What happens this off season: Bragging Rights Edition

[mcHAPPY]

We've had 48 hours to digest the disgusting 4 game annihilation, exit interviews, and Ujiri conference today.

Take a bit of time to really think about what happens next.

Submit your post.

We'll revisit in late September or early October around training camp - assuming Casey is fired, of course, because if not these boards might be fairly empty - lol.

[Mack North]

haha I doubt this board empties if Casey isn't fired... could be the opposite with all the vitriol that'll be spewed his way.

I'm not gonna make any huge predictions, but a couple of things I'd like to see are:

1. Package Ross + our first rounder to move up in the draft, maybe get a vet back(with pedigree) in the deal as well. I wouldn't mind seeing Sam Dekker being selected if it's in the 10-15 range.

2. Trade one of DeRozan or Lowry in a big three team deal, that gives us a quality starting two-way(more defensive if anything) and a serviceable PG.

3. Fire Casey(could be #1, but I don't care as much as the rest of you seem to). If he's back, he MUST give significant time and opportunity to JV to improve. Year 4 is where I expected Jonas to take an even bigger leap than year 3, but with his mins actully going down this season, that didn't happen. Year 4 is going to be a big year to see whether he can be a really solid C in this league or if he's just another guy, basically. 30+ mins is a guarantee this year, should be 33+ given that he's still only gonna be 23 in his 4th year. This won't be know til in-season action begins, but I think(hope) Masai will stress more PT for JV.
It'd be nice to see Bruno split time between d-league and Raps next year, but getting actual mins when he's up here.

I don't like doing the whole "names" thing in trade proposals, so those are just a couple things I'd like to see without being specific.

[stretch]

"It gets blowed up, real good!"

[mcHAPPY]

1. Casey is fired

Self explanatory. I mean, c'mon. Outside of not having dirty laundry aired publicly, I struggle to think of any ways he deserves credit for this season. It was a sad display all around. Also, I think he and Lowry are done. No way they work together after Lowry's "He is a good man" throw down.

Who replaces him? I honestly don't know.


2. DeRozan is traded - the team is not looking to tank

Based on what Masai said today, this team is not going to blow it up. They are looking to keep moving forward and getting better from a long term perspective. Ujiri made mention of a nice core here. I believe he sacrifices a piece of the core now to add assets (prospects/picks) long term, better pieces to fit the puzzle, and open up more financial flexibility. The reality is the team didn't step back with DeRozan out. Lowry might have killed himself in the process but they kept winning. Add pieces via this trade and free agