Raptors coach Dwyane Casey is hoping Terrence Ross can develop into a sixth man, and now the franchise is betting on him that to happen.
At the last minute going up against the Monday at midnight (Eastern) deadline, the Raptors and Ross reached a deal on a three-year contract extension. Ross himself confirmed it (he counts this year as a fourth).
Happy to say I will be in #Toronto 4 more years! I want to thank God, my family, management, and the @Raptors! #WeTheNorth
— Terrence Ross (@TerrenceRoss) November 3, 2015
Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross has agreed to a three-year, nearly $33 million contract extension, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Raptors avoid letting Ross become a free agent next summer when the league salary cap makes a steep rise. Toronto could’ve been forced to match a more expensive offer sheet. The extension begins in the 2016-17 season.
While $11 million is a lot per year, in a couple of years once the television money fully kicks in spiking the NBA salary cap close to $110 million, that will be about sixth man money. The question is will Ross live up to those expectations, but the Raptors wanted to lock him up now rather than let the cash-rich marketplace set his dollar figure come July.
The Ross extension is also insurance should DeMar DeRozan leave as a free agent next summer.
Ross is plenty athletic but has never taken full advantage of that, at least on a consistent basis (remember he did have a 51-point game but he has been up and down for three years). Despite being a former Dunk Contest winner (2013), he’s not the best finisher at the rim. However, he can shoot the three (46.2 percent on the young season), and he’s good in a spot-up role. What the Raptors need out of him is better defense — he is inconsistent on that end as well, seeming just to space out at times.
The potential is there, and the Raptors are betting on it.