Raptors rumors: Brian Windhorst hints at possible ‘big fish' trade
The post Raptors rumors: Brian Windhorst hints at possible 'big fish' trade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
With the basketball world coming up with possible trades involving the Toronto Raptors and Giannis Antetokounmpo, some people wonder what the offseason plans are for the team. While the Raptors are headed into a crucial offseason, ESPN's NBA insider Brian Windhorst hinted that it could be an exciting summer for the franchise.
Advertisement
Led by team president Masai Ujiri, he and the team will look to vastly improve the roster after finishing with a 30-52 record, which put them 11th in the Eastern Conference. Windhorst would say on 'The Hoop Collective' show that the team has begun to 'make noise within the league about looking for a big fish.'
'I don't want to get too far afield from this, but since this has come up, the Raptors are a team that is starting to make noise within the league about looking for a big fish,' Windhorst said. 'If you're an Eastern Conference team that's in the middle of the pack, you're looking at the teams in front of you going, 'Some of them may not be able to come together, may be able to stay together.'
'Boston is hurt, and so there are some teams that sniff the ability to make a move, and I think Toronto is one of those teams,' Windhorst continued. 'And so naturally, any team that wants to make a move this summer, especially a team in the Eastern Conference, you're going to have Giannis on the board.'
Raptors could be a part of an 'explosive summer' in the NBA offseason
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
As the Raptors' vision seems unclear at the moment, Windhorst says that he has heard around NBA circles that the team is expected to make their names known around big players that could be available. The biggest name seems to be Antetokounmpo, but he has not officially requested a trade, but even Windhorst said that this offseason could make for an 'explosive summer' with Toronto being one of the teams included in that.
Advertisement
'But Toronto, I think, is going to try—from their initial conversations, teams in the league are getting the impression that Toronto is going to try to do something,' Windhorst said. 'I had an executive tell me yesterday that he thinks this could be—could be, could be—an explosive summer. You know, just as Shams [Charania] said the other day, but like, this—you know, this is the whole league.'
'People are saying that this—the amount of activity and calls happening in the league right now is at a much higher volume than has been in years past,' Windhorst continued. 'I know it does not mean it's going to happen, but Toronto is one of those teams that is sitting there on the balls of its feet, which is interesting.'
Whomever they try to get, one imagines that the goal is to pair alongside Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, though the latter has experienced an immense amount of bad injury luck.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dodgers owner buying majority stake in Lakers is great news for Luka Doncic
The post Dodgers owner buying majority stake in Lakers is great news for Luka Doncic appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers were owned by the Buss family for decades, becoming one of America's most popular teams. Now, the team is under new ownership. Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, bought a majority stake in the Lakers on Wednesday. The man who helped bring Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers will now oversee Luka Doncic on the Lakers. Advertisement The move has sent shockwaves across the sports world. However, the consequences of the change are big. In Los Angeles, sports teams are only as big as their stars are. Luckily for Walter, he inherits a situation where the Lakers have Doncic for the next four years if he signs an extension this summer. The young superstar now has a compelling reason to stay in Los Angeles. Walter has made a name for himself thanks to his willingness to spend money to improve his team. He gave Ohtani a 10-year, $700 million deal in 2024 to bring him to Los Angeles. He dished out almost $1.5 billion over the last two offseasons to help secure a title for Los Angeles. While his spending will not be as useful in the NBA world thanks to the salary cap, there are other ways to invest in a team's success. Walter also understands that Doncic is the future of the Lakers' franchise. The team's new owner could spend however much money is necessary to ensure that his superstar is surrounded by the best staff and equipment to ensure his success. Doncic faced ridicule throughout the postseason because of his lack of conditioning. The 26-year-old appears to have taken the message to heart. However, Walter could give him everything he needs, both on and off the court to succeed. Advertisement The rules in Major League Baseball are vastly different than the NBA when it comes to spending in the offseason. Despite that, Walter could be just fine with his team going into the first and second aprons to bring in stars. Some of the Lakers' targets this summer would push them into the second apron if Los Angeles signed them. If Walter was willing to give Ohtani such a massive deal, why not do the same for Doncic? Both players are the face of their respective teams, and they face the pressure that comes with playing in Los Angeles. However, Doncic might get some more help from a new owner willing to open up his wallet and spend big. Related: Why Jeanie Buss selling Lakers is different than Mark Cuban's Mavericks sale Related: Magic Johnson congratulates Jeanie Buss on $10 billion sale


