Raptors hope they’ve made Precious addition

Nigerian could be answer to fill hole in middle

The Toronto Raptors didn’t sign Richaun Holmes, Kelly Olynyk or any of the other free agent centres up for grabs, but have they solved their longterm centre issues anyway?

The middle has been a question mark ever since Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol chose to move to Los Angeles. Last year’s signings of Aron Baynes and Alex Len were dismal failures and though Canadian Khem Birch and G League pickup Freddie Gillespie helped stabilize things down the stretch, neither are the answer.

But Precious Achiuwa could be, depending on who you talk to.

Achiuwa, the 20th pick of the 2020 NBA Draft, is expected to be the centrepiece of the sign-and-trade that sent Kyle Lowry to the Miami Heat. Known for his relentless motor, high-level athleticism and penchant for physical play, Achiuwa is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan. That might be undersized for the old NBA, but not in today’s league. He will turn 22 next month and has a long way to go offensively (Achiuwa attempted only one three-pointer, shot 51 per cent from the free throw line and just 37 per cent on shots from 3-10 feet away from the basket), but is not a complete lost cause at that end. He has some perimeter skills and the Raptors have had success helping prospects develop their shooting.

At the other end is where Achiuwa excels. He’s able to switch across multiple positions — like the likes of OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes — and is a voracious rebounder. Will he be better than the free agent big men who were on the market? Nobody knows at this point, but he comes a lot cheaper and will be under team control for years to come with plenty of time to unlock his significant potential.

Achiuwa was fresh off playing for Nigeria in the Olympics in Tokyo, where he averaged eight points and 4.7 rebounds, when he heard about the sign-and-trade.

In an interview with ESPN, Achiuwa said he was happy to have landed with a quality organization like Miami where he could get his NBA start, but also thinking about what he can next accomplish.

“They told me from the first day that this opportunity requires accountability. I had to be accountable for what I did out there and I was able to show what I could do that while also learning how to play the NBA game,” Achiuwa told ESPN.

“And I had great vets with me on the team. Guys like Andre Iguodala, who also has Nigerian descent, and a lot of others that I listened to all year and I was able to pick up a lot of things and learn and add to my game.”

In Toronto, Achiuwa will play alongside Anunoby, who is also of Nigerian descent and was originally rumoured to be joining him on Team Nigeria this summer. Of course, team president Masai Ujiri is the face of Nigerian sports and was born there, like Achiuwa.

Ujiri and his staff seem to prioritize players with a long runway, as long as they also fit the bill as hard workers. Achiuwa is just that. “I don’t really put a cap to what I can accomplish,” Achiuwa told ESPN.

“I am so competitive that I must set another goal that is higher than the one at the time (that he just accomplished) and that is what keeps me going.

“There’s a lot to expect from me. There’s no ceiling. There’s no cap to what I believe I can do. I’ve always said that to myself.”

Achiuwa averaged 5.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.46 blocks per game in 61 appearances as a rookie for

Miami, including 14.5 points and 11.3 rebounds in four starts. He averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in his lone season at Memphis playing under former NBA superstar Penny Hardaway and was named AAC player of the year.

It’s unclear if veteran point guard Goran Dragic, who also will be included in the trade, will join Achiuwa with the Raptors, or be rerouted elsewhere.

Bulls, Demar Derozan agree to 3-year, $85M deal

Demar Derozan is joining the Bulls in a reported double sign-and-trade swap with the San Antonio Spurs. According to multiple reports, free agent Derozan agreed to a three-year, Us$85-million deal with the Chicago Bulls that can become official on Thursday.

ESPN reported the Spurs will get Thaddeus Young, Al-farouq Aminu, a future first-round pick and secondround picks in 2022 and 2025. The first-round pick will convey by 2025, per the report. Young and Aminu are on expiring contracts.

Derozan averaged 21.6 points and a career-high 6.9 assists in 61 games with the Spurs last season, and previously played for the Raptors.