Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said last week that the Raptors would not be caught in no-mans land, and seems to have made a move with an eye towards the future.
Don Mattingly Jersey . Numbers Game looks at the Raptors sending Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings. The Kings Get: SF Rudy Gay, C Aaron Gray and SF Quincy Acy. Gay, 27, is the second-leading scorer on the Raptors, averaging 19.4 points per game, which is about standard for his last five seasons, but hes doing it this year while shooting a career-low 38.8% from the field, with a career-low effective field goal percentage of 42.1%. That poor field goal percentage speaks to some ineffective close shots because Gays long-range shooting (37.3% on threes) is the second-best percentage of his career, as is his number of free-throw attempts per game (4.9). Gay is also averaging a career-best 7.4 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game, making him one of three players in the league to average at least 19 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. New teammate DeMarcus Cousins is one of the others. In 33 games with the Raptors last season, Gay saw a bit of surge in his Player Efficiency Rating, back to 17-plus, but this seasons poor shooting leaves Gay with a 15.9 PER, barely ahead of last years 15.6 PER. Gay is an above average defender, but the Raptors have been more successful with him off the floor this season in terms of points for and against per 100 possessions, but it has to be taken into account that Gay, playing more than 35 minutes per game, is spending the vast majority of his time playing against the oppositions starters. In Sacramento, there is an opening at small forward in which Gay can easily fit, but he can also play some minutes as an undersized power forward, where hes been effective enough at times this season. He may not get as many shots -- Cousins leads the Kings with 17.3 field goal attempts per game, compared to Gays 18.6 per game -- but, with all those bodies leaving the Sacramento rotation, there will be ample opportunity for Gay to continue scoring in the 18-20 points per game range. Gay, who is making nearly $17.9-million this season, holds a player option for next season worth more than $19.7-million. Clearing out that salary was a top priority for a Raptors team facing a rebuilding process. Aaron Gray is a 29-year-old, big lug of a centre who has hardly played this season. He has the size (7-foot, 270 pounds) to handle matchups with bigger centres, but hasnt been able to rise above being used as a situational player. Gray earns a bit more than $2.6-million and his contract expires at seasons end and can offer frontcourt depth for the Kings in the meantime. Quincy Acy, 23, was a second-round pick in 2012 and has averaged 3.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game during the 36 games in which he has seen action since the start of last season. Hes a hustle guy who will be hard-pressed to hold a regular spot in the rotation, but if he gets a chance to play a bit, he could be a cost-effective bench player. Acy has reasonably-priced team options for the next two seasons, at a cost of a little over $2-million, total. There is debate over whether the Raptors are simply a better team without Rudy Gay, who controlled the ball a lot, but was spectacularly ineffecient; his 1.05 points per shots ranked worst among Torontos top seven scorers. Maybe the Raptors will be better with others taking Gays looks on offence, but the real objective of this trade is clearing out Gays contract and giving the Raptors an opportunity to land a high draft pick. It says something about his career that Gay, the 8th overall pick in 2006, isnt likely to make the Raptors regret this move, no matter what contributions they get from the players they received in return. The Raptors Get: SF John Salmons, PG Greivis Vasquez, PF Patrick Patterson and PF Chuck Hayes. Salmons, 33, has made a decent career as a useful role player on the wing, starting quite a bit later in his career, even as his production has waned. This season, hes averaging a modest 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, his lowest averages since 2004-2005; not coincidentally, thats also the last season in which Salmons played less than the 24:44 per game hes playing this season. Stricly a jump-shooter at this point in his career, Salmons isnt even doing that particularly well, shooting a career-low 35.0% from the field, with a 41.9% effective field goal percentage. Salmons can continue to play as part of the Raptors rotation, as a place-holder, but could easily be relegated to the bench, so that Landry Fields and Terrence Ross have more opportunities to play on the wing. Its extremely unlikely that the Raptors will pick up the $7-million team option on Salmons contract for next season. Vasquez is a 26-year-old decent point guard, who effectively lost the position battle to Isaiah Thomas in Sacramento. Vasquez had started all 18 games for the Kings, but was playing fewer minutes than Thomas. Vasquez did have something of a breakout season in 2012-2013, for New Orleans, when he posted 13.9 points and 9.0 assists per game for the Hornets. Though Vasquez has size (6-foot-6) that might figure to give him an advantage on the defensive end, hes been a poor defender in the NBA. Until that part of his game improves, hes probably more suited to a backup role over the long haul. However, if the Raptors are going to keep stripping down their roster, and that could mean dealing starting point guard Kyle Lowry, then there may be a nice opportunity for Vasquez to play significant minutes. So long as Lowry remains there arent going to be big minutes available to Vasquez. Vaszuez, who makes $2.15-million this season, requires a qualifying offer of $3.2-million for next season. Patterson is a 24-year-old power forward who has been an adequate offensive player in the past, averaging a career-high 10.4 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the field last season, but has struggled this year, scoring 6.9 points per game on a career-low 41.0% from the field, including an abysmal 23.1% on three-point attempts. In his fourth NBA season, Pattersons production has gone up and down. When hes good, hes a useful part of the rotation, and can probably compete with Tyler Hansbrough for minutes in Toronto. Patterson is earning $3.1-million this year and has a $4.3-million qualifying offer for next season, which would be a reasonable cost if he proves to be a solid member of the rotation. Hayes, 30, has made the most of his ability, handling a physical role at power forward and centre, despite being 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds. He doesnt need touches, averaging 2.0 field goal attempts per game this season (averaging 2.1 points on 43.8% shooting, with 2.9 rebounds), yet his team is consistently more effective with Hayes on the floor. Hayes earns a little more than $5.7-million this season and is due to make a bit under $6-million next season. At his age, he hardly fits the rebuilding plan in Toronto, but hes a blue-collar worker and can give the Raptors minutes in the frontcourt, if needed. The botton line for the Raptors isnt so much what this new foursome brings to the floor -- if any of them are a factor long-term, its a bonus -- but moving out Gay gives Toronto both financial flexibility and a fair shot at lottery positioning for the 2014 Draft. Playing for next years draft isnt pretty but its a reality of this NBA season, with so many teams having no shot at title contention, while there is an elite crop of talent in the NCAA, not least of which is Canadian-born Kansas small forward Andrew Wiggins, who would probably be the dream scenario for the Raptors but, Ujiri has positioned the franchise to be in a better place going forward no matter who is ultimately brought in to be the core of the Raptors future. Scott Cullen can be reached at
Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook.
