Vasquez says that KD will come to Toronto to win championships

[Nilanka]

I'm just wondering why Durant would come here with no DeRozan...?

One word: YOLO

Or is that four words?

[DanH]

I'm just wondering why Durant would come here with no DeRozan...? I'd assume he wants to team up with star talent?

Why would DeRozan qualify as star talent?

Why would Durant want to team up with a guy who uses so much of the offense?

[imanshumpert]

Why would DeRozan qualify as star talent?

Why would Durant want to team up with a guy who uses so much of the offense?

24 years old (26 when Durant is a FA), could potentially have made 3 straight all-star games by that point (has already made one), one of the top scorers in the league, has a great reputation for his talent and attitude amongst players and coaches.

That's why.

And if you trade DeRozan for a draft pick, unless that guy turns into a superstar in 2 seasons we're 100% not getting Durant. Especially since Lowry would be G-O-N-E if that happened.

[Nilanka]

24 years old (26 when Durant is a FA), could potentially have made 3 straight all-star games by that point (has already made one), one of the top scorers in the league, has a great reputation for his talent and attitude amongst players and coaches.

That's why.

And if you trade DeRozan for a draft pick, unless that guy turns into a superstar in 2 seasons we're 100% not getting Durant. Especially since Lowry would be G-O-N-E if that happened.

I think what DanH was asking, why would Durant want to play with someone whose game doesn't mesh well (individual accomplishments be damned)?

[Mr.Z]

Gonna leave this here as well.

Ever watch an OKC game? You don't think KD is a ball-dominant player? That was the extent of my comparison.

My point was that DeRozan has never excelled as an off-the-ball player and doesn't play the style of game that is conducive to being successful without the ball in his hands.

If KD is interested in coming here, you roll out the red carpet and cash-in DeRozan, to further improve the supporting cast. Easy solution.

This might be because Derozan has always been the best player on the Raptors except for his rookie season. You think he'll still command the same amount of shots if he was playing was playing with Durant?

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[DanH]

This might be because Derozan has always been the best player on the Raptors except for his rookie season. You think he'll still command the same amount of shots if he was playing was playing with Durant?

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Perhaps not, but DD's main benefit to the team is being able to be moderately efficient while carrying a heavy usage. If he's not getting that high usage, his inefficiency becomes a big problem.

Does Durant have any reason to believe DD would decrease his shot attempts? As it stands, Lowry is a better player, and has low usage compared to DD.

[Superjudge]

Why would DeRozan qualify as star talent?

Why would Durant want to team up with a guy who uses so much of the offense?

Because he is one of the most aggressive players in teh NBA getting to the hoop and drawing fouls, causing the defence to collapse and opening up shots for the 134 guys

You think Ross, salmons, GV and novac hitting those wide open jumpers against brooklyn woulda helped???

Think Durant is gonna miss those looks?

[DanH]

24 years old (26 when Durant is a FA), could potentially have made 3 straight all-star games by that point (has already made one), one of the top scorers in the league, has a great reputation for his talent and attitude amongst players and coaches.

That's why.

And if you trade DeRozan for a draft pick, unless that guy turns into a superstar in 2 seasons we're 100% not getting Durant. Especially since Lowry would be G-O-N-E if that happened.

Could potentially have made 3 all star games. Yeah, except he won't. He made this year's because a) coaches don't recognize that Lowry was the better player on the team, b) loads of injury woes for other Eastern Conference teams and c) he had a big jump in raw point productivity on a team winning against the odds. Next year, I'd bet he doesn't make the all-star game.

Just so we're clear, you think a viable option is to let Ross walk, let Vasquez and Patterson walk, let Amir walk and let DD go to unrestricted free agency on the hope that a) you can re-sign him and b) you can sign Durant to play with him, with only JV and Lowry and several late first rounders as a reason for either to sign here? And you think this option is feasible?

[DanH]

Because he is one of the most aggressive players in teh NBA getting to the hoop and drawing fouls, causing the defence to collapse and opening up shots for the 134 guys

You think Ross, salmons, GV and novac hitting those wide open jumpers against brooklyn woulda helped???

Think Durant is gonna miss those looks?

You think defenses sag against Durant like they do against Salmons? Nice try.

