What would you do?

[KeonClark]

We should really be hoping to for the most part keep this core in tact, and make savvy (only improve without getting much older) trades and signings, and then trust Masai and his coaching staff to hit some home runs in the draft. Is it Bruno? Is it the NYK/Den pick? Either way, I know there's one coming soon enough, and by that time Val will probably be in his mid 20's averaging 19 and 12. Derozan will be in his late 20's, a solid and savvy 20 ppg guy, and Lowry will be in his early 30's and a solid, savvy Chauncey Billups type leader. 2Pat will be one of the best 3 point shooting power forwards in basketball.

The point is, this team has a lot of years left in it's key players, so just keep strategically building and the home run will come. Whether draft or trade, I don't see it in free agency though. You can still find key pieces there but I don't see any stars coming unless we draft or trade them. Just the way it is.

[breakin_ankles]

If the cap is going up, we should sign important pieces this year as they'll be paid under market value when the cap goes up.

That's assuming those "important pieces" undervalue themselves and don't care about the fact that waiting one year would equal a bigger paycheck... Not likely.

[Stevo]

If the cap is going up, we should sign important pieces this year as they'll be paid under market value when the cap goes up.

[DanH]

Octothorp: This idea is one I espoused back in the summer in terms of a re-sign strategy for Lou and Amir - give them both oversized 1 year deals, then decide whether to use cap room or bring them back in 2016.

Magoon: At one point it seemed possible the league would front load the cap jump, but very quickly after the TV deal announcement it leaked that the league had no interest in doing that, and would try instead to backload the deal after 2016. No solid info yet, but all signs point to the cap sitting at 66.5M or so this summer. The boom will likely be in 2016 - the question now is how big it will be - will the cap hit 90M? Or sit back at 80-85M or so, scaling up over time?

[octothorp]

One potential strategy assumes that there are going to be guys out there eyeing the potential big cap increase in 2016, and wanting just a one-year contract to get them to 2016 free agency. Some team out there will make it known that they'll overpay guys on one year contracts. This is a potential everybody-wins scenario: the players gets a year to prove himself, gets a good paycheck, and gets to be part of the 2016 FA frenzy; the team gets a good player with no long-term commitment and preserves their cap space for 2016.

Not every player would be interested in a deal, especially players who would prefer to resign with their current team. But I think you phone up every free agent you think can help your team, and pitch them on this strategy. Take a guy like Tristan Thompson. Tell him, "nobody's going to give you the long-term contract you want this year. But next year they probably will. So we'll give you a one year deal on a lucrative contract. Play really well and maybe we'll resign you in 2016, but at the very least you've got a better shot at getting the long-term contract you want from someone else next summer, rather than this summer." I think he, and a number of other players, would seriously consider that.

And out of it, we get a decent injection of talent in the short term, while preserving our own cap space for 2016.

[raptors999]

Bro Bargs is straight up cashing checks now. He does not give a fuck anymore...well not that he did before but you get what i mean.

Guys want Blatche. Next season Barns will be out of the league or on a min deal. Somebody will take a chance on him.

[The Great One]

Just keep getting dem checks Bargs!

[NoPropsneeded]

Every player under Casey has become incredibly inefficient is misused. BC wasn't a terrible drafter and Bargs did really struggle until Casey. It would be terrific FU to the Knicks if it turns out Barge is useful and they got a lottery pick from the rental.

Bro Bargs is straight up cashing checks now. He does not give a fuck anymore...well not that he did before but you get what i mean.

[RandomGuy]

Raptors should at least attempt to see if there is something to salvage when Bargnani is a free agent. Casey is a terrible coach and AB might just have been a victim. A 1-2 year deal like Ed Davis might work for both sides. If AB is willing and a new coach is brought in.

usually agreeing with your opinion, but now? this? what???

[3inthekeon]

AB is playing/sidelined with injury or some combination in Europe next year.

