We have more money than we thought.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Everyone keeps discussing the idea of dropping Amir and Lou to make up cap room. By dropping Fields we can make up to 11 Million in cap room. Fields' hold on our cap is 6.5 and we are still paying Marcus Camby 4.x million this year. So that alone will allow us to have 10-11. If we drop one of Amir or Lou we have enough to sign someone to a psuedo max contract this year to bolster up our SF spot or our PF spot. Thoughts?

[CalgaryRapsFan]

Here's a good starting point for team salary information - http://hoopshype.com/salaries/toronto.htm

Here's another one that provides a lot of additional detail, but it hasn't been updated since the offseason (Camby's details are shown here) - http://data.shamsports.com/content/p...es/raptors.jsp

Camby only accounts for ~$650k against the cap this season.

[Cody73]

Everyone keeps discussing the idea of dropping Amir and Lou to make up cap room. By dropping Fields we can make up to 11 Million in cap room. Fields' hold on our cap is 6.5 and we are still paying Marcus Camby 4.x million this year. So that alone will allow us to have 10-11. If we drop one of Amir or Lou we have enough to sign someone to a psuedo max contract this year to bolster up our SF spot or our PF spot. Thoughts?

No need when we could get a fringe guy at both positions. Don't pay max unless they deserve it.

[DanH]

Also, we can sign both of them without regard for cap space, as we have their Bird Rights. The concern is whether to re-sign them, or to let them walk so that our salary drops far enough below the cap to be able to target a big upgrade.

[stooley]

I'm really starting to wonder whether we want to resign Lou.

And Amir is definitely playing himself into a smaller contract these days.

We may have a little more space than we anticipated this year.

[breakin_ankles]

I'm really starting to wonder whether we want to resign Lou.

And Amir is definitely playing himself into a smaller contract these days.

We may have a little more space than we anticipated this year.

Lou has his downsides but a sixth man of the year is hard to find, especially one who absolutely love the city and situation they are in (not to mention Toronto took a chance on him, that builds bonds)... And although Amir is rough, he is hurt, almost always, and I would still love having him on our roster over so many others. Personally I feel we should really keep both... But preach the future, make sure they understand where you want to go so we can get them back at a reasonable price.
If they buy in to the team, buy into what the franchise wants to do, I don't see why they don't come back a reasonable price. Amir is a solid piece to what we have, he doesn't want to leave and he knows he isn't the player he was health wise... And Lou has wally built a quick bond with Lowry and DD. I love the idea of this group growing together. If Ross evolves and JV also keeps with the growth this team can be a contender as constructed, we are deep. And we ca lure Durant, worry about who stays and leaves at that point.

[Primer]

I'd be shocked if we brought back Amir on anything more than a 1 year contract. We need a better starting PF, and one that isn't on the decline. PPat is the backup. There really isn't a place for Amir on the Raps after 2015-16 season (sooner if we get a PF in the offseason).

[stooley]

Lou has his downsides but a sixth man of the year is hard to find, especially one who absolutely love the city and situation they are in (not to mention Toronto took a chance on him, that builds bonds)... And although Amir is rough, he is hurt, almost always, and I would still love having him on our roster over so many others. Personally I feel we should really keep both... But preach the future, make sure they understand where you want to go so we can get them back at a reasonable price.
If they buy in to the team, buy into what the franchise wants to do, I don't see why they don't come back a reasonable price. Amir is a solid piece to what we have, he doesn't want to leave and he knows he isn't the player he was health wise... And Lou has wally built a quick bond with Lowry and DD. I love the idea of this group growing together. If Ross evolves and JV also keeps with the growth this team can be a contender as constructed, we are deep. And we ca lure Durant, worry about who stays and leaves at that point.

Lou really isn't looking like that sixth man of the year that he was at the start of the year though. We'll see, maybe he turns things around, but it really does seem like that ACL tear has made him very hesitant to drive to the basket.

To clarify, we only need one of GV or Lou. If there's a taker for GV with solid value, that's great, but they seem very redundant to me.

[breakin_ankles]

Lou really isn't looking like that sixth man of the year that he was at the start of the year though. We'll see, maybe he turns things around, but it really does seem like that ACL tear has made him very hesitant to drive to the basket.

To clarify, we only need one of GV or Lou. If there's a taker for GV with solid value, that's great, but they seem very redundant to me.

How are the frontcourts of

Lowry / Vasquez
DD / Lou
Ross / JJ
In any way redundant?

[breakin_ankles]

Lou's ability to come off the bench and get to the line, most of the time, pretty consistently echoes of demar, and having two players on opposite line that can do that is extremely valuable, and to me, underrated.

[stooley]

How are the frontcourts of

Vasquez
Lou

In any way redundant?

Ok, well, I don't know why you threw all those other names out there.

But Vasquez and Lou are redundant because they're two guys who like to have the ball in their hands, are offensive sparks off the bench, shoot a lot of jump shots and play pretty bad defense.

I'd like you to tell me how their games aren't similar.

[stooley]

If you were to tell me that Vasquez hasn't always played the way he does now, and that he once led the league in assists, I'd say,

"Yeah breakin_ankles, that makes sense. Maybe his game these days is a product of his environment and what he's asked to do. So maybe hope exists."

But then again, it's hard to know why (which people always seem to assume they know) by only watching the result, and not the process.

[breakin_ankles]

If you were to tell me that Vasquez hasn't always played the way he does now, and that he once led the league in assists, I'd say,

"Yeah breakin_ankles, that makes sense. Maybe his game these days is a product of his environment and what he's asked to do. So maybe hope exists."

But then again, it's hard to know why (which people always seem to assume they know) by only watching the result, and not the process.

Lowry and Derozan both like the ball in their hands and also both like to score.. Yet they compliment each other. This is why I feel they suit each other well, Vazquez is the better assist man and Lou is the better scorer. The downside is defence... Just because they both like the ball in their hands doesn't mean they can't work well together, to me the proof is clearly on display in the production of our bench on the season. Lou just needs to dial back the chuckfest and Vazquez need to return to his assist first form, doesn't mean they will, but they can.

[stooley]

Lowry and Derozan both like the ball in their hands and also both like to score.. Yet they compliment each other. This is why I feel they suit each other well, Vazquez is the better assist man and Lou is the better scorer. The downside is defence... Just because they both like the ball in their hands doesn't mean they can't work well together, to me the proof is clearly on display in the production of our bench on the season. Lou just needs to dial back the chuckfest and Vazquez need to return to his assist first form, doesn't mean they will, but they can.

You're twisting my point. I'm saying that their games are similar and therefore redundant.

I don't think you need two offensive sparks off the bench that play essentially the same position.

If Vasquez becomes an assist man again, then my point no longer holds, but I wouldn't bank on it. It's probably not a safe bet, especially when you're building a team.

I'd say that Lowry and DD have very different games - I could point to DD's propensity for the mid range, his playing the SF spot to Lowry playing the PG spot, Lowry's bulldog attitude, DD's more methodical offense, and I could probably list a few more.

[breakin_ankles]

I'm not trying to argue a right vs wrong, I'm just saying Lou is valuable, and without GV our second unit is a unorganized Chuck fest.