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neral manager Masai Ujiri. Ujiri said he di

in Diamondcraft - Registration Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:40 am
by yyys123 • 1.785 Posts

TORONTO -- Rudy Gay and the Toronto Raptors just didnt work out, according to team general manager Masai Ujiri. Ujiri said he didnt have a problem with Gays talent level or attitude. But he said that the Raptors were lacking in chemistry, and changes had to come. So Ujiri pulled off his second major trade since joining the Raptors in the off-season, sending Gay and his sizable contract to the Sacramento Kings. "Phenomenal talented player, it just wasnt working," Ujiri said at a press conference Monday. Ujiri said there were issues with spacing on the floor, and also acknowledged the suggestions that Gay and guard DeMar DeRozan did many of the same things on the court. The seven-player deal also sees centre Aaron Gray and forward Quincy Acy head to the Kings. The Raptors receive guards John Salmons and Greivis Vasquez, forward Patrick Patterson and centre Chuck Hayes in return. For his part, Gay was looking forward to a fresh start with the Kings. "Excited to say the least," Gay told reporters in Sacramento before the Kings hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night. "I have a couple guys with me that came with me. Its a new beginning. Ive been saying it all day. They have a lot of young pieces and Im glad to be a part of it." Gay averaged 19.4 points per game, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Raptors this season. The move will free up significant cap space for the Raptors. The six-foot-eight, 230-pound Gay was the Raptors highest paid player with a contract that pays him US$17.8 million this season with a $19.3-million player option for next season. The team also announced Monday that it has waived back-up point guard D.J. Augustin. A first-round pick of the Houston Rockets in 2006, Gay came to Toronto from Memphis on January 30 in a three-team deal that sent Ed Davis to the Grizzlies and Jose Calderon to Detroit. Gay posted averages of 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 35.0 minutes in 51 contests (50 starts) with Toronto. Gay scored 20 or more points 27 times for the Raptors, with four games of 30 or more points. He was ranked second on the Raptors in scoring (19.5) and rebounds (7.4) this season. While Gay often put up big scoring numbers, it often took him a lot of shots to do it. This season has been particularly troubling as Gay has a 38.8 per cent field goal percentage, well off his career average of 44.7 per cent. "To be fair on Rudy, he wasnt having the normal shooting years that hes had," Ujiri said. "He was going through a tough stretch I think. "That wasnt necessarily the case on what made our decision. I think it was more of just chemistry. Everyone could see there wasnt much sync there." Ujiri has wasted no time putting his stamp on this team. Just 19 games into the 2013-14 season, the team is already looking vastly different to the squad that ended the last campaign. One of Ujiris first moves as GM was to trade out-of-favour forward-centre Andrea Bargnani -- once considered the future of the franchise -- to the New York Knicks. Like Gay, Bargnani was considered difficult to move because his contributions did not match his hefty contract. Others gone after last season include Alan Anderson, John Lucas III, Linas Kleiza and Sebastian Telfair. The other players Sacramento gets in the deal are role players off the bench. Acy, at 6-7, 225-pounds, is averaging 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds off the bench. The 23-year-old is making just $788,872 with one year left on his contract after being drafted 37th overall by the Raptors in 2012. Gray, a seven-foot, 270-pound 29-year-old bench player, is averaging 1.3 points and two assists. Hes in the last year of a contract that pays him $2.6 million. He scored a career-high 22 points with the Raptors on January 28 versus Golden State. The player who should make the biggest impact on the Raptors coming the other way is likely Vasquez. The six-foot-six, 211-pound guard is known as a decent ball distributor, which should help a team ranked dead last in the league in assists. Vasquez has averaged 9.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 25.8 minutes in 18 games with the Kings this season. Vasquez played with Memphis and New Orleans prior to joining the Kings. In 232 career games (123 starts), he has averaged 9.0 points, 5.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 24.6 minutes. "Hes a tough kid, great basketball IQ," Ujiri said. "Hell give us something, and were happy to bring him in as a piece and see what he can bring to this organization." The native of Caracas, Venezuela, brings a cap hit of $2.1 million. His contract expires at the end of the season. Salmons, 33, is a 12-year NBA veteran who has serviceable career averages of 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, though that drops to 5.