The Raptors and KD. Let's discuss.

[Primer]

What about Murray?

More injury prone, KD or Murray?

I think it's Murray by a landslide.

I'm down to trade for him but injuries are a massive concern with Murray.

[Bendit]

IMO, Barnes and pascal are off the table. And so is the plethora of picks. I don't see this franchise trading 3 1st's + swaps either. I think they are set on something like my first suggestion: OG + Trent + 2 1st's and 2 2nd's + maybe a swap or two. And that's plenty to give up. No need to do something absurd like Minny did. You trade for Durant to contend now, not in a year or two with other moves. The roster is ready made for contention with the addition of a superstar, but not if we give up too many players who need to be replaced to truly contend.

Re the 1sts in yrs 3 & 4 protect above 20 (or some version). The first 2 yrs with a KD ...hopefully will be late.

[The Great One]

More injury prone, KD or Murray?

I think it's Murray by a landslide.

I'm down to trade for him but injuries are a massive concern with Murray.

Murray is injury prone? he played 82 games his rookie year. 81 the following year. 75 his 3rd year. 59 in the Covid year and 48 in 20-21.

[Primer]

Murray is injury prone? he played 82 games his rookie year. 81 the following year. 75 his 3rd year. 59 in the Covid year and 48 in 20-21.

And 0 2021-22 season. So last 3 years he's been playing less and less down to 0 games. Concerning to me he's missing this many games in his early 20s.

[big boi]

Why haven't the cavs offered Mobley, sexton and multiple 1sts and swaps? Or why hasn't the media suggested they should? Not much different than the packages they think we need to give up to get KD.

I think the perception is that Toronto could win with what's left. Initially, rightly or wrongly, commentators suggested Scottie would need to be the centerpiece going back... that Pascal would be left as a very capable Robin to Durant's Batman, and you still have FVV, Precious, OG / Trent etc.to have a very strong lineup, with championship experience.

[saints91]

Minny gave up a ton of picks for Gobert, but they didn’t touch their core. I still wouldn’t want to give that much draft capital. A player like Ingram or a borderline all-star still puts us over the hump IMO

[Primer]

Minny gave up a ton of picks for Gobert, but they didn’t touch their core. I still wouldn’t want to give that much draft capital. A player like Ingram or a borderline all-star still puts us over the hump IMO

This. The narrative that Utah got a great deal is really weird to me. They wanted young star players for Gobert and got none, just some old journeyman and picks. If Minnesota is a good team those picks are pretty worthless in comparison to Gobert. Utah has to pray that Minnesota ends up sucking so those picks have value. The players they got are not good and it looks like a tank move to me.

[chris]

This. The narrative that Utah got a great deal is really weird to me. They wanted young star players for Gobert and got none, just some old journeyman and picks. If Minnesota is a good team those picks are pretty worthless in comparison to Gobert. Utah has to pray that Minnesota ends up sucking so those picks have value. The players they got are not good and it looks like a tank move to me.

when has minnesota ever had a run of sustained success? how many stars want to stay in minnesota? does rudy even make basketball sense there?

it's one of the most irresponsible trades i can remember and a very good bet on utah's part, imo.

[Primer]

when has minnesota ever had a run of sustained success? how many stars want to stay in minnesota? does rudy even make basketball sense there?

it's one of the most irresponsible trades i can remember and a very good bet on utah's part, imo.

Minnesota was very good for the KG era, one of the best teams in the NBA. It's been a while but that's why this trade made sense for them. Without it they're still a mediocre team. Now they're a lot better. They needed to do something and bringing in the best defensive center in the NBA for future picks is a worthwhile risk at this point.

[saints91]

Ya, that wasn’t the point I was trying to make…

I was trying to say we don’t need to break up the core to get a player that might put us in a position to win. A few picks and a collection of bench players might give us that borderline all-star that will put us up there with Miami and Boston. I don’t think we are that far off.

[chris]

Minnesota was very good for the KG era, one of the best teams in the NBA. It's been a while but that's why this trade made sense for them. Without it they're still a mediocre team. Now they're a lot better. They needed to do something and bringing in the best defensive center in the NBA for future picks is a worthwhile risk at this point.

i said sustained success... they were very good in the 03-04 season, and other than that never got out of the first round. then after the lone good season they didn't make the playoffs again until jimmy butler showed up 13 years later.

i just disagree strongly that it's a worthwhile risk. it's so hard to project how good a team will be in the next couple of years given how fast things change in the league, let alone out until 2029. ESPECIALLY for a franchise as moribund as minnesota.

factor in rudy's awful contract and it's just a grand slam for utah i think.

and the west is really tough... i don't even know if minnesota will make the playoffs next year. i'd have the warriors, clippers, memphis, nuggets, dallas, and suns clearly ahead of them. so i'd have them in the play-in. and as annoying he is i think beverley was one of their most important players last year from a culture standpoint, and they threw him into the trade.

[G__Deane]

Ya, that wasn’t the point I was trying to make…

I was trying to say we don’t need to break up the core to get a player that might put us in a position to win. A few picks and a collection of bench players might give us that borderline all-star that will put us up there with Miami and Boston. I don’t think we are that far off.

I don't think we're that far off Miami, a team potentially in decline as currently constructed.
But the Celtics were already better than the Raptors and got a little bit better overall again this off season imo

[saints91]

I don't think we're that far off Miami, a team potentially in decline as currently constructed.
But the Celtics were already better than the Raptors and got a little bit better overall again this off season imo

I think we were pretty even until the White and Brogdon trades, we have some catching up to do. But they didn't;t need to mortgage their team to get those guys.

I also think we are two years off of their trajectory in development. We have Precious and Scotty, who still have giant leaps to take. Brown, Tatum, Pascal, Gary, and OG are pretty close to their ceiling, they'll improve but they're not going to take giant leaps. Robert Williams could possibly, but I think he's pretty much the player he's going to be.

We also have to keep in mind Masai is patient. He has a vision. Last year he wanted everyone to tamper their expectations, I don't think he feels the need to be a contender this year. He's not like Morey, Riley, or Colangelo, where he feels the need to take big swings every season. Part way through the season, there will be more disgruntled players, or teams under achieving that need to change directions. And I'm sure that will be the case in the next off season as well. Collect and develop assets until you can afford to take that big swing. I'm not sure we are there yet.

[The Claw Reborn]

Going back to discussing KD and Raptors as this is the thread’s OP objective…

KD just followed Vlad Jr and Austin Matthews

fwiw

Unfortunately that would add to my insomnia tonight. Huhuhu

unless this trade happens before I hit the bed

[LJ2]

If it's happening we should hear something tomorrow.