added 19 points and 13 rebounds. Vaughn praised the energy that Oladipo played with late. "It starts with his enthusiasm for basketball, and its really infectious to his teammates," Vaughn said. "They want to play for him, they want to play with him and Im sure glad hes in a Magic uniform." Before the game, Pacers coach Frank Vogel said that he didnt think his team was taking any games for granted prior to the All-Star break. He went as far as to recite Chuck Dalys old line to "never trust happiness in the NBA." There wasnt much Sunday as the Pacers had multiple defensive lapses in both halves which helped the Magic to hang around and eventually steal the game late. George led the Pacers with 27 points. Lance Stephenson added 16. The loss ends Indianas win streak at four games. Vogel said his teams inability to stave off a third quarter push by the Magic was the difference. "They piccked up their energy," he said.
[b]Timofey Mozgov Magic Jersey[/b]. "Weve got to handle it. There was a stretch there in the third where we could have put them away. We were a little careless with some possessions ... and it was costly." The Pacers carried over some of their momentum from the first half and built as much as a 17-point lead in the third quarter. That advantage was cut to 10 entering the fourth. Orlando recovered some of its early-game energy, and started the final quarter on a 14-3 run to take its first lead of the second half -- 78-77 -- with less than 8 minutes to play. It would grow as high as 88-81 before the Magic cooled off -- missing four straight shots -- to allowed the Pacers to cut it to 88-86 on a 3-pointer by George. But the Magic found their shot and got their lead back up to six with just over a minute to play. Another 3-pointer by George on the other end trimmed it back to 92-90 with 37.7 seconds remaining. That was followed by an offensive foul on Oladipo which turned the ball back over to Indiana. George got free at the top of the key for another attempt from 3, but his shot bounced off the back of the rim and was grabbed by Oladipo, who was fouled. He connected on 1 of 2 free throw attempts, leading to a scramble for the rebound that ended up in a jump ball between David West and Glen Davis. West tapped it near midcourt, and George Hill was able to scoop it up and sprint ahead for a layup to cut it to 93-92 with just 14.9 seconds left. It wasnt enough, though. "We are good," George said. "This is obviously a game we got to take care of ... but we are still positive. It happens. We just have to do a better job and learn from this." And for the second straight game, the Magic were able to turn their early mistakes into late-game mettle. While it is only two wins, Magic veteran guard Jameer Nelson said they are certainly victories to build on for this young team. "Ive always said its a process," Nelson said. "Youre not gonna just become a great team overnight. Not too many teams have done that. You have to work on it; you have to learn and get better." Note: Nelson celebrated his 32nd birthday on Sunday. ' ' '
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