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists so far this season. He may be best known in Toronto for entering a verbal agreement to play here in 2006, before backing out and joining Sacramento instead. "I didnt really feel (Toronto) was where God was leading me," Salmons said at the time. With a cap hit of $7.5 million to Toronto this season with $7 million more in 2014-15, the 6-7, 210-pound Salmons is the most expensive player coming from the Kings The 30-year-old Hayes, a 6-6, 250 pounder, makes $5.7 million this season and $5.9 million next season. He averages 2.1 points and 2.9 rebounds. Patterson, a 6-9, 235-pound 24-year-old, makes $3.1 million this season while averaging 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. Lenny Dykstra Jersey . Vonn flew back to Vail, Colo., last week after hurting her surgically repaired right knee at a downhill race in France. "Her knee was swollen again after Val dIsere," U.S. womens head coach Alex Hoedlmoser told The Associated Press. Michael Conforto Mets Jersey . Crawford hit his slam off Pirates starter Edinson Volquez to give San Francisco a four run lead in the fourth and they never looked back. Brandon Belt had three runs batted in as well. Bumgarner pitched all nine innings and allowed just four hits. http://www.metssale.com/mets-adeiny-hechavarria-jersey/ . Ashton scored a hat trick -- giving him 13 goals in 16 AHL games this season -- to power the Toronto Marlies to a 5-2 victory over the visiting Lake Erie Monsters in AHL action on Sunday. Tug McGraw Mets Jersey . HABS HEADED TO CONFERENCE FINAL The Montreal Canadiens scored early in Game Seven, built a lead and protected it well on their way to a 3-1 series-clinching win over the Boston Bruins. While this game or series isnt necessarily a referendum on the value of fourth lines, the Canadiens certainly benefitted from production lower down their forward depth chart. Keon Broxton Jersey . -- Canadian freestyle skier Roz Groenewoud isnt letting surgery to both of her knees deter her expectations for the Sochi Olympics.INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers were back to being themselves Sunday. They made shots. They defended hard for 48 minutes. Lance Stephenson regained his swagger and, yes, the reeling Pacers even looked like a playoff-ready team. David West made three free throws in the final 15 seconds and Stephenson produced his league-leading fifth triple-double to give Indiana a 102-97 win over Oklahoma City 102-97, putting the Pacers on the cusp of clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. "Were going to treat it (the season finale) like a playoff game. We have to get that No. 1 spot," Stephenson said. "Thats what we wanted from the beginning of the season so we have to take it, not get it, we have to take it." All they need is a win Wednesday night at Orlando or one more Miami loss. The Heat visit Washington on Monday and host Philadelphia on Wednesday. Its been a wild second-half ride for Indiana (55-26), which held the top spot in the East from opening night in October until the last week of March. When the Pacers beat the Heat on March 26, they had a three-game lead and a seemingly firm grasp on home-court advantage. As the losses mounted, though, Miami charged back and finally took the top spot on March 31. But rather than pulling away, the two-time defending champs gave the lead right back. Miami retook a one-half game by beating the Pacers at home Friday, then fell into a tie with Indiana after losing Saturday night in Atlanta. The Pacers went into Sundays game with six losses in eight games and the knowledge that all they had to do was win their last two -- because they have a better conference record than the Heat. So just like that, Indiana flipped the switch and got back to looking the a championship contender. Six players reached double figures including West, who had 21, and Stephenson, who had 17 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He broke Detlef Schrempfs franchise record for most triple doubles in a season (four in 1992-93). "Hes a big part of our personality, a big part of our edge, a fan favourite with good reason and hes one of the head coachs favourites," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after getting a low-five from Stephenson after a late 3-pointer. Paul George finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds and C.J.&nnbsp;Watson scored a season high 20 points.dddddddddddd. The Pacers didnt even need much from Roy Hibbert, who had six rebounds, no points and was 0 for 9 from the field. The Thunder (58-22) shot 42.9 per cent from the field, were 7 of 28 on 3-pointers and were outrebounded 46-32. NBA scoring leader Kevin Durant had 38 points and Russell Westbrook had 21 as they rallied Oklahoma City from a 10-point deficit over the final seven minutes. The Thunder, who were trying to lock up the No. 2 seed in the West, have no doubt Indiana can play with the best in the NBA. "Whats surprising to me is the people who are down on them," Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "In an 82-game season, youre going to have some tough times. Unfortunately for them, theyre having it late in the season. But all it takes is a game or two to get back on." What changed for the Pacers, aside from returning to their home court? They were gritty and selfless, the starters who sat out Wednesday at Milwaukee looked well-rested and the bench that produced a big win over the Bucks looked more confident. While there were still signs of lingering problems, such as 21 turnovers. Indiana stayed in control and closed it out late. After Georges 12-foot runner gave the Pacers an 87-77 lead with 6:59 to go, the Thunder charged back, tying the score at 89 when Westbrook hit a 3 with 2:46 to go. "We put ourselves in good position, we just couldnt finish," Durant said. The Pacers wouldnt allow it. George broke the tie with a 3 and 2:09 to play, West followed that with two straight mid-range jumpers and Stephenson knocked down a 3 with 34.2 seconds left to give make it 97-91. "Were just trying to put together good basketball at this point and hopefully carry it into the playoffs," West said. Notes: George welcomed a 15-year-old Cincinnati boy as part of the Make-A-Wish foundation. Roei, a Pacers fans, has been waiting 10 months for a liver/small bowel transplant. ... Indiana finished 35-6 at home and is assured of having the leagues best home record. ... Nick Collison received eight stitches to close a cut above his nose and backup guard Reggie Jackson injured his neck after running into Ian Mahinmis pick in the fourth quarter. ' ' ',000. ' ' '

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