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Toronto Raptors: What's next following the NBA trade deadline? – NBA CA

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Toronto Raptors

The 2020-21 NBA Trade Deadline has passed, and the Toronto Raptors now have their roster for the remainder of the season.

While a trade for six-time All-Star guard Kyle Lowry never came to fruition, the Raptors have reportedly dealt scoring wing Norman Powell, as well as reserve guards Terence Davis and Matt Thomas. With a revamped roster that’s set to make a playoff push, Toronto will look to build off of its losing streak-snapping win over the Denver Nuggets and make something out of this helter-skelter season.

With the madness behind us, what were the returns of those deals, what does the depth chart look like and what’s next for Toronto?

Reported trades

Projected depth chart

Starter 2nd 3rd 4th
G Kyle Lowry Malachi Flynn Jalen Harris
G Fred VanVleet DeAndre’ Bembry Patrick McCaw
F Gary Trent Jr. Rodney Hood Paul Watson
F Pascal Siakam Stanley Johnson Yuta Watanabe
C OG Anunoby Chris Boucher Aron Baynes Henry Ellenson

The post-trade deadline state of the Raptors

Prior to the trade deadline madness, Toronto snapped a nine-game losing streak in an impressive fashion against a strong Nuggets squad. While it was believed it could have been Lowry’s last game in a Raptors uniform, the franchise reportedly couldn’t find a worthwhile deal for him. The team’s floor general and leader will remain as they prepare for an eighth-consecutive playoff push.

MORE: Instant analysis on every reported deal of the trade deadline

Lowry will still be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the six-time All-Star will continue to make his regular impact on this year’s team. Through 37 games, he’s averaging 17.4 points, 7.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals despite all of the rumours and rumblings.

Even though they’re 1-9 in their last 10 games, the Raptors are still only 1.5 games back from a spot in this season’s play-in tournament to get into the playoffs and only 4.0 games back of the highly coveted No. 6 seed to avoid said play-in tournament. With the roster back to full strength after being decimated by COVID-19 and the league’s health and safety protocols, plus two new pieces in place in Trent and Hood, can Toronto turn this bizarre season into yet another gritty playoff run?

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Losing a red-hot Powell hurts, but returning Trent and Hood gives the Raptors two versatile wings who can both shoot, bolstering Toronto’s depth a bit even with the reported departures of Thomas and Davis.

Trent is only 22 years old and has just begun to figure things out at the NBA level. NBA.com’s Scott Rafferty went into more detail on what the Raptors are receiving in Trent, but the sharpshooting wing is amidst the best season of his career following an impressive run in last season’s NBA bubble. He is averaging 15.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point land.

As Rafferty noted, where he’ll make the biggest impact is on catch-and-shoot 3s, where he has converted a blistering 42.1 percent of his attempts this season.

Trent will likely slot right into Powell’s spot in the starting lineup. He’ll be an upgrade at that position as a perimeter defender.

Trent is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, meaning Toronto will have the option of matching any offer he receives, but the price will be much lower than what Powell is expected to command as an unrestricted free agent, making him a much more cap-friendly option moving forward.

As for Hood, the 28-year-old wing has struggled to find a rhythm this season after suffering a season-ending torn Achllies in December of 2019. Prior to that injury, Hood was the perfect glue guy for the Blazers, averaging 11.0 points per game while shooting 49.3 percent from 3. The rust he’s shown from that devastating injury impacted his playing time in Portland this season, and only shooting 29.8 percent from 3 made it tough for him to carve out a role.

Hood’s size at 6-foot-8 makes him a versatile defender that should fit in nicely with head coach Nick Nurse’s scheme. For a team that could use some added bench depth, Hood will have quite the opportunity to prove he belongs somewhere on an NBA roster this upcoming offseason. (Hood’s contract for the 2021-22 season is non-guaranteed, so the Raptors will have free reign to decide what his future is with the franchise).

With Lowry still in the fold, VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam and Boucher maintaining their level of play and the addition of these two new players, Toronto will have 28 more games to right the ship.

While it is unknown when Trent and Hood will be available to suit up, the Raptors will next take the floor on Friday, March 26 when they host the surging Phoenix Suns.

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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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.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

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.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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