TORONTO —
The six-time all-star guard was considered to be one of the most coveted prizes on the trade market, but Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline came and went without the Raptors dealing the popular player.
A day after a rout of the Denver Nuggets and Lowry’s long post-game media session that felt very much like a curtain call, Raptors fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Lowry, who celebrated his 35th birthday on Thursday, will become a free agent this summer.
The Raptors, whose win over Denver snapped a nine-game winning streak, were busy at the trade deadline, hoping to climb out of 11th in the Eastern Conference standings and gain some flexibility ahead of this summer’s free agency.
To that end they traded Norman Powell earlier in the day to the Portland Trail Blazers for guards Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood.
Powell is eligible to become a free agent after this season if he declines his player option.
The guard has increased his scoring average every season since Toronto acquired his draft rights in 2015 after Milwaukee selected Powell in the second round. He is averaging 19.6 points per game this season and is shooting 49.8 per cent from the field.
Trent is a restricted free agent after this season and Hood’s deal for next season is not guaranteed. The 22-year-old Trent is third on the Blazers in scoring, averaging 15 points. The 28-year-old Hood is averaging 4.7
Trent’s father, Gary Trent Sr., also was traded to Toronto from Portland in the Damon Stoudamire deal in 1998.
But Thursday’s biggest news was what the Raptors didn’t do.
Rumours swirled around Lowry right up to the deadline, and the Raptors made a few other moves that suggested they were opening up roster spots for a deal, trading Matt Thomas to Utah and Terence Davis to Sacramento for a future draft pick.
Miami, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat were reportedly the top suitors for Lowry, but president Masai Ujiri apparently decided it wasn’t worth it to ship out the franchise cornerstone.
Lowry had said Wednesday night that he had no preferable trade-day outcome. He planned to enjoy his birthday with his two sons on Thursday, and play a round of golf.
“Everything will be fine,” he had said. “Everything will be fine, no matter what happens.”
Cutting ties with Davis comes after a month after the New York District Attorney’s Office dismissed domestic assault charges against him.
Davis had faced several charges after he and his girlfriend allegedly got into a verbal dispute at a New York hotel on Oct. 27. The NBA is still investigating the matter.
With their roster set, the Raptors (18-26) can focus on climbing back into a playoff spot. Their nine-game losing skid coincided with a COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined three starters for nearly three weeks. The Raptors are not in a playoff spot in a season in which they have had to play home games in Tampa, Fla., because of COVID-19 border restrictions. The top six teams make the playoffs and teams ranked seventh through 10th advance to the play-in tournament.
Just six players now remain from Toronto’s 2019 championship roster — Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Chris Boucher and Patrick McCaw.
Lowry, a Philadelphia-born point guard, was acquired by the Raptors in a trade with Houston in 2012. He is the Raptors’ franchise leader in assists and is one of only three players in franchise history to score 10,000 points with the club.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2021.
Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua is set to make his season debut Thursday after missing time for cancer treatment.
Head coach Rick Tocchet says Joshua will slot into the lineup Thursday when Vancouver (8-3-3) hosts the New York Islanders.
The 28-year-old from Dearborn, Mich., was diagnosed with testicular cancer this summer and underwent surgery in early September.
He spoke earlier this month about his recovery, saying it had been “very hard to go through” and that he was thankful for support from his friends, family, teammates and fans.
“That was a scary time but I am very thankful and just happy to be in this position still and be able to go out there and play,,” Joshua said following Thursday’s morning skate.
The cancer diagnosis followed a career season where Joshua contributed 18 goals and 14 assists across 63 regular-season games, then added four goals and four assists in the playoffs.
Now, he’s ready to focus on contributing again.
“I expect to be good, I don’t expect a grace period. I’ve been putting the work in so I expect to come out there and make an impact as soon as possible,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be perfect right from the get-go, but it’s about putting your best foot forward and working your way to a point of perfection.”
The six-foot-three, 206-pound Joshua signed a four-year, US$13-million contract extension at the end of June.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
