NBA's Kelly Olynyk, raised in B.C., plans to retire as a Raptor
CBC
Once Kelly Olynyk was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Toronto Raptors, he knew he had to sign an extension with his hometown team.
The 32-year-old Olynyk, who was born in Toronto and moved to Kamloops, B.C. when he was an adolescent, signed a two-year contract extension with the Raptors on Monday. Although the six-foot-11 centre could have tested free agency this summer and possibly got a longer or more lucrative deal, he chose to get an extension done quickly to stay in Toronto.
"They traded for me, they wanted me here," Olynyk, who was dealt to the Raptors on Feb. 8, said, adding he wanted to . "reciprocate that love and show that I do want to be here, too.
"I've wanted to be here since I was four years old, so it's special," he said. "I wanted to create that trust and that bond. Hopefully, I can be here for the rest of my career."
Details of Olynyk's extension were not announced, but ESPN reported it was a two-year deal worth US$26.25 million.
He is averaging 8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 20.4 minutes in 59 games this season with Utah and Toronto. It's expected that he'll see more playing time, and consequently have his stat averages go up, with starting centre Jakob Poeltl missing an unknown amount of time with a dislocated finger.
"I think we have a lot of talent on this roster, a lot of young talent, that's trying to find their way and their niche in the league," Olynyk said. "I'm bringing my experience, versatility, to help accent those pieces and bring them all together.
"Some leadership and experience on and off the court, just helping them grow."
Olynyk has averaged 10.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 22.5 minutes over his career with Boston, Miami, Houston, Detroit, Utah and Toronto. He was traded to the Raptors alongside guard Ochai Agbaji in exchange for Kira Lewis Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and a 2024 first-round draft pick.
Knowing that Toronto general manager Bobby Webster and team president Masai Ujiri swung the deal to bring him home, Olynyk said that negotiations on his extension went smoothly.
"They traded for me and Ochai and they wanted us both here as pieces to the puzzle long-term and that's something that I want to be a part of," said Olynyk. "You always want to be somewhere where people want you to be, right? That's always a good thing."
Olynyk is also the captain of Canada's men's senior team that will compete at this summer's Paris Olympics. He wanted to have the deal with the Raptors squared away so he could focus on the Olympics when the NBA season is over.
"That was definitely a big part of it as well, getting this out of the way," said Olynyk after a morning shootaround at OVO Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto. "Training camp starts a little bit before free agency, so to not have that on your plate and your mind, just be able to play free and easy and then obviously in the summer just be able to work out, train, and be present right at the start with no complications is a big factor."
Toronto also announced Tuesday it signed guard Jahmi'us Ramsey to a 10-day contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Officials from the London, Ont., and several neighbouring counties will push the Ford government for improved passenger rail service in the region when they meet with the Ontario government at a conference in Toronto this month.
A provincial court judge has issued a stern warning to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary to “rethink their approach” when it comes to dealing with complaints of threats and harassment in intimate partner relationships.
Some provincial funding targeted to struggling rural hospitals in the northeast is a boon but some CEO’s say it falls short of keeping them afloat.
A Ukrainian family in Halifax says the federal government needs to provide answers to the thousands of Ukrainians who are now learning that it could be more than 50 years before their permanent residency applications are processed.
On a cold January morning, the owners of Yassou Souvlaki & Donair in Fredericton are busy heating up the kitchen, slicing vegetables and donair meat to prepare for their lunch-hour crowd.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada and the CN Police Service are investigating following a train collision overnight in Saint-Alexandre-de-Kamouraska, Que.
Six months after being displaced to a long-term care facility hundreds of kilometres away from his family, Jimmy Spence is holding out hope his days as an evacuee are numbered.
Saskatchewan women ages 43 and older can now sign up for mammogram screening without a doctor’s referral as part of a phased approach to get the eligibility age down to 40 by June.
Some schools, health centres and provincial civil service offices delayed opening or closed for the day on Monday due to weather conditions.
As a seasonal parking ban comes into effect on Edmonton’s residential roads this week, one councillor is concerned about how the city’s failure to fund towing teams will play out on city streets.
Students in B.C.’s biggest districts are missing significantly more school in recent years, with absences having tripled in some places, an exclusive CBC News analysis has found.
An Essex resident has been charged following a dog attack in town.
Charles Snell says he recognizes the need for more housing to be built in Thunder Bay, Ont., but that it shouldn’t come at the cost of losing green space.