A nasty rumor is circulating around the league -- I've heard it from two NBA executives -- that Raptors coach Sam Mitchell was seen laughing at the news of GM Rob Babcock's dismissal. Everyone knows that Mitchell and his GM had issues, but according to someone who was there when Mitchell was told Babcock had been fired, Mitchell didn't take any glee in Babcock's fate.

"On the contrary," the source says. "Sam was seriously shook up by it." All of this talk of a Toronto power struggle between Mitchell and Babcock is hugely irrelevant: When a new team president takes over the Raptors, he's probably going to bring in his own head coach for next season.