New York Times
31 minutes ago
- New York Times
2025 NBA Draft: Knicks have the 50th pick. Who could they select?
As we await the blue-and-orange smoke to reveal itself above Madison Square Garden, signaling the New York Knicks have hired a new head coach, let's quickly turn our attention to the 2025 NBA Draft. New York has the 50th pick Wednesday, which isn't sexy. But the franchise has come a long way from the days of draft night being the most exciting viewing experience of the season. Nothing wrong with a little give and take. Advertisement Given the Knicks' financial situation, landing a veteran college player who could contribute on the floor immediately with their lone selection would be a home run. It also might behoove New York to get someone it can draft-and-stash for a later date. Both options make sense for this iteration of the Knicks. With less than a week until the annual event, here are five names New York could potentially land at pick No. 50. From January 1 until the end of the regular season, the Knicks ranked 20th in 3-point percentage. You can never have too much shooting. *Enter Brea* The 22-year-old is probably the best 3-point shooter in the draft. Well, not probably. Brea is the best 3-point shooter in the draft. He spent his first four college seasons playing at Dayton, where, as a senior, he knocked down a berserk 49.8 percent of his 3s (on 6.1 attempts per game). In his final college season with Kentucky, Brea made 43.5 percent of his 3s (5.9 attempts per game). Brea has good footwork, which should allow him to be a good movement shooter at the next level. He's got long arms and a quick release. Brea also is a smart player in the half court and can catch you by surprise with some of his passes. The reason Brea will go late in the draft is likely due to his age, lack of athleticism and defensive struggles. However, if the Knicks can get someone who can come in, eat up seven to 10 minutes per game, make open shots and get paid like a second-round pick, that would be very beneficial to their roster construction. "HE HAS BEEN A FLAMETHROWER FOR KENTUCKY!" 🔥 Koby Brea is up to 21 PTS after his third triple 📈#MarchMadness @KentuckyMBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 23, 2025 Splitting his time between three different colleges, Peavy showed to be a quick-twitch athlete at the college level who should be physically ready for the NBA on Day 1. He's a big, strong physical wing who makes his presence felt when in transition and going downhill. He's also an active and smart cutter. Defensively, Peavy can guard multiple positions and, while he tends to be aggressive, he does have good timing and instincts. Advertisement As it pertains to Peavy as a shooter, I have good and bad news. The good news is that he improved from 3-point distance every year. Peavy rarely even attempted 3s during his first four collegiate seasons, and he also rarely ever made the ones he did take. In his final season, Peavy knocked down 40 percent of his 4.1 attempts per game. He has shown great growth in that area of his game. The bad news is that he never shot better than 66 percent from the free-throw line in college, leaving some scouts I talked to with questions on if his touch as a shooter will translate to the NBA. Peavy has flaws, which is why he'll likely go somewhere in the range that the Knicks are selecting. However, his physical tools, defensive chops and potential improvements as a shooter are worth looking into. Unlike Brea and Peavy, Pate would be a bit more of a project. He's a big guard who isn't built like most 19-year-old players and already has professional experience. The thing that sticks out most to me when watching Pate is the blend of craftiness and explosion he can put on display when attacking the rim. When he gets a full head of steam, with his size, it's tough for defenders to stay in front of him. On top of that, he can stop on a dime. He can pull off up-and-unders in traffic. There's some good stuff there. Pate's offensive game really pops in transition. He loves to get out and run. He had some fierce finishes at the rim during the G League season. The shooting, though, has a long way to go. Pate's release is a bit funky. His feet aren't ever square to the basket, and it's almost like he's turning his body 90 degrees before releasing the ball. Teams will need to really work with him there. Overall, though, Pate is young, athletic and has some skill to him. He certainly could be worth a flyer for a team that is already filled with veteran pieces. Dink Pate gets the first bucket of the 2025 #NBADraftCombine! @CapitanesCDMX — NBA G League (@nbagleague) May 14, 2025 Watkins, a CAA