Durant standing in the corner as DeMar dominates the ball is not exactly an ideal situation.

[imanshumpert]

Could potentially have made 3 all star games. Yeah, except he won't. He made this year's because a) coaches don't recognize that Lowry was the better player on the team, b) loads of injury woes for other Eastern Conference teams and c) he had a big jump in raw point productivity on a team winning against the odds. Next year, I'd bet he doesn't make the all-star game.

Just so we're clear, you think a viable option is to let Ross walk, let Vasquez and Patterson walk, let Amir walk and let DD go to unrestricted free agency on the hope that a) you can re-sign him and b) you can sign Durant to play with him, with only JV and Lowry and several late first rounders as a reason for either to sign here? And you think this option is feasible?

Umm no you don't have to let any of those guys walk right now.

What you do is you sign Amir, Vasquez and Patterson to 3 year deals with the 3rd year being a team option. If it looks like we have no chance of getting Durant in 2016, then you just opt into the 3rd year and look for another way to improve. If during the 2015/16 campaign, KD actually looks like a viable option, you don't pick up their team options and denounce their bird rights to reduce the cap hold.

It's not rocket science.

As for DeRozan, I'm not sure he'll make it the next two years, but don't try to discredit him for this one. It's not DeRozan's fault Lowry wasn't on the all-star team, it's the coaches'. Lowry should've been there instead of Joe Johnson.

DeRozan didn't just have a jump in point productivity, he basically improved in every single statistical and non-statistical category except for his field goal percentage (but his efficiency in TS% and PPS increased). Not every player can handle an increase in scoring responsibility and actually increase their scoring efficiency, have a look at Gordon Hayward over in Utah and what happened to his percentages now that Millsap and Al Jeff are gone.

[OptimalOptimist]

Wow, I'm starting to wonder how every thread turns into a DeRozan argument, pretty interesting.

[DanH]

Umm no you don't have to let any of those guys walk right now.

What you do is you sign Amir, Vasquez and Patterson to 3 year deals with the 3rd year being a team option. If it looks like we have no chance of getting Durant in 2016, then you just opt into the 3rd year and look for another way to improve. If during the 2015/16 campaign, KD actually looks like a viable option, you don't pick up their team options and denounce their bird rights to reduce the cap hold.

It's not rocket science.

Yeah, I'm sure their agents will be head over heels. And my point was not that we have to let them walk now. We'd still need to let them walk that summer to unrestricted free agency just to take a shot at DD and Durant, who could both sign elsewhere, and now we don't have Ross or GV or Patterson or Amir.

As for DeRozan, I'm not sure he'll make it the next two years, but don't try to discredit him for this one. It's not DeRozan's fault Lowry wasn't on the all-star team, it's the coaches'. Lowry should've been there instead of Joe Johnson.

DeRozan didn't just have a jump in point productivity, he basically improved in every single statistical and non-statistical category except for his field goal percentage (but his efficiency in TS% and PPS increased). Not every player can handle an increase in scoring responsibility and actually increase their scoring efficiency, have a look at Gordon Hayward over in Utah and what happened to his percentages now that Millsap and Al Jeff are gone.

Agreed. Of course that had nothing to do with his all-star selection and you know that. He won't see a similar jump in point production next year, and sadly that's what gets the attention when it comes to all-star selections.

Lowry should indeed have made it over Johnson. But if only 1 Raptor was going, it should not have been DD.

[mcHAPPY]

Wow, I'm starting to wonder how every thread turns into a DeRozan argument, pretty interesting.

The dynamic of the argument has changed.

Many past arguments have been proven false.

The new arguments revolve around his value it seems and whether the team should keep him moving forward or not.

I don't think anyone can say he doesn't have value anymore, er, I think.

[thead]

do people seriously think we have a chance at landing Kevin Durant? I mean I don't want to be mean guys but I think we just assume that isn't happening

[stooley]

do people seriously think we have a chance at landing Kevin Durant? I mean I don't want to be mean guys but I think we just assume that isn't happening

it's a one in a million shot, but it's fun to talk about!

but also, I'd never really pull a knicks and build a team around KD when the odds are he isn't coming here!

I'd rather make our moves in 2015 anyways, that way we can resign JV/TRoss in 2016 freely.