Masai Ujiri anticipates the Toronto Raptors keeping Terrence Ross through the deadline.

“I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence,” Ujiri said Tuesday night. “Trust me. I can’t tell you more how I totally don’t think that would happen before Thursday.”

Ross has been mentioned in trade rumors involving the Raptors.

Ross was removed from the Raptors' starting lineup on Jan. 19.

“How many guys on our team can raise up and make a shot with someone in their face, like Terrence? They aren’t many in the league,” said Ujiri. “He’s had lapses on defence but that’s something you grow out of with experience. He is really a two-way player; he has ability to stay in front of guys, he can hit a shot; he’s athletic as hell and he can hit threes. Every team is looking for players like that.

“We’re trying to get those kinds of players. We’re trying to develop Bruno [Caboclo] to be a defender, a three-point shooter and athletic and look how long it’s going to take to get him to be half of what Terrence is?”