“It’s an fantastic camaraderie that we have”, all-star guard DeMar DeRozan said. But if he gets his way, it looks like both Biyombo and his index finger will be staying up north for the forseeable future. I said I was going to stick through this whole thing, and I want to be that guy who brings this organization to where it is now.
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“I spoke to him yesterday and his eyes were still red – you could tell”.
“Yes he is. Even from talking to Case, we feel that way, Jonas feels that way, I think the players feel that way”. “There’s that hunger, and you like that, and then now, it’s my part to figure it out”.
“I don’t know how possible that is, but honestly, it’s our jobs”, said Ujiri. “We’re a physical grimy defensive team”, said Carroll.
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) is fouled by Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals, Friday, May 27, 2016, in Toronto. That’s very easy for us to figure out.
Despite DeRozan’s Southern California ties, there are reasons to think his legacy would be aided much by such a move either. The Raptors hold Casey’s option but there is no doubt that will be ripped up and he’ll be rewarded with a lucrative long-term deal.
Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has stated that their priority is to bring everyone back for next season, however, it is going to be hard considering that they have to make sure that DeMar DeRozan does not go anywhere and that would require them to give a maximum contract and will greatly affect their salary cap situation.
DeRozan, a Raptor since being selected with the ninth pick of the 2009 draft, will become the franchise leader in games, points and minutes played next season, if he returns. He stated that he is committed to the team and that he likes his opportunity here to win after the team’s best season in franchise history. I haven’t changed, not one bit.
Toronto did more than just get past IN, though.
DeRozan averaged 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the play-offs, having averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and four assists in the regular season.
The 26-year-old from Compton, Calif., forms half of Toronto’s dynamic backcourt alongside fellow all-star Kyle Lowry.
Those words hit home with Ujiri. To me, the approach is, our guys have said they want to be here.
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It would not be so wise for them either to give Biyombo a $17 million paycheck so as just not to lose him through free agency, but that will likely be the scenario for the Raptors. Reports have him commanding as much as US$17 million in a new deal. As Arthur pointed out, it’s almost impossible to picture DeRozan ever becoming known as one of the top Lakers ever, and there would be a lot of fan pressure on the isolation style scorer to take over as the franchise’s next centerpiece following Kobe Bryant’s retirement. He mentioned Valanciunas, who missed eight games with his ankle injury and returned to play the last two versus Cleveland, despite being far from 100 per cent. Along with this, as a player, he wants to win. In the space of two years he’s assembled a deep, young team that’s on the rise but with too many good players and not enough to spend on them. They boast a brand new practice facility and hosted their first All-Star game this season.
