Who should the Raptors target as their SF next season?: Raps eye AI/Gay (36)

[charlesnba23]

Would it be possible to trade our 8th pick straight up for Deng? I don't see why you would not do it, personnally. Deng is a proven star player on the best team of the NBA regular season, he's a great defender, good scorer, unselfish, plus he's still only 27, which is only 1 year older than Gay. I don't see another option that is more realistic, since landing Gay or Batum are not going to happen. And I don't see a player at 8 that could make an impact as much as Deng on our team.

[ceez]

Trading a lotto pick for deng is only a shade better than the JO trade. What's Deng going to do for the team long term exactly? That's what the plan was right?

[charlesnba23]

Trading a lotto pick for deng is only a shade better than the JO trade. What's Deng going to do for the team long term exactly? That's what the plan was right?

Long term? He's going to be a real starting caliber small forward. That's what he's going to do for the team long term exactly.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Trading a lotto pick for deng is only a shade better than the JO trade. What's Deng going to do for the team long term exactly? That's what the plan was right?

He should still have at least 5 good years left in him, but I share your concern. Although I understand the desire to get some veteran leadership on the team, age is a big concern I have for guys like Deng (27 next season), Iguodala (28/29) and Granger (29), especially when compounded by injury history like Deng has. Although Gay is only a year younger than Deng, it just seems like Deng has much more wear & tear on him.

[mcHAPPY]

What you are saying about the 2013-2014 salaries is interesting, thats news to me.

I do think that Courtney Lee would have to be overpaid to come to Toronto but not by much. He is expected to make about 4-5 million I believe in his next contract, with the raptors he might make 5-6 million, I don't think he has the leverage to demand much more. So it wouldn't be terribly overpaying him.

As far as talent on the roster goes, its true holding pat so to speak like this means that we are not adding a big time marquee player to our roster, and on paper it doesn't seem like we are improving that much. However we are nowhere near contending for a championship, so slow and steady is going to win the race at this stage in our teams development. Let's not forget that the biggest benefit of having a young team is that they have tremendous room to grow, and their can be "organic" or internal development. I think that adding more talent in the form of JV to the C position, having a healthy bargnani, having a full training camp and summer league, and most of all having another year under Dwayne Casey means that our team can get a lot better.

A player like Courtney Lee would fit into our system perfectly. In every team that he has played for he consistently guards the opposing teams best scoring wing, he knows his role on a team, he doesn't try and do too much, he plays within himself and understands his job is to defend and hit the spot up three pointer. I think even with a modest move such as this, because of the youth of our team, and the change in "culture" that is occuring you will see a much better Raptors team than last year, and perhaps an appearance in the playoffs.

That being said, since Colangelo and Casey are both in contract years, I do not see them making "modest" moves this offseason. I see them trying to swing for the fences, but if no decent transaction presents itself a move such as "moving derozan to the 3 and signing someone like Courtney Lee" is not a bad alternative.

The Raptors nor Courtney Lee have leverage in this situation. As Houston holds his rights, the Rockets hold all the leverage. What he will make is not something I care to venture about. The reality is Houston can match any contract. Given how much it appears the Rockets want to keep him and move Martin and given the Rockets have no issues with cap space, it seems to me the only way Lee is leaving Houston is on a significant overpayment.

I'm not sure I agree with the assessment of 'slow and steady' winning the race. The Raptors do not have Durant-Westbrook-Harden talent developing on the roster. Casey and the whole "culture change" was evident and successful this year. However, eventually, you're going to need talent. This roster below, from earlier in the thread, looks like a solid 12 lottery pick in my opinion.

PG: Calderon/Bayless/Uzoh
SG: Lee/Lamb/Anderson
SF: Derozan/Johnson/Kleiza
PF: Bargnani/Johnson/Davis
C: Valancuinas/Gray/Magloire

The issue, in my opinion, for the Raptors over the last few years can be looked at kind of like a teeter-totter - a talent teeter-totter if you will. Picture a slight slanted left teeter-totter with the first string being slightly - oh ever so slightly - slanted to the reserves. Again, this is just my opinion, but the Raptors have plenty of solid reserves. Many teams, like Memphis, have the talent but lack the complimentary players. Toronto has the exact opposite problem: too many complimentary players and not enough talent. In cashing in some complimentary/role players for top talent the Raptors can send that talent teeter-totter over to the starters side - as it should be in my opinion.

