Toronto Raptors who are still playing Alumni thread ....

[bertarapsfan]

Masai traded Norm to Portland and Thomas to Utah.. two great environments. Yet, they traded Davis to Sacramento.

I think that right there was telling. They didn't really care for Davis, and just wanted him gone.

In the end good assets managment. If Bobby and Masai didnt see those guys as having big leaps. We got two 2nd round picks for a couple undrafted guys. Now we can get these guys working with younger higher raw skilled players in place of them.

[LJ2]

When was that a choice? Even so, it doesn’t matter now. Unless we nail that 2nd round Kings pick, we wasted a trade asset.

You make it sound like TD is going to be a bona-fide star after one big game. I was one of his biggest fans coming into this season but I mentioned even last year that he has maturity issues. Just not the character guy that Raps normally work with. Wish him the best on and off the out but I'm fine with him being gone.

[MixxAOR]

LOL sacramento has one of the worst defensive rating in nba history

[inthepaint]

You make it sound like TD is going to be a bona-fide star after one big game. I was one of his biggest fans coming into this season but I mentioned even last year that he has maturity issues. Just not the character guy that Raps normally work with. Wish him the best on and off the out but I'm fine with him being gone.

My thing is not letting go of TD in and of itself, what I find a bit questionable is the timing and the return. If he doesn't fit long term within the org because of the off-court stuff and poor bbiq, fine - Give him some playing time so his value can recover a bit from his all-rookie year, give him an appropriate bite-size, tradable contract, and now you have an asset that can be packaged in a deal for something (rather than a 2RP which is essentially nothing). We sold low instead.

We have no assets and no depth so just letting go of rotation players like that in a time like this is a bit strange to me. Setting aside each individual circumstance (which were all different), over the past 2 seasons we now have Green, Serge, Gasol, TD & Thomas all gone for 2 second rounders. None of these players are perfect but they're all contributing to an nba rotation somewhere. We gotta start conserving our assets more if we want to be back to contention some day. Next one is Lowry.

[MixxAOR]

My thing is not letting go of TD in and of itself, what I find a bit questionable is the timing and the return. If he doesn't fit long term within the org because of the off-court stuff and poor bbiq, fine - Give him some playing time so his value can recover a bit from his all-rookie year, give him an appropriate bite-size, tradable contract, and now you have an asset that can be packaged in a deal for something (rather than a 2RP which is essentially nothing). We sold low instead.

We have no assets and no depth so just letting go of rotation players like that a time like this is a bit strange to me. Setting aside each individual circumstance (which were all different), over the past 2 seasons we now have Green, Serge, Gasol, TD & Thomas all gone for 2 second rounders. None of these players are perfect but they're all contributing to an nba rotation somewhere. We gotta start conserving our assets more if we want to be back to contention some day. Next one is Lowry.

the thing is that Nurse is doing whatever he thinks we'll help him win games. Bobby is doing his job. I doubt they have a conversation where they need to up the value of a guy so play him more.

That's why it's funny when Nurse keeps saying maybe they'll address centre position in buyout market when Masai and Bobby already made the decision not to.

[inthepaint]

the thing is that Nurse is doing whatever he thinks we'll help him win games. Bobby is doing his job. I doubt they have a conversation where they need to up the value of a guy so play him more.

That's why it's funny when Nurse keeps saying maybe they'll address centre position in buyout market when Masai and Bobby already made the decision not to.

Yeah I think there'a a bit of disconnect there between Nurse and the FO as far as the direction of the season. Nurse wants up no matter what, FO doesn't mind if it's down for this season. That means sadly we might end up in the middle.

To me if you recognize it's a tank season, the players you want on the floor are the young, tradable players. Even if they're full of issues and losing games galore, at least they're getting minutes, learning from their mistakes, putting up numbers, and getting noticed. At the very least you know what you really have at the end of the season.

That's why on a season like this in my book you do a lot of rookie/sophomores like Davis, Thomas & Flynn. Bring their value up even if they're struggling. Instead there's Been a lot of minutes to bembry, stanimal and mccaw when healthy (all of whom are older hats in the league that will neither drive wins nor represent value in trades)

[golden]

LOL sacramento has one of the worst defensive rating in nba history

They also have the worst coach in the NBA. And yet they have better record than the Raptors, playing in a tougher western conference. Can't even lol at those type of teams anymore.

