The Toronto Raptors could be a landing spot for the Markieff Morris trade if the Suns end up making the deal and this comes as the team may consider a contract extension with Jonas Valanciunas before the October deadline, while Shannon Scott has been signed to a partially guaranteed deal.
The Raptors are coming off of another solid season in the east and the team is continuing to build around Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan on the roster. The Raptors were mostly quiet this offseason, but the team did sign DeMarre Carroll and now they have been mentioned as a possible destination for Morris, as he reportedly wants out of Phoenix after his twin brother Marcus was traded and he has a relationship with Kyle Lowry. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports radio, Morris would prefer to be traded to the Rockets or Raptors and Morris does not want to be with the Suns when the season starts.
Gambadoro reports that Morris has not been talking with Suns staff or players and that his top choices if he is traded are the Rockets or Raptors. The Boston Celtics have reportedly shown some interest, while other teams could jump into the mix if Morris is not traded by the end of August. Morris has over $20 million guaranteed left on his contract and that is fairly affordable compared to some other players at his position. Last season Morris set career highs across the board while averaging 15 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The Raptors have Valanciunas eligible for a contract extension this offseason and the team could try and get a deal done, according to the National Post. The team has until October 31 to get a deal done, since Valanciunas is coming into the fourth year of his rookie contract. Valanciunas has been a solid player for the Raptors and the team will have to decide what his potential is, as he is just 22 years old. Last season Valanciunas averaged 12 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
UPDATE: According to Hoops Rumors, the team is preparing to offer Valanciunas a contract extension. Check here for more.
Valanciunas has good offensive skills for a big man and he has shot over 55 percent from the field in each of his seasons in the NBA. Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri said that Valanciunas is a "huge part of our team" in the Toronto Sun during the season and that could be a sign that the team wants to keep him on a contract extension in the future.
The Raptors have also signed Shannon Scott to a deal, as RealGM reports that the team added the undrafted free agent from Ohio State on a partially guaranteed contract. The Raptors have Kyle Lowry as their main starter and now Scott could compete to stay on the roster behind Cory Joseph and Delon Wright.
Check here for more on the potential for Morris getting traded and for more on Valanciunas and the Scott deal.