I guess why I feel grabbing a guy like Gay would be the best course of action is because I don't think any of the current Raptors have the potential to become an impact player like Gay. Consider the fact Gay has been putting up very similar numbers to what he has now since he was 21 years of age. The organic growth is a great concept but what if it never happens? Outside of Valanciunas (and that is because he has not played in the league yet), I am not seeing any all-stars among the young players. James Johnson is 25. Bayless will be 24 and ED/DD will be 23 this summer with 4 and 3/2 years in the league. Again, I'm just not seeing the potential to be near as good as a player such as Rudy Gay.

I think the merits of saying the team will experience organic growth is equal to saying the Raptors will become like a number of other teams who keep adding high draft picks with their wheels stuck in the mud - unless they get extremely luck of course.

Deng (wrist surgery needed with a suspect back), AI (declining health and production), and Granger (declining production and oldest of the lot) are not worth giving up the role players, cap space, and especially lotto pick in my opinion. However, Gay does meet the criteria (in my opinion!) and should the Raptors get Gay and somehow manage to get a player in the draft who they are interested in anyways, then that is a win-win and what I am absolutely hoping for regardless of how unrealistic that hope may be. Unfortunately or fortunately or however you want to say it, I do think my hope has more possibility for success than staying the course and hoping average/slightly above average NBA players (DD, JJ, ED, Bayless) become something more.

[torch19]

I'm still on the Rudy Gay bandwagon & somehow draft Waiters. That's really it for me.

[Nilanka]

Looks like Ariza is no longer an option for the Raptors. As per Jonathan Giovany (DraftExpress)

New Orleans trades Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza to Washington for Rashard Lewis and the #46 pick.

I really like this trade for Washington. A Nene/Okafor frontcourt is pretty formidable. And Ariza provides another consistent player for Wall to facilitate.

[Sig]

Looks like Ariza is no longer an option for the Raptors. As per Jonathan Giovany (DraftExpress)



I really like this trade for Washington. A Nene/Okafor frontcourt is pretty formidable. And Ariza provides another consistent player for Wall to facilitate.

So it comes down to Beal or MKG. I say MKG.

[Bendit]

I dont know about MKG being the best fit now that they have Ariza & Vesely. They do need a SG and Beal with Wall looks better...imo

[mcHAPPY]

Looks like Ariza is no longer an option for the Raptors. As per Jonathan Giovany (DraftExpress)



I really like this trade for Washington. A Nene/Okafor frontcourt is pretty formidable. And Ariza provides another consistent player for Wall to facilitate.

I like this trade as well.

They keep #3. They already have a wealth of young players. They get 2 solid professionals. They now amnesty Blatche.

If both are healthy this is a great trade and it should make the Wiz a playoff team in my opinion.

Wall/
Beal/Crawford/Mack
Ariza/Vesely/Singleton
Okafor/Booker
Nene/Serephin

Plus they have just $49M in salary commitments.

Eric Koreen at National Post is slamming this trade on Twitter - I think he is nuts.

[ReubenJRD]

I like this trade as well.

They keep #3. They already have a wealth of young players. They get 2 solid professionals. They now amnesty Blatche.

If both are healthy this is a great trade and it should make the Wiz a playoff team in my opinion.

Wall/
Beal/Crawford/Mack
Ariza/Vesely/Singleton
Okafor/Booker
Nene/Serephin

Plus they have just $49M in salary commitments.

Eric Koreen at National Post is slamming this trade on Twitter - I think he is nuts.

Hey Matt, just wondering. Isn't the front-court the other way around? Okafor at center, and Nene at power forward? I mean Denver did trade Nene for one reason they had Faried at the 4.

+1 I also stated in another thread that this looks like a playoff team.

[mcHAPPY]

Hey Matt, just wondering. Isn't the front-court the other way around? Okafor at center, and Nene at power forward? I mean Denver did trade Nene for one reason they had Faried at the 4.

+1 I also stated in another thread that this looks like a playoff team.

Potato, potatoe.

I've always read Nene and Okafor could play either front court position.

[ReubenJRD]

Potato, potatoe.

I've always read Nene and Okafor could play either front court position.

Good one. :P No just wondering. Doesn't really matter.

[LBF]

I dont know about MKG being the best fit now that they have Ariza & Vesely. They do need a SG and Beal with Wall looks better...imo

I think he might have been talking about the raptors.

[jbml]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-trade-...s-on-the-block

Rudy Gay – If the Memphis Grizzlies decide that it’s time to part ways with Rudy Gay, they’ll have no shortage of potential suitors for the small forward. A number of teams have inquired about Gay including the Charlotte Bobcats, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets. The 25-year old is owed $53,666,790 over the next three years, but executives continue to express interest because of his potential. Gay’s name has been discussed a lot in recent weeks, but it’s unclear whether Memphis is looking to move him. League sources believe he could be dealt if the right offer comes along.