client, is tough. He likes to defend. He isn't afraid of contact. He likes to get out in transition. Watkins has a 6-foot-11 wingspan and isn't afraid to use it on either side of the floor. I don't think Watkins does anything great, but he does a lot of stuff well. A few scouts I talked to call him a well-rounded second-round prospect who they view as a safe pick around the area New York is selecting. Watkins is a solid rebounder for his size. He's not a bad passer either. He does take tough shots sometimes and averaged way too many 3s last season (5.2) for someone who has been a below-average 3-point shooter throughout college. There's a reason he's slotted to go somewhere between Nos. 40 to 55. Advertisement It wouldn't surprise me if Watkins ended up in a team's rotation as a rookie. Again, he plays tough and has good size. He can make plays with the ball or without it. Watkins just needs to work on his shot selection and work really hard to develop his shooting, both stationary and off the dribble. If Sanders' 3-point shooting popped a bit more, I think he would be going much earlier than where he is projected to get drafted. He's a smooth, big guard who played point guard throughout his college career. Sanders has good footwork, and he's patient and crafty in the pick-and-roll. Sanders reminds me a bit of Kyle Anderson, or a very, very poor man's version of Cade Cunningham. Sanders' offensive game is very deliberate, predicated on footwork, and he uses his big frame. The biggest knock on Sanders, who started his college career at Cal Poly, is his lack of athleticism. He won't blow past anyone off the dribble. He won't win a foot race in transition. He also may have issues staying in front of quicker players at the next level. Yet, all of those things were said about Anderson when he came into the NBA, and 11 years later, he's still going. I'm a fan of Sanders. (Writer's note: I'm a sucker for big, slow guards whose success relies on fundamentals and footwork.) I'm not saying Sanders is for sure going to be an impactful NBA player. I'm just saying I tend to believe in players with a high IQ and good fundamentals figuring out how to stick around more than I do athletic players with a low IQ. Sanders lands in the former group. (Photo of Dink Pate of G League Ignite: Cooper Neill / NBAE via Getty Images)
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who is new Lakers owner Mark Walter
The post Who is new Lakers owner Mark Walter appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Lakers received big news on Wednesday as Mark Walter, who is the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is buying majority ownership of the team. Walter has investments in numerous professional sports teams, and the Dodgers have won two World Series under his ownership. This is massive news for the Lakers and the city of Los Angeles as this sale is the largest sale of a professional sports franchise in the world. Advertisement So, who is Mark Walter? Let's meet the new owner of the Lakers: Walter grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and he attended the University of Creighton for his undergraduate studies. After graduating from Creighton, Walter studied law at Northwestern University and graduated law school in 1985. Walter is currently the CEO and chairman of DWG Global, and he is the owner of numerous professional sports teams. He is the majority owner of the Dodgers, Lakers, auto racing's Andretti Global and the Los Angeles Sparks WNBA team. Walter also has ownership in premier league soccer club Chelsea Ligue 1 RC Strasbourg. Walter also owns the Professional Women's Hockey League. A big portion of Walter's professional earnings have come from the insurance industry as he owns 21% of TWG Global Holdings. In February, Forbe's estimated Walter's net worth to be $6.1 billion. Mark Walter is involved in a lot outside of the sports world. His footprint has been left in the insurance industry, but he and his wife have also shown an interest in wildlife. Walter's wife, Kimbra Walter, is a trustee for the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. Mark was a fan of the Chicago Cubs growing up. The two of them also own White Oak Conservation, which is an animal refuge in Florida. Advertisement As you can see, Mark Walter is a busy man that has done a lot in his professional career. He is best known for his experience in the professional sports industry, and he is now the owner of one of the biggest brands in the entire world. Related: Lakers rumors: Nick Wright predicts Austin Reaves' trade value after Desmond Bane deal Related: Sources: Why Lakers rivals hoped Jeanie Buss would never sell franchise