Trade or Run Out the String?

[TrueTorontoFan]

Nah, I think there was a solid window in mid-July if they wanted to make moves. Next window is December, then the deadline. I suspect both markets will be thinner than the mid-July window would have been, but meaty enough to find a worthwhile landing spot for one or two guys if they really want to.

what do you think will happen

[DanH]

Sure they waited too long to get the best value, but thats really just because they waited for Kawhi. After that the best option was waiting for the season to start imo.

Nah, I think there was a solid window in mid-July if they wanted to make moves. Next window is December, then the deadline. I suspect both markets will be thinner than the mid-July window would have been, but meaty enough to find a worthwhile landing spot for one or two guys if they really want to.

[DogeLover1234]

If they wait for the deadline to move all their vets, the market will probably shrink to where they can only find a good deal for one or two of them anyway. Heck, they've waited too long as it is, in all likelihood.

Ultimately, the choice to win or not will come down to whether they trade Lowry. Either of Gasol or Serge would be fine at C. No idea what the Raptors' intent is. Decision might be made for them - if they are killing it at the deadline, probably ride that wave. If they are sitting in the 6-8 range and the offence has scuttled or they've had some injuries, I imagine they sell, sell, sell.

Sure they waited too long to get the best value, but thats really just because they waited for Kawhi. After that the best option was waiting for the season to start imo.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

I think the state of the east might be why Masai decides to just run it back. If the right trade opens up at the deadline, and we get some lucky breaks in the east we could be right back in the finals. Then all it takes is a hobbled AD or injured Kawhi and boom... back to back champions.

HIGHLY unlikely, but not impossible.

[slaw]

it depends on the value of the return of course but man it would depress the hell out of me if we traded the greatest player in franchise history for a bad expiring contract and two second rounders to avoid "losing the asset for nothing." and i don't see a massive haul being available for our guys.

no we're not winning a title with next years team. but we could win 50 games, finish in the 3-5 seed, and push a team in the second round. there's dignity in that.

start rebuilding proper next summer (or the next) around pascal and a fresh cap sheet. that's my preference.

That first part is the most important. One of the biggest mistakes teams make during rebuilds or re-tools is jumping the gun cause they feel as though they have to trade everyone and get something back, which often leads to backing yourself into a corner and feeling forced into making trades (see, Blue Jays, Toronto, 2019 deadline). The good news is that the Raps have previously shown both that they won't panic on trades and that they tend to get a solid return. It's also reassuring that the roster seems to have a lot of depth (though not all NBA ready depth to be sure) that any trades they make can really be for the best possible return rather than trying to target certain needs, etc.

The only part of this post I'd disagree with is the last sentence: the Raptors have already started their rebuild.

[LJ2]

With the way the East is, it's not one of those "absolutely, positively no way this can happen" type of things. I'd give it a solid 15-20% chance of happening. If Giannis and/or Embiid goes down, that goes up to 40-50%.

I agree. And it doesn't have to be Embiid or Giannis either. Simmons or Middleton getting injured really hampers those teams and the Raptors are still really deep. If OG plays like he was projected to in his rookie season and one of those shooters we nabbed in free agency can earn some play time then we've got a fighters chance against any team in the East. I gotta believe Nurse can figure out a way to keep our offense humming.

[suspenders]

I don't know much, but even with Kawhi, we weren't expected to get past the 6ixers, but we did. We definitely didn't have the shooting to go toe to toe with the Bucks, but we beat them. And then we were going to be swept by the Warriors without Durant because they were better.

Even Canadian talking heads said the above. Then we proved them all wrong.

I'm not saying we'll make it to the finals and win it all again, but we have a fighting chance to go far.

[golden]

Would be something else if Raptors could make it out of the East without Kawhi.

With the way the East is, it's not one of those "absolutely, positively no way this can happen" type of things. I'd give it a solid 15-20% chance of happening. If Giannis and/or Embiid goes down, that goes up to 40-50%.

[LJ2]

Would be something else if Raptors could make it out of the East without Kawhi.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I think you're certifiably nuts.
I love your positivity but you're nuts

This team will not make the finals and slim to none to make the ECF imo. That's fine, we can both have out opinions and one of us can be right

And Gasol has never been the number one option here....

I mean I am the true toronto fan for a reason...


listen... it may take a slew of injuries LOL but we can do it.


With regards to marc ... let me clarify, in the memphis system he was number 1.... here he was number 5 on the pecking order... more like a release valve. I think from that perspective we could have utilized him more. I would like to see him take a consistent 10 shots a game.. instead of 4-7. He should be taking 4 3's a game.

Its a very slim chance that we actually the finals.. but it is possible if the seeding breaks right. Second round vs the bucks would be a very interesting series for us as an example.. with the bucks likely winning but with our team as it is today... I think we could be looking at a 6-7 game series that isn't easy for them to win.