[raptors999]

This is a great idea! Bargnani can be our secret weapon, championship here we come! IL MAGO RETURNS

Every player under Casey has become incredibly inefficient is misused. BC wasn't a terrible drafter and Bargs did really struggle until Casey. It would be terrific FU to the Knicks if it turns out Barge is useful and they got a lottery pick from the rental.

[NoPropsneeded]

Raptors should at least attempt to see if there is something to salvage when Bargnani is a free agent. Casey is a terrible coach and AB might just have been a victim. A 1-2 year deal like Ed Davis might work for both sides. If AB is willing and a new coach is brought in.

This is a great idea! Bargnani can be our secret weapon, championship here we come! IL MAGO RETURNS

[Other Scott]

OKC isn't trading Ibaka. It's not happening. Let's look at things that are actually possible.

First off: we'll have more than 34 million to play with. Probably about 40 at least, because the league wants to gradually up the cap following the new TV deal. Let's assume it's 40 million we've got to work with.

1. Offer LaMarcus Aldridge the max. Won't happen, but we can do it (and should). See also: Marc Gasol, which won't happen either.
2. Give Kawhi Leonard a max offer sheet. Won't happen, San Antonio will match. See also: Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green.
3. Sizable offer sheets we should consider: Tristan Thompson, Kyle O'Quinn, Tobias Harris. You always need to be careful about overpaying these guys, though, and none of them are likely to leave.
4. Unrestricted free agents we should pursue: DeMarre Carroll, Brandan Wright, Kosta Koufos, Gary Neal.

You may at this point be getting the idea that free agency in 2015 is not really great for us. That is precisely correct. Most of the top guys we like are going to stick with their current teams, who will pay them very good money.

HOWEVER: in 2015, Joe Johnson is a one-year contract, and Brooklyn will be desperate to move him because if his salary is gone, he is much more movable. And Johnson might be vastly overpaid - but for one year where we don't need to do that much, it's not that big a deal. Especially considering that what he brings (reliable shooting and defense at small forward) is exactly what we need.

So:

1. Take Joe Johnson off the Nets' hands for one dollar. Brooklyn can send us their 2020 first-rounder to pay us for taking Johnson off their hands.
2. Extend Amir in the $6-8m range for 2-4 years as Amir prefers. Given his current health he's not going to command much more than that on the open market right now; the whole league knows he needs rehab time, so let's use that to get a discount on his services.
3. Trade Ross to Phoenix along with our 2015 first-rounder (and other considerations as needed) to pry Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee from them.
4. Sign Gary Neal for $4m (it's about what he commands) to be a heat check guy at SG.
5. Bring back Landry for the minimum because he's a good end of the bench guy.
6. Sign DeAndre Daniels to be a smallball four.
Team is now:

PG: Lowry, Vasquez, Ennis
SG: DeMar, Neal, Landry
SF: Joe Johnson, James Johnson, Bruno
PF: Amir, 2Pat, Daniels
C: Jonas, Bebe, Plumlee

Solid post, so when I quibble, understand I still like where you stand.

First off, a big no to the Ross trade. Tyler Ennis has proven absolutely nothing yet, and Miles Plumlee isn't really that exciting.

I like getting Joe Johnson (if Casey continues to be the coach, because that is his type of guy.) That said, I'm pretty sure Brooklyn is done trading draft picks.

Looks pretty good overall though.

[Nilanka]

Raptors should at least attempt to see if there is something to salvage when Bargnani is a free agent. Casey is a terrible coach and AB might just have been a victim. A 1-2 year deal like Ed Davis might work for both sides. If AB is willing and a new coach is brought in.

This post is lifetime ban worthy.

Masai should be doing everything in his power to obtain a restraining order against Bargnani.

[Matt Damon]

Raptors should at least attempt to see if there is something to salvage when Bargnani is a free agent. Casey is a terrible coach and AB might just have been a victim. A 1-2 year deal like Ed Davis might work for both sides. If AB is willing and a new coach is brought in.

Please no Bargnani, have we not suffered enough already