NBA Notes: Raptors, RJ Barrett, Heat, Klay Thompson, Lakers

Raptors

Raptors forward RJ Barrett was happy to see his former Knicks teammates win an NBA championship last season. That doesn’t mean watching the celebration was entirely painless.

Barrett admitted he felt “a little salty” while watching the organization that traded him during the 2023-24 season capture the title.

“If anybody else were to win it, I’m happy they won it,” Barrett told Donnovan Bennett of CBC Sports. “You know, I still have friends over there. I’ve called and checked on the guys, said congrats.”

Barrett and Immanuel Quickley went from New York to Toronto in the December 2023 trade that sent OG Anunoby to the Knicks. Barrett said he and Quickley will always have ties to New York, but his focus is now on helping the Raptors enjoy similar success.

Toronto’s acquisition of Kawhi Leonard has only added to that excitement. Barrett grew up a Raptors fan and was preparing for the 2019 NBA Draft when Leonard led the franchise to its first championship.

“When he made the game-winner against Philly, I was jumping up and down,” Barrett said. “So from being a fan to now being able to play with him, that’s going to be so special.”

Heat

The Heat appear to have four starters in place, leaving one prominent training camp competition.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell are projected to occupy four spots. According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Klay Thompson is the “clear” favorite to start at shooting guard.

Thompson, 36, no longer offers the same all-around impact he provided during his prime with the Warriors. His injury history includes tears of both his ACL and Achilles, and his defense has diminished.

But shooting remains the central issue in building a lineup around Antetokounmpo and Adebayo. Thompson has never shot worse than 38.3 percent from the 3-point line in a season. He also averaged a career-high 12.7 attempts from beyond the arc per 36 minutes with the Mavericks last year.

That combination of accuracy, volume and movement without the ball makes him a natural fit alongside Miami’s stars.

If Thompson wins the job, Chiang expects Pelle Larsson and Tim Hardaway Jr. to be among the Heat’s primary reserves.

Lakers

The Lakers have most of their starting lineup settled entering camp.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will form the backcourt, Walker Kessler will start at center and Jovan Buha of Buha’s Block considers free agent addition Quentin Grimes a lock for another spot.

That leaves Jake LaRavia and Ziaire Williams as the most likely candidates for the final opening, according to Buha.

Ideally, L.A. would fill the position with a forward who is at least 6-foot-7, can defend multiple positions, rebound and contribute without needing the ball. Neither candidate provides a perfect answer, but both come closer to checking those boxes than the Lakers’ other options.

Buha cited defensive questions with Sandro Mamukelashvili and noted that Matisse Thybulle doesn’t provide the desired size or rebounding. Jarred Vanderbilt and Adou Thiero appear to be longer shots after filling limited roles last season.

Finally, LaRavia offers familiarity after playing alongside Doncic and Reaves last season. Williams provides greater athleticism and the potential to handle difficult wing assignments.

Either way, it appears the Lakers have a camp battle on their hands. That, as they say, can only be considered a good thing.