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Wade Boggs Jersey .com) - Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson lost an appeal to have his indefinite suspension overturned, the NFL announced Friday.NEW YORK -- The only thing Jonathan Lucroy wished he would have done differently Thursday night was hit that home run sooner. On the eve of his 28th birthday, Lucroy hit a tiebreaking shot in a four-run 13th inning and the Milwaukee Brewers outlasted the New York Mets 5-1 after an unusual rain delay that lasted all of 3 minutes. "Believe me, I was trying to do it earlier than that," Lucroy said. "Sorry." Aramis Ramirez homered in the second inning to end a Brewers power drought and finished with three hits, helping the NL Central leaders take two of three in the series. Milwaukee (40-27) completed a 5-3 road trip with its 10th victory in 15 games overall, matching a season high at 13 games above .500. New York took advantage of an error by Gold Glove centre fielder Carlos Gomez to tie it in the fourth before Kyle Lohse and Jonathon Niese settled into a crisp pitchers duel. "I tried to get us out of there quick, but their guy wasnt co-operating," Lohse said. "He was mixing it up good. I was mixing it up good. We were flying for a little bit until we hit extra innings." The slumping Mets stranded seven runners from the ninth through the 11th and blew a bases-loaded opportunity with a chance to win. They lost for the eighth time in nine games and fell a season-worst eight games under .500 at 29-37. Ryan Braun was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts when he opened the 13th with an infield single off Carlos Torres (2-4). Lucroy, also hitless in five at-bats after beginning the night with a .341 batting average, drove a hanging curve to left field for his fifth home run. Mark Reynolds added an RBI single and Rickie Weeks was hit by Dana Evelands pitch with the bases loaded. Back in the dugout, a frustrated Torres wiped his face with a towel and punched himself repeatedly on both sides of the head. Zach Duke (4-0) tossed a perfect inning and Francisco Rodriguez finished in a non-save situation. "The way our guys threw tonight was awesome," Lucroy said. "It was a lot of fun to be a part of, although I wish we would have gotten done a little earlier." Mets closer Jenrry Mejia got two outs in the 10th, but a stiff back flared up as he was warming for the 11th and he left the game. Moments later, a sudden downpour halted play. Fans scurried for covver as umpires consulted the grounds crew -- and the radar on a smartphone -- near third base.
Cheap Yankees Jerseys. Players stayed in the dugout waiting for word and when the rain quickly lightened to a drizzle, the game resumed after only 3 minutes. "That was weird. I thought they were going to pull the tarp and bang it and have like a one-inning playoff next time when they come to our place," Lucroy said with a laugh. "Crazy night. Glad we could win and get out of here on a good note." Brewers reliever Brandon Kintzler escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the 11th with the help of a five-man infield. Wilmer Flores grounded into a force at the plate before Anthony Recker struck out looking. Incensed by the call, Recker argued and was quickly ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez. "You cant get thrown out there," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I understand his frustration and everything else, but hes got to know theres nobody left on that bench except one guy." With both starters working fast and throwing strikes, the first nine innings were played in a brisk 2 hours, 23 minutes. Lohse, who struggled in three previous starts at Citi Field, held the Mets to an unearned run in eight economical innings. Niese, meanwhile, gave New York another steady outing with nothing to show for it. The left-hander struck out a season-high eight in 7 2-3 innings. He has a 2.22 ERA over 28 1-3 innings in his last four games, all no-decisions. "I felt really good," Niese said. "I knew this is a tough-hitting team against lefties, so I kind of had to go away from how I normally pitch. I used my changeup a lot more." Ramirez hit a solo shot to left-centre for Milwaukees first home run in six games. The last time the Brewers went five games without a long ball was May 4-8, 2011, according to STATS. Lohse retired his first nine batters before Daniel Murphy lined a leadoff single in the fourth. The ball skipped past an indecisive Gomez, allowing Murphy to reach third on the two-base error. He scored easily on Bobby Abreus sacrifice fly. NOTES: Milwaukee is 13-6 at Citi Field. ... Ruben Tejada had made seven straight starts at shortstop for New York before Flores got the nod Thursday night. ... Murphy batted leadoff for the first time since May 26, 2013, according to STATS. ' ' '