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TORONTO - Just days after locking up star point guard Kyle Lowry, the teams top offseason priority, the Raptors are following suit with restricted free agent forward Patrick Patterson. Although the deal cannot be made official until the free agent moratorium period is lifted on July 10, Patterson has agreed to a three-year, $18 million extension to remain in Toronto, sources confirm to TSN.ca Friday afternoon. Patterson, 25, was acquired in the seven-player deal that sent Rudy Gay to Sacramento in December and played a significant role in the Raptors resurgence last year. One of the leagues premier reserves at his position following the trade, the fourth-year forward appeared in 48 games for Toronto, starting seven, and averaging 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds while shooting 48 per cent from the field and 41 per cent from three-point range. As a restricted free agent, the Raptors could have matched any offer Patterson received on the open market but retaining him was a priority for general manager Masai Ujiri and something he moved on quickly after agreeing to terms with Lowry late Wednesday night. Patterson figured to draw a fair amount of interest from teams around the league after jumpstarting his young career in Toronto. Although he struggled to begin the year with the Kings, Patterson emerged as a versatile, two-way player that can stretch the floor at the power forward position. He became especially valuable as starter Amir Johnson began to wear down, battling a myriad of injuries late in the season. Patterson, often the first player off the bench last year, is expected to have a bigger role with the Raptors in 2014-15 and beyond. Toronto had a record of 42-22 following the early-season trade that made Patterson a Raptor, finishing the campaign with a franchise-best 48 wins and division title en route to a seven-game, first round defeat in the playoffs. Shortly after extending the contract of head coach Dwane Casey in May, Ujiri expressed his desire to keep his team, one that exceeded all expectations a year ago, together going forward. "As far as Im concerned, keeping our core group going forward, with Kyle Lowry, Greivis Vasquez and Patterson and Nando, those guys are priorities for us," the Raptors GM had said. "And if you want to build, I think a team where we have young players, we have to build continuity. When free agency comes, we have to attack our guys first." With that goal in mind the next order of business will be retaining Vasquez, also a restricted free agent, expected to be done soon. In an effort to create the cap space required to complete a deal with the back-up point guard and perhaps add another piece while maintaining future flexibility and avoiding luxury tax penalties, the Raptors have also traded veteran sharpshooter Steve Novak to the Utah Jazz, reports Yahoo Sports. Toronto will send a future second-round selection to the Jazz as a sweetener and take back the non-guarantted contract of guard Diante Garrett, who will be immediately waived, in order to unload the $7.2 million Novak is owed over the next two years. After the Lowry and Patterson signings are made official and assuming guards Julyan Stone and Dwight Buycks are also waived (their deals are non-guaranteed if voided before July 7 and July 22 respectively), the Raptors will have roughly $62 million committed to 10 players under contract for next season, not including Vasquez, free agent guard Nando De Colo and rookies Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira or DeAndre Daniels. Even after signing their rookies and inking Vasquez to a new deal, the Raptors should be able to use most of their mid-level exception to address another need on the roster and remain under the salary cap. Aided by the trade of Novak, Toronto should have max or near max cap space next summer, with only Lowry, Patterson, DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and this years rookies on their books for the 2015-16 season. Novak was acquired in the trade that sent Andrea Bargnani to New York a year ago. The 31-year-old forward and three-point shooting specialist averaged 3.3 points in 54 games with the Raptors last season, his eighth in the NBA. Joshua Garnett Jersey .C., won gold in the womens 200-metre backstroke, and Dominique Bouchard of North Bay, Ont. San Francisco 49ers Jerseys . 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The defending champions sent their preliminary list to FIFA on Tuesday, with coach Vicente del Bosque to announce the final 23-man squad on May 25. Costa is set to lead the attack in his native Brazil, with Atletico Madrid teammate David Villa and Chelseas Fernando Torres also included, while David de Gea replaces injured goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Robbie Gould Jersey . After making his All-Star debut in Fridays Rising Stars Challenge, the Raptors sophomore centre wont be sticking around for the duration of the weekends festivities, thinking about the big picture instead.ATLANTA -- David Hale made things difficult on the Reds by facing the minimum 21 batters over his last seven innings. That performance leaves Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez with a tough decision. Hale allowed only two hits over eight innings in a performance that may not be enough to save his spot in Atlantas rotation and the Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-1 on Saturday night. Hale (1-0) has a 2.31 ERA in four starts but could lose his spot in the rotation next week, when left-hander Mike Minor is expected to come off the disabled list. Hale, a rookie right-hander, had good command of his sinkerball as he made it difficult for the Braves to send him back to Triple-A Gwinnett. "I mean, obviously that stuff runs through my head," Hale said of keeping his spot in the rotation. "I try not to let it get too deep in there. My goal is to be here and do the best I can and let things fall the way they will, so well see what happens." Freddie Freeman, Justin Upton and Evan Gattis each homered off Cincinnatis Mike Leake (2-2). Hale gave up a walk and two hits, including Ryan Ludwicks run-scoring double, in the first inning. He didnt allow another hit over the next seven innings. "So he threw a no-hitter after that," Ludwick said. "He did an outstanding job. What did we have? Two hits? ... Not a whole lot of offence." Reds manager Bryan Price said Hale "just never really gave us a chance. He pitched really well. It was very impressive." Cincinnatis only other baserunner against Hale came on Jay Bruces leadoff walk in the fourth, and the Braves ended that inning with a double play. Craig Kimbrel closed the combined two-hitter -- a season low for the Reds -- for his eighth save. Kimbrel gave up a one-out walk to Joey Votto in the ninth before striking out Brandon Phillips and Bruce to end the game. Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning. Upton and Gattis hit back-to-back homers in the third. Upton, who also hit a homer in the Braves 5-4 win on Friday night, leads the team with seven. Ludwick reached over the left-field wall to take another homer away from Freeman in the third innning.dddddddddddd The three homers matched the most allowed in a game by Leake, who gave up four runs and eight hits in seven innings. Minor was projected as one of the teams top starters even before Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy had season-ending elbow injuries in spring training. Minor had urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, which pushed back his spring schedule. He then developed shoulder soreness and was shut down in spring training. Before the game, Gonzalez brushed off Minors ugly numbers in what is expected to be his final minor league rehab appearance on Friday night for Double-A Mississippi at Pensacola. Gonzalez said a "howling" wind was a major factor as Minor gave up five runs and 10 hits, including four homers. Gonzalez said hell wait until after Minors next side session to announce any rotation changes for next week. After Hales dominant performance, Gonzalez wouldnt be drawn into a discussion on how hell find a spot for Minor. "Let me enjoy the day, and well talk about it in the morning," Gonzalez said. The Reds held out third baseman Todd Frazier after he left Friday nights game with tightness in his left leg. Price said Frazier probably could have played and likely will miss only one game. Neftali Soto was 0-for-3 in his first career start as Fraziers replacement. NOTES: The Cincinnati Reds placed C Devin Mesoraco on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. The team recalled C Tucker Barnhart from Triple-A Louisville. ... Leake also allowed three homers against Pittsburgh on July 19, 2013. ... Reds LHP Aroldis Chapman, on the DL with facial fractures after he was hit by a line drive on March 19, threw 43 pitches in batting practice. He is scheduled to throw another simulated game on Tuesday in Cincinnati before beginning a rehab stint in the minors. ... B.J. Uptons infield single in the first was his 1,000th career hit. ... The Braves released Triple-A Gwinnett first baseman Ernesto Mejia after reaching a deal for him to play with Japans Seibu Lions. ... 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