Who Should Be Traded?

[DogeLover1234]

Why does everyone want Zubac so bad? I feel likes hes just a guy. Hes on a pretty good contract, but hes a guy who gets played off the court come playoffs. Id much rather take a chance on the Heat rookie big Achiuwa or Maxey plus picks. Maybe turn it into a three team deal if you dont like either of thise guys.

Part of the Powell thing is he may seek not just money but a better role longterm too. Like everyone has mentioned Lowry wanting more money or a contender, but that seems much more likely with Powell, who probably doesnt want to come off the bench forever and has made good money but hasnt been paid paid yet. In a weak FA class I feel like some team might way overpay him. Down to keep him if the value isnt there, but I feel like with so much parity and teams looking to win now someone will give you a nice offer.

[G__Deane]

What are we winning with Kyke (30M), Siakam, FVV, OG, Boucher and Norm (10M)? Likely nothing
So what are we winning next year with Siakam, FVV, OG, Boucher and Norm at 20M but no Kyle?
How can it be more?

Next year, our core will cost ~$22M more without Kyle

[Rudy Bargnani]

What are we winning with Kyke (30M), Siakam, FVV, OG, Boucher and Norm (10M)? Likely nothing
So what are we winning next year with Siakam, FVV, OG, Boucher and Norm at 20M but no Kyle?
How can it be more?

Next year, our core will cost ~$22M more without Kyle

Time for the once/week post when someone asks you to suggest a better alternative. What is your suggestion? Tanking? Trade Mccaw for Lebron? Let 6th man walk for cap space to sign the reigning MVP? Player development and internal growth? Those are the options right? What do you think is a reasonable path forward? Right you never answer that part.

You keep good players at reasonable contracts and try to make a Derozan/prospect/pick trade for a top 10 player if it presents itself. In the meantime build a successful culture so when players say they are willing to go be traded to 5-6 teams Toronto is one of them.

If you disagree with the approach above I would totally respect that but it would really be interesting to hear what you think should happen.

[G__Deane]

Time for the once/week post when someone asks you to suggest a better alternative. What is your suggestion? Tanking? Trade Mccaw for Lebron? Let 6th man walk for cap space to sign the reigning MVP? Player development and internal growth? Those are the options right? What do you think is a reasonable path forward? Right you never answer that part.

You keep good players at reasonable contracts and try to make a Derozan/prospect/pick trade for a top 10 player if it presents itself. In the meantime build a successful culture so when players say they are willing to go be traded to 5-6 teams Toronto is one of them.

If you disagree with the approach above I would totally respect that but it would really be interesting to hear what you think should happen.

You don't like what i think lol

It's pretty well accepted that with very rare exceptions, you need an elite player or two, a top 10 player or 2 to win a chip.
Since most will agree that there's no evidence that a top 10 player is signing here in free agency, you're left with wait for a established Kawhi type to be disgruntled and force a trade, hope the Raps have the best pkg for his team to accept (which would have been less likely if Kawhi had been healthy) and take your shot and win a chip every 25 years? Because that's how often that scenario plays out.

That's what you got?

I think I'm a pragmatist in this regard. I think just trying to be the best team you can through smart trades and internal growth is our only option. Enjoy the Raptors as a middling to good to very good team. Just stop kidding yourself that it leads so easily to something more.

Is that OK with you that I have that opinion?

My post merely pointed out that with salary raises that are already incoming and raises for OG and Norm, if you can't win with Kyle it's going to be hard to win without him if you let him walk. And you what? It's true.

No need to get all sensitive if everyone doesn't talk constant rainbows around here. That's why all the trade talk is interesting; it's one way to get better if you come out on the right end of it.

[Yuri Gagarin]

Rudy Bargnani ”You keep good players at reasonable contracts and try to make a Derozan/prospect/pick trade for a top 10 player if it presents itself.”

we have one 20’s pick. Dont really have prospects. TD is expiring. Bouch is a keeper. Then its mostly one year contracts of borderline G leaguers.

gotta trade lowry and powell. We have them for 4 months thats it. We need picks. Need to stock up the cupboard. If lowry and powell walk after kawhi, gasol and serge we’re not just in bad shape on the court but the whole organization looks bad

[Yuri Gagarin]

Question for you guys. What picks should lowry, powell and fred get us? Not taking salary coming back into account. Just pretending teams have space to take them straight up.

my guess is fred 6-10, lowry 10-12 and powell 12-16

[Jclaw]

Rudy Bargnani ”You keep good players at reasonable contracts and try to make a Derozan/prospect/pick trade for a top 10 player if it presents itself.”

we have one 20’s pick. Dont really have prospects. TD is expiring. Bouch is a keeper. Then its mostly one year contracts of borderline G leaguers.

gotta trade lowry and powell. We have them for 4 months thats it. We need picks. Need to stock up the cupboard. If lowry and powell walk after kawhi, gasol and serge we’re not just in bad shape on the court but the whole organization looks bad

