Does this team need a trade to stay competitive?

[TrueTorontoFan]

Fred/OG/Pascal can be part of a winning core, they just need to not be overpaid so there's enough cap space to get a star next to them (or have a window in which you have a star on a rookie deal alongside them, which in our case would hopefully be Scottie)

I see a window on the 23-24 season:
--Scottie still on rookie deal
--OG still on his current deal
--If we're lottery this year, another high-end player (which by then will be a sophomore)
--Siakam is right before his UFA summer, hopefully playing really well on his contract year, either helping with a run, or as a valuable expiring deal.

Hurdle on that year is that both Fred and Trent have player options. If Fred makes all-star before then he won't take it (likely won't take it regardless). Trent will also be super valuable, still only 24 that year (we should have got a team option or locked him in for that year, though that likely would have made the deal more expensive overall). With Dragic off the books though, we should be able to pay one of them (but maybe not both)

Ultimately, if you have 3 of Fred/Pascal/OG/Trent, plus two high-end players on rookie deals , that's a contending team (especially if Scottie reaches his ceiling, which is high), and that's very much attainable.

Gotta play the cards right till then though, don't get caught in the middle. Either make the playoffs with conviction and give these guys meaningful playoff reps, or hang back and get another lottery pick to build around with Scottie.

we see the same window.


Trent has a player option though.'


Scottie will not reach his ceiling by 2023/2024 because he will sitll be improving. I agree though that is when you go for it. Also the landscape of the league will be different. The nets will no longer be together Lakers are going to be on the definite down swing. LAC and Miami are going to be on the down swing too because of age.

[inthepaint]

Fred/OG/Pascal can be part of a winning core, they just need to not be overpaid so there's enough cap space to get a star next to them (or have a window in which you have a star on a rookie deal alongside them, which in our case would hopefully be Scottie)

I see a window on the 23-24 season:
--Scottie still on rookie deal
--OG still on his current deal
--If we're lottery this year, another high-end player (which by then will be a sophomore)
--Siakam is right before his UFA summer, hopefully playing really well on his contract year, either helping with a run, or as a valuable expiring deal.

Hurdle on that year is that both Fred and Trent have player options. If Fred makes all-star before then he won't take it (likely won't take it regardless). Trent will also be super valuable, still only 24 that year (we should have got a team option or locked him in for that year, though that likely would have made the deal more expensive overall). With Dragic off the books though, we should be able to pay one of them (but maybe not both)

Ultimately, if you have 3 of Fred/Pascal/OG/Trent, plus two high-end players on rookie deals , that's a contending team (especially if Scottie reaches his ceiling, which is high), and that's very much attainable.

Gotta play the cards right till then though, don't get caught in the middle. Either make the playoffs with conviction and give these guys meaningful playoff reps, or hang back and get another lottery pick to build around with Scottie.

[TrueTorontoFan]

I think finding a 3rd big with dragic / bouchers salary holders some how would be beneficial.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Does this team need a trade to stay competitive? As of now, yes, probably.

Does this team need to stay competitive? Right now, no, they don't

Ergo

Does this team need a trade? According to my compass, We're headed North, or, "No"

yup

[grindhouse]

I disagree, and I think you’ll see that proven once all three are healthy and rolling.

i dont man but we will see cross your fingers

[Scraptor]

i was thinking about this this morning. fred OG and pascal are not good enough to take us to the playoffs.

I disagree, and I think you’ll see that proven once all three are healthy and rolling.

[A.I]

I'm not disagreeing with the idea that Fred/OG/Pascal are or aren't a winning core. I'm just saying that Masai & Bobby are going to give them this season to let that play out and then evaluate from there.

I agree. They had their chance to show with Lowry for 2 seasons but one got shut down and the other was Tampa. This is technically their first legitimate season, unfortunately no more Lowry.

If things don't work out, I could see the front office exploring trades for Pascal. I doubt OG goes anywhere, and Fred is more than good enough to be the long term PG for this team. Of course he will have to take on a lesser role as Scottie, GTJ and OG continue to get better. It will be beneficial for his game and the team.

This is another exciting part of basketball. Even though the team is losing, its fun to think about and eventually see what the front office will do and how they will get back to being a contender.

[golden]

i was thinking about this this morning. fred OG and pascal are not good enough to take us to the playoffs. So with that being said they cant be the core of this team. they are simply veterns in nick nurses system.

barnes and banton are the only players i know for sure i want on my team in the future everyone else is on the trading block.

I'm not disagreeing with the idea that Fred/OG/Pascal are or aren't a winning core. I'm just saying that Masai & Bobby are going to give them this season to let that play out and then evaluate from there.

[grindhouse]

The core is Fred/OG/Siakam. Nothing will (or should) happen until that group gets an extended run together a full health, so Masai/Bobby can evaluate how much they can actually impact winning.

That's a separate track that runs in parallel to Scottie's development.

i was thinking about this this morning. fred OG and pascal are not good enough to take us to the playoffs. So with that being said they cant be the core of this team. they are simply veterns in nick nurses system.

barnes and banton are the only players i know for sure i want on my team in the future everyone else is on the trading block.

[bertarapsfan]

It would be nice if chris was playing good and we could use him to attach to dragic to get rid of him for taking back a bad contract and a long shot prospect..
Think thats the only type of move this team is going to make within the season.
Health is the most important. If this team is healthy we will be in the play in spot at least. No one is really blowing anyone away right now in the east. the middle of the pack 6-11 are all around 500 teams right now

[The Great One]

Like I said a couple of weeks ago, it's pretty obvious that wins/losses don't matter to the Raps front office otherwise Dragic would be a staple in the rotation. I don't care about the numbers that Dragic put up in the first 2 games of the season. He is WAY BETTER than Flynn and Banton.

[inthepaint]

We're not competitive with this group at the moment, but that's because they're young and green. At full strength I see them at .500 and making the playoffs (which is not bad on the first year without Lowry). With injuries to starters, because we don't have quality depth, we're closer to the bottom of the conference (which is where we are now)

If these guys were older and we were in win-now mode, yeah we should be gunning for trades. We're the youngest team in the league though. So we should:

1. Let the young players develop
2. Maintain/improve the value of the vets (Siakam & Fred)
3. Be open to win-win trades that could improve the team when our window re-opens. That means Pascal and Fred are not untouchable, but you don't let them go for peanuts either.
4. If you're sputtering at the deadline, don't be afraid to tank to expedite the rebuild, that's an acceptable approach given where the team is at.

[golden]

The core is Fred/OG/Siakam. Nothing will (or should) happen until that group gets an extended run together a full health, so Masai/Bobby can evaluate how much they can actually impact winning.

That's a separate track that runs in parallel to Scottie's development.

[slaw]

It would be nice to get rid of Dragic for some asset rather than having $19 million doing nothing for the team but even if a trade happens it's unlikely to add a player that would help straightaway.

Ultimately, unless they are looking to really shake things up (and I don't think they are) it's hard to envision a feasible trade that makes them materially better.

[MixxAOR]

It will take a lot of trades, a lot of signings and a lot of development before this team becomes truly competitive. Dont get used to these players