Lucas Nogueira recently worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon, joining a long line of NBA big men to utlize the Hall of Fame center for workout sessions.
"Grande oportunidade de aprender com Hakeem @DR34M essa semana #TheDream #WeTheNorth @Raptors @NBABrasil," Nogueira posted on his official Twitter account.
Olajuwon has also worked out with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Amar'e Stoudemire, among others, in past summers.
Nogueira was traded to the Toronto Raptors this offseason.
Tim Leiweke will step down as CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment on June 30, 2015 or earlier if a successor is found.
“Under Tim’s leadership, MLSE has made a number of key moves to strengthen our organization on the path to championship success,” Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of MLSE, said in a statement Thursday morning.
“We look forward to working closely with Tim to build on this foundation and further accelerate our momentum as we seek a new leader for MLSE.”
Leiweke said in his statement that “it’s an honour to lead MLSE, a world-class organization in a city and a country so passionate about sports.”
“But with new opportunities on the horizon, it’s time for me to begin the transition from sports and entertainment executive to entrepreneur,” Leiweke said.
“Right now, my total focus is here at MLSE and I look forward to working with the board and MLSE team to continue strengthening our franchises while ensuring a smooth transition to a new leader.”
Leiweke told the board it’s his goal to pursue his personal goal of owning his own business.
Bruno Caboclo has spent the summer in North America working on his game and body, along with his grasp of the English language.
“The big thing is we’ve got to get him playing,” said Toronto Raptors assistant coach Jama Mahlalela, who has worked extensively with Caboclo this summer.
“We have to get him in games to see, how can it transfer. We’ve done a summer of skill work. His skills, from where they were, are so improved it’s amazing.
“But it’s not a summer of playing every single day against NBA skill. That’s going to be the next little piece, and we’ll get the month of September to get that worked out.”
The Toronto Raptors were fined $25,000 for tampering charges due to comments made by Drake about Kevin Durant.
“You know, my brother [Oklahoma City Thunder star] Kevin Durant was kind enough to come to the show tonight and watch us,” Drake said. “I just want him to see what would happen if he came to play in Toronto. Let him know what would happen.”
The NBA offered to rescind the fine if the Raptors cut ties with Drake, who draws no salary from the club.
Free agent Jordan Hamilton has reached agreement on a one-year contract with the Toronto Raptors, a league source told RealGM.
A skilled, 6-foot-7 forward, Hamiton has averaged 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in three NBA seasons. He played over two seasons with the Denver Nuggets – under Masai Ujiri – before being dealt to the Houston Rockets in February.
Hamilton scored nearly seven points per game in 21 games for the Rockets.
Out of the University of Texas, Hamilton was the No. 26 overall pick in the 2011 draft.
The Toronto Raptors were fined $25,000 for Drake's recruiting comments toward Kevin Durant during his recent concert.
The NBA viewed the incident as a violation of anti-tampering rules.
Drake has a role in the Raptors' management.
DeAndre Daniels will start his professional basketball career in Australia, where he will reportedly play for the Perth Wildcats.
Daniels was the Toronto Raptors' second round pick in this year's NBA draft. At the request of Masai Ujiri, Daniels will leave at the end of the month to spend four months playing overseas.
“I’m going to Australia for four months, a long vacation, and I’m going back and will be with the Raptors,” Daniels said. I’m just going to go out there and not look at it as negative, but look at it as a positive. I’m just going to go out there and get better.”
Daniels, who averaged 13.1 points and 6.0 rebounds last season for the Connecticut Huskies, spent the summer with the Raptors. He played five games for Toronto's summer league team.
Daniels does not regret leaving school early.
“I don’t second guess it at all,” he said. “I’m going to Australia for four months and I look at it as a long vacation before I come back. I’ll get better, just keep improving, but I don’t look at it as a negative. I’m just going to keep moving forward and God has a plan.
“It works out differently for everybody, not everybody has the same plan, so all I can control is what I control. That’s how hard I work and keep improving.”
The Toronto Raptors were hoping to select Tyler Ennis with the No. 20 overall pick, but he was selected by the Phoenix Suns at No. 18.
The Raptors could have gambled on waiting to select Bruno Caboclo at No. 37, but there was a chance of another team taking him. Both the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics were interested in Caboclo.
“In my room, there was no debate,” Masai Ujiri said. “Instead of going through the stress of trying to get him at No. 37, we decided to get the guy we really liked now.”
Caboclo showed flashes of his potential during Summer League and will be on the Raptors' roster next season. Ujiri is also not a fan of stashing players overseas.
“When a guy goes overseas you don’t get to monitor him as closely, to see if he is getting stronger, to see all of what he is doing,” Ujiri said. “Keeping him here, we can do that. When he needs playing time, send him to the D-League. He can play in NBA practices, he can go through a training camp and after the year we will wait to see where he is and what more he needs to develop.”
The Toronto Raptors somewhat famously nearly traded Kyle Lowry to the New York Knicks last December.
The Knicks were prepared to trade Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. in a package for Lowry, but James Dolan vetoed the deal when Masai Ujiri demanded a first round pick.
"Dolan hired those business consultants [McKinsey & Company] last summer," said the source with knowledge of the Raptors' plans. "They had sold him on this whole thing about, 'You've been exploited by giving away first-round picks.' Could the deal have gotten done? Absolutely."
The Raptors were at a crossroads in early December after trading Rudy Gay and keeping Lowry long-term seemed unlikely.
"They were not going to re-sign Kyle," the source said.
The Raptors were 7-11 through Dec. 8 and then went on to post a 9-3 record from Dec. 10 to Jan. 3.
"We were looking at where our team was, and he's a player that affects a team in many ways," Ujiri said. "With a little bit of luck, we started winning, and that kind of helped our decision-making at the time. Luckily for us, [the trade] did not happen and we moved on."
Lowry received strong interest in free agency from the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers, but ultimately decided to remain with Toronto.
"[Lowry] analyzed [free agency] very analytically and introspectively, rather than, 'Oh, I can get the money,'" the source said.
On the evening of July 2, Lowry agreed to a new four-year, $48 million contract extension.
"[The Raptors] weren't always the favorite, but Masai wanted to get the deal done, and it made it a lot easier," Lowry said in Las Vegas recently after a workout. "[Miller and I] approached it as a business and so did [the Raptors]. At the end of the day, I didn't wait for [the other teams]. I wanted to make my decision for myself."
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