Shams: Raptors sign Mamukelashvili to a two-year, $5.5 million deal (player option)

[Jim Todd Jr.]

This signing basically locks the Raptors into starting the season with a 14-man roster (all with fully guaranteed 2025-26 salary), and even with no 15th guy they'll still be 500k above the tax line until they make another move to get under.

RJ and/or Ochai's days are numbered. Ownership will not start the repeater clock for this team, considering how much harsher the repeater penalties are about to become.

Tax is calculated end of year. Lots of time to get back under the threshold.

I never said this RJ and/or Ochai move has to happen by the start of the season. This is about leveraging themselves. Another team will have to help the Raptors get under the tax line at some point, which will create leverage against the Raptors.

We have plenty of players not RJ or Ochai that can get us under the tax

[S.W.A.N]

Tax is calculated end of year. Lots of time to get back under the threshold.

I never said this RJ and/or Ochai move has to happen by the start of the season. This is about leveraging themselves. Another team will have to help the Raptors get under the tax line at some point, which will create leverage against the Raptors.

We have plenty of players not RJ or Ochai that can get us under the tax

Yup. Getting under tax is easy.

Trading RJ in a move that improves team.... tricky

[Jerry Lucas]

Tax is calculated end of year. Lots of time to get back under the threshold.

I never said this RJ and/or Ochai move has to happen by the start of the season. This is about leveraging themselves. Another team will have to help the Raptors get under the tax line at some point, which will create leverage against the Raptors.

We have plenty of players not RJ or Ochai that can get us under the tax

When also looking towards next season though, Ochai could be a NT-MLE offer sheet possibility, so the Raptors would not have enough room under the tax next year to keep both RJ and Ochai, assuming Ochai could be a NT-MLE candidate.

So moving RJ and/or Ochai as the tax ducking move this year would also kill 2 birds with 1 stone when looking towards next year and beyond, as we have more young players who will see salary increases.

[WuTang_CMB]

Sandro Mamukelashvili agrees to sign with Raptors (two years, $5.5 million)
I think this is a great play for the Raptors for their backup center behind Poeltl. In fact, I probably would’ve rather the San Antonio Spurs stuck with him at this price than add Luke Kornet at $41 million over four years. Grade: A

[WuTang_CMB]

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[OAKLEY_2]

Sandro Mamukelashvili agrees to sign with Raptors (two years, $5.5 million)
I think this is a great play for the Raptors for their backup center behind Poeltl. In fact, I probably would’ve rather the San Antonio Spurs stuck with him at this price than add Luke Kornet at $41 million over four years. Grade: A

Basically got the same terms as Gary Harris despite the one year plus "player option".

Def think the Raps will buy tax breathing room sooner rather than later. I suspect Ochai will be odd man out because they will have to pay him more as QO or market value after this year. Gradey is 2 mil less than Ochai's QO and JaKobe is 5 mil less. So you get JaKobe and Gradey for basically the Ochai QO. So that's 11 mil more to renegotiate Barrett's inevitable 2027 haircut. Fred's current Houston deal could be the model for RJ. RJ is too good and too young for them to walk from him. Def not worth 30+mil. 24 times 3 with option for 4?

[niQ]

Sandro Mamukelashvili agrees to sign with Raptors (two years, $5.5 million)
I think this is a great play for the Raptors for their backup center behind Poeltl. In fact, I probably would’ve rather the San Antonio Spurs stuck with him at this price than add Luke Kornet at $41 million over four years. Grade: A

Who said this? Would help if you included a link or at least the name of the person you quoted.

[WuTang_CMB]

Sandro Mamukelashvili agrees to sign with Raptors (two years, $5.5 million)
I think this is a great play for the Raptors for their backup center behind Poeltl. In fact, I probably would’ve rather the San Antonio Spurs stuck with him at this price than add Luke Kornet at $41 million over four years. Grade: A

Who said this? Would help if you included a link or at least the name of the person you quoted.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6467840/2025/07/02/nba-free-agency-2025-grades-day-2/

[DreamTeam09]

This guy is going to be integral come like midseason. There's so many actions we can run with him because of his threat to shoot & ability to put the ball on the floor.
IQ coming off of a double stagger screen with Mamu and Scottie/CMB where Scottie/CMB dives the middle and Mamu flares out to the 3.
That's gonna be an automatic good possession everytime.
Mamu hit a lot of ATB 3s

[douggood]

Who said this? Would help if you included a link or at least the name of the person you quoted.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6467840/2025/07/02/nba-free-agency-2025-grades-day-2/

Jakob Poeltl agrees to extension with Raptors (four years, $104 million)
There was some concern going into the draft that Poeltl might bail in free agency next year. It had people wondering if center Khaman Maluach might be Toronto’s pick at No. 9. Instead, the Raptors have locked Poeltl into the starting role for another four years beyond this season, and at a very reasonable rate for a center of his caliber. He’s essentially getting the same money as Turner. He’s excellent on both ends of the floor, and the Raptors need that stability in the middle. Grade: A-

[TakeYourHeart]

This signing basically locks the Raptors into starting the season with a 14-man roster (all with fully guaranteed 2025-26 salary), and even with no 15th guy they'll still be 500k above the tax line until they make another move to get under.

RJ and/or Ochai's days are numbered. Ownership will not start the repeater clock for this team, considering how much harsher the repeater penalties are about to become.

Tax is calculated end of year. Lots of time to get back under the threshold.

Teams will have us by the balls though, if we're trying to shed salary at the trade deadline. That's how you end up having to trade down a FRP for Thad Young + SRP

[WuTang_CMB]

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[tsherkin]

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Always nice to see a positive beginning.

[DG88]

He's going to be a fan favourite. The energy is just coming off him man.

[djsunyc]

so...imho, one of the top reasons to get under the tax is so we have the full MLE - b/c let's say sandro suprises and wants to re-sign, we don't have his bird's rights so we will need to pay him with the mle. best to have as much of that available as possible...just in case.

[TimeForChange]

so...imho, one of the top reasons to get under the tax is so we have the full MLE - b/c let's say sandro suprises and wants to re-sign, we don't have his bird's rights so we will need to pay him with the mle. best to have as much of that available as possible...just in case.

An RJ trade would also allow them to extend Ochai before he becomes unrestricted.

[tsherkin]

He's going to be a fan favourite. The energy is just coming off him man.

He's our next JYD / Pops Mensah-Bonsu. I'm down with that. xD

[niQ]

Mamu Generation.

[WuTang_CMB]

He's going to be a fan favourite. The energy is just coming off him man.

biyombo

[Godaddycurse]

so...imho, one of the top reasons to get under the tax is so we have the full MLE - b/c let's say sandro suprises and wants to re-sign, we don't have his bird's rights so we will need to pay him with the mle. best to have as much of that available as possible...just in case.

An RJ trade would also allow them to extend Ochai before he becomes unrestricted.

Ochai is restricted, not UFA