I think we need to lose this narrative. Of that whole group, the only one that strategically we wanted to pay to keep was Kawhi and he's a league wide anomaly. Don't define your strategy moving forward by those perceptions of the past

[Yuri Gagarin]

I think we need to lose this narrative. Of that whole group, the only one that strategically we wanted to pay to keep was Kawhi and he's a league wide anomaly. Don't define your strategy moving forward by those perceptions of the past

My perception is in 6 months we are 1 of 30 teams who can offer norm and lowry a contract. No advantage no disadvantage. 1 of 30. Well actually we are at an advantage in that we could have got something for them prior

[planetmars]

My perception is in 6 months we are 1 of 30 teams who can offer norm and lowry a contract. No advantage no disadvantage. 1 of 30. Well actually we are at an advantage in that we could have got something for them prior

Are you saying that every team in the NBA has cap space or an exception to land these guys? You should look around payrolls, because I hate to break it to you.. 30 teams don't have that.

Unless you think Norm and Kyle are going to take vet minimum deals like Alex Len took from us?

[G__Deane]

Question for you guys. What picks should lowry, powell and fred get us? Not taking salary coming back into account. Just pretending teams have space to take them straight up.

my guess is fred 6-10, lowry 10-12 and powell 12-16

There's not a chance they trade FVV imo. Good or bad, they just signed him to be the PG of the future

[planetmars]

Rudy Bargnani ”You keep good players at reasonable contracts and try to make a Derozan/prospect/pick trade for a top 10 player if it presents itself.”

we have one 20’s pick. Dont really have prospects. TD is expiring. Bouch is a keeper. Then its mostly one year contracts of borderline G leaguers.

gotta trade lowry and powell. We have them for 4 months thats it. We need picks. Need to stock up the cupboard. If lowry and powell walk after kawhi, gasol and serge we’re not just in bad shape on the court but the whole organization looks bad

We have all our draft picks.. except for 3 second rounders ('21, '22, and '24 are owed to Detroit, GSW and Memphis respectively). A draft pick is worth more than prospects most of the time.. as the price tag for most super stars are draft picks and pick swaps. So I don't see the issue. Our cupboard isn't really dry.

But yeah this is why it's important to bring back Norm. We need his contract for trading purposes. And if we offer enough (we have his bird rights) we can bring him back. Since we're not chasing Giannis anymore, there shouldn't be a problem there.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I think the plan A and B were Giannis and Gobert.

I am surprised Gobert resigned....


I think we might be able to lock up an RFA now with an overpay like Markennen or Collins. OR..... you chase after Oladipo ... I haven't been following his progress this year so I cant comment. The person we want in a trade should be Myles Turner. If we can't the next get would be to wait until the following free agency and try and sign a Zach Lavine level player.

With Lowry possibly gone next year, we likely slip back a bit in the standings for a few years, which is fine but we also can get higher picks and draft while being in a 4-8 position playoff wise. I am fine with that until the next time we pounce. If we lose norm its likely because we will replace him with dipo which I am OK with.

[Yuri Gagarin]

Are you saying that every team in the NBA has cap space or an exception to land these guys? You should look around payrolls, because I hate to break it to you.. 30 teams don't have that.

Unless you think Norm and Kyle are going to take vet minimum deals like Alex Len took from us?

Theoretically any team can create space if they want them. Also 90% sure teams will offer them more than we should pay them.

[planetmars]

Theoretically any team can create space if they want them. Also 90% sure teams will offer them more than we should pay them.

Did you have that same fear for Fred or Boucher?

My point was you mentioned 30 teams could go after that them, and that's not possible. Brooklyn for example has 3 max contracts. How would they afford either of these guys? Again, unless you think Kyle and Norm are going to be grabbed for way below their market values.

[planetmars]

I think the plan A and B were Giannis and Gobert.

I am surprised Gobert resigned....


I think we might be able to lock up an RFA now with an overpay like Markennen or Collins. OR..... you chase after Oladipo ... I haven't been following his progress this year so I cant comment. The person we want in a trade should be Myles Turner. If we can't the next get would be to wait until the following free agency and try and sign a Zach Lavine level player.

With Lowry possibly gone next year, we likely slip back a bit in the standings for a few years, which is fine but we also can get higher picks and draft while being in a 4-8 position playoff wise. I am fine with that until the next time we pounce. If we lose norm its likely because we will replace him with dipo which I am OK with.

Raptors for the next little while aren't really in a position to be a free agent destination.. not with Pascal/OG/Fred locked up. You bring back Norm and Boucher (which we should) then we're really capped out.

Our cap flexibility is pretty much gone IMO. We have the mid level and biannual exception that we should try to use. Maybe we can get Richaun Holmes for the mid-level. He'd be a nice C in our rotation. Theis is undersized but could help here. Or at least use those exceptions to get tradeable contracts we can flip later. Maybe we can get someone like Nerlens Noel for the biannual.

But I really think Norm has to come back now. It would be a shame to get rid of Boucher, Norm and Lowry for a guy like Dipo.

Norm may actually be better than Dipo anyway.