[MixxAOR]

They also have the worst coach in the NBA. And yet they have better record than the Raptors, playing in a tougher western conference. Can't even lol at those type of teams anymore.

Nah Kang will always be lol to me

[LJ2]

My thing is not letting go of TD in and of itself, what I find a bit questionable is the timing and the return. If he doesn't fit long term within the org because of the off-court stuff and poor bbiq, fine - Give him some playing time so his value can recover a bit from his all-rookie year, give him an appropriate bite-size, tradable contract, and now you have an asset that can be packaged in a deal for something (rather than a 2RP which is essentially nothing). We sold low instead.

We have no assets and no depth so just letting go of rotation players like that in a time like this is a bit strange to me. Setting aside each individual circumstance (which were all different), over the past 2 seasons we now have Green, Serge, Gasol, TD & Thomas all gone for 2 second rounders. None of these players are perfect but they're all contributing to an nba rotation somewhere. We gotta start conserving our assets more if we want to be back to contention some day. Next one is Lowry.

They earned a chance to defend their title and Masai let his vets go where they wanted after. Some goodwill earned and a bit of repair to the organization rep after the DeRozan trade.

I think the team is positioned for a big rebound next season.

[S.R.]

Can't rewrite all that guys walking stuff without mentioning Giannis. There was a multiyear cap space strategy to take that swing. That strategy included some collateral damage in not retaining players that they could have.

That's a totally different circumstance than dumping Thomas and Davis at this deadline. Not part of a common trend at all.

[G__Deane]

Can't rewrite all that guys walking stuff without mentioning Giannis. There was a multiyear cap space strategy to take that swing. That strategy included some collateral damage in not retaining players that they could have.

That's a totally different circumstance than dumping Thomas and Davis at this deadline. Not part of a common trend at all.

If Giannis has entered FA and eventually re-signed with the Bucks, you tip your cap and acknowledge that after considering other potential destinations including the Raptors, he signed with the best team for his situation, a better team than the Raps, a team that showed they would make multiple moves to improve the team and also the team that could pay him the most. We were supposed to have an inside edge becauuse of Masai and his connection to the family, Giants of Africa etc.

But Giannis didn't wait for FA, he didn't consider other teams and he knew he didn't have any intention to; Masai got played, the Bucks weakened their main competition at the same time. Well played indeed.

[inthepaint]

Can't rewrite all that guys walking stuff without mentioning Giannis. There was a multiyear cap space strategy to take that swing. That strategy included some collateral damage in not retaining players that they could have.

That's a totally different circumstance than dumping Thomas and Davis at this deadline. Not part of a common trend at all.

Agreed. Like I said, the circumstances/reasons for all these guys leaving without equivalent replacements are all different (some of which was out of our control, some of it was valid, some of it debatable). The point is, regardless of the circumstances, it all contributed to the same net result: A very thin team that also happens to not be a free agent destination.

Can't change the past, but knowing this is the current reality, it makes it all the more important that we:
--Stop the bleeding out of the relatively few assets we have left (i.e get some value for Lowry rather than letting him walk or wilt here)
--Tank properly this season so our pick is higher
--Continue to add value to our more impactful and/or promising players (eg Flynn, boucher) by giving them more minutes and experience , as opposed to players less likely to bring more value in futures trades (eg bembry, stanley, baynes, mccaw)

[Maury]

I was disappointed to see TD go because he really does have a lot of upside but I'm guessing, as others have mentioned, his IQ and defensive effort/ability were severely limiting factors. It's too bad, though, because his versatility on offense is really exciting and he's got the tools to be a great defender. I think Masai and Nurse just wanted to kick the can down the road and get another couple of shots at these second-round pick guys because, frankly, Nurse seemed to be done with both of them for better or for worse.

[Dvdvideo]

Kind of reminded me of Terrance Ross, huge ceiling, but seems unlikely he will make it thier now......

[golden]

Gasol playing better recently because he doesn’t want to lose his starting position to Drummond. Lol.