[G__Deane]

I will give my opinion first then go back and read the responses.

I think we need to play it out. I think the team comes back hungry and confident. They know how to do it. Being a champion really changes things. I think we can beat the east and make it to the finals again but it will be tough. I also think we could easily make the conference finals and lose to the bucks or sixers depending on how the standings shake out. For example if the bucks and sixers face eachother like we faced the sixers this year .... that will lead to a tough second round match up.


I am excited to see a fully integrated marc and kyle work together. I am excited to see marc have a bigger role in our offence without being the number 1 option. I don't think he is a number one option anymore, however running the offence through him every third play works wonders. He can also fully run the second unit.

I think you're certifiably nuts.
I love your positivity but you're nuts

This team will not make the finals and slim to none to make the ECF imo. That's fine, we can both have out opinions and one of us can be right

And Gasol has never been the number one option here....

[TrueTorontoFan]

The big fish is Giannis in 2021.. and if not him there are a lot of guys worthy of a max (like Dipo, Beal, Gobert, etc). I think he keeps at least enough for one max contract in 2021. It would be stupid not to.. It doesn't mean he has to get rid of everyone. I hope he can hold on to Kyle.. I doubt he keeps Serge and Marc. Fred is a wild card. He's important to the team but his next contract may make him too expensive and might hurt the bottom line 2 years from now - especially since Pascal will probably get the max too.

realistically we need two max slots

[TrueTorontoFan]

We'll never know, but I'm skeptical how real that scenario actually was.

Honestly even that... It wasn't a good idea. We were basically giving up Siakam for 2 more years. Would we have repeated.. YES... would kawhi have stayed after two years... probably not because the difference between what we could have offered and clippers/ lakers would have been so small he would have just left. So in my mind I dont think it would have been a good idea. Not to mention he could have just forced his way out later which would have pissed everyone off.


Even if it was a real scenario I don't think its a good idea. Plus that Russ contract isn't pretty

[TrueTorontoFan]

"Would interest drop off if three of the top five players were traded away for picks at the trade deadline on February 6th?"
3/4 of the "current" Raptor fans are bandwagon fans who will fade away this season and couldn't really care less about a 3rd or 4th place finish in the East and a first or second round exit. The arena will still sell out but the TV ratings are dropping through the floor, perhaps less than the Kyle/DD days.

They (we) expect more now. I'll still enjoy basketball but I want to dream about ECF and Finals again and I realistically can't with this roster. MLSE won't give up the playoff revenue or go full rebuild after the Chip but I'd look at trading Kyle, Gasol and Serge if the return was high end talent that matches up with and Siakam and OG's emergence/development. And I still don't think that elite telent is coming here as a FA

Just being real (buzzkill) here.

Elite talent is coming here... Just not yet. RJ Barrett would totally come in my opinion. I also do think we have a solid solid chance of Giannis. That said we have to remain a competent team to attract him.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I will give my opinion first then go back and read the responses.

I think we need to play it out. I think the team comes back hungry and confident. They know how to do it. Being a champion really changes things. I think we can beat the east and make it to the finals again but it will be tough. I also think we could easily make the conference finals and lose to the bucks or sixers depending on how the standings shake out. For example if the bucks and sixers face eachother like we faced the sixers this year .... that will lead to a tough second round match up.


I am excited to see a fully integrated marc and kyle work together. I am excited to see marc have a bigger role in our offence without being the number 1 option. I don't think he is a number one option anymore, however running the offence through him every third play works wonders. He can also fully run the second unit.


Here is my other reasons for wanting to run it out. Realistically, the only way you make a trade is if you either get off Powells contract for first rounders (I doubt it and he is still young enough to be a solid starter), or you get first rounders plus bad contracts (expiring no later then the following season) for lowry and gasol... I doubt that we get that. If we some how get that kind of package.. you take it. No team is going to be giving us solid young talent for an expiring lowry. MAYBE ibaka but even then probably not. Same with Gasol. Lowry and Gasol are too expensive and too old to fetch someone who is 20-25 and who is worth taking a look at and the only way we get picks is by taking on salary.. but the year we are targeting is the year that every SMART team should be targeting. Its the same year as Kawhi and George (they aren't leaving but still), Giannis, CJ Mccollum if im not mistaken, oladipo, and more.

So yeah. Unless you get a solid return you run the clock out... You work out short term deals during the year for lowry and gasol as a possibility... or you run it out and tank the following year and start fresh. I'd almost want to keep lowry moving forward and let him retire and just ask him secretly when he thinks he is going to retire because he is smart enough to run a competent offence for a long time and be a great player for a long time. If he is ok with slowly transitioning towards a bench role. Realistically, I don't think anyone sees FVV as the future starting point guard of this team. I'd be OK with it but he is better as a back up honestly.