TORONTO -- Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri made no deals on Thursday's NBA trade deadline in a "huge vote of confidence" for the players he has.
"Vote of confidence to our players, to our team, to coach (Dwane Casey), keep plugging away," Ujiri said. "We've made a commitment, trying to give this group a chance."
Ujiri did field calls Thursday -- "There's always calls in the NBA, you just have to pick which ones you feel like you need to do."
But he wasn't close to making a deal, he said. The Raptors are 36-17 and second in the Eastern Conference, and Ujiri likes the makeup of his team. Keeping it intact, he said, was a nod to the chemistry the Raptors have.
"No question," he said. "They play well together, they believe in each other, and hey, go forward. We have 29 games left. . . they do play well together, there's good chemistry on the team, and with the coaches, so we'll keep plugging away."
The Raptors face a tough road ahead. Following the nine-day all-star break, they're back in action on Friday, when they play the East-leading Hawks in Atlanta. It's the first of six games in eight days, and the first of four in a row on the road. It's also the first of five straight against teams with winning records -- Atlanta, Houston, New Orleans, Dallas and Golden State.
"We have a difficult patch here coming, but we'll try to grind it out and finish this last stretch," Ujiri said.
