Six Raptors ball out at infamous LA summer scrimmages
If you’ve been looking for your fix of Toronto Raptors content this offseason, it’s been a pretty bland summer for the last few weeks.
Sure, there was the rush of Darko Rajaković’s hiring as head coach and the NBA draft in June, but overall it’s been a relatively underwhelming free agency period with not much news to report since Garrett Temple inked a deal with the team on the last day of July.
But for those fans looking to get a glimpse of their team ahead of October’s season opener, a six-pack of Raptors products — Pascal Siakam, Gradey Dick, Markquis Nowell, Mouhamadou Gueye, Jeff Dowtin Jr., and Javon Freeman-Liberty — were spotted taking part in the infamous summer scrimmages in Los Angeles put on by longtime NBA coach Rico Hines.
While Siakam and Dick have guaranteed roster spots this upcoming season, the other four are still trying to grind their way into roles within the organization on either two-way, exhibit 10, or non-guaranteed contracts.
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The full clip on Hines’ YouTube page — spanning over 40 minutes — shows the competition Toronto’s players were up against, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Harrison Barnes, KJ Martin, Paul Reed, D’Anthony Melton, Matas Buzelis, Kevin Punter, Jaden Springer, Terquavion Smith, and Ron Holland.
Hines spent 2022-23 as an assistant coach with the Raptors, before joining Nick Nurse on the bench in Philadelphia this summer, when the former Toronto bench boss departed for the City of Brotherly Love.
Prior to his time in Toronto, Hines had stops with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings organizations, while also working from 2010 to 2015 as an assistant coach in the NCAA with the St. John’s Red Storm.
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