Patrick Patterson has agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract to stay with the Toronto Raptors, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman. He was a restricted free agent.
Patterson was a key part of Toronto's playoff push, arriving from Sacramento in a December trade that turned around the Raptors' season. He made 41 percent of his three-pointers in Toronto, providing some much-needed floor spacing at the power forward position. In 48 games with the team, he averaged nine points and five rebounds in 23 minutes per game.
While not much of a rebounder or rim protector, Patterson is a solid, smart two-way player and a luxury to have as a backup behind Amir Johnson. Considering how well he shot the ball, it's a mild surprise he didn't get a more lucrative or longer contract. It might have helped that he wanted to come back and build on last year.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.
On This Day In UK Basketball History
- On March 19, 1966, Pat Riley joined the 1,000-point club. He did it in 54 games.
- On March 19, 1966, in one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, top-ranked UK, featuring “Rupp’s Runts,” loses in the NCAA Championship game, 72-65, to Texas Western.
- On March 19, 1989, in the wake of an NCAA investigation, Eddie Sutton resigns as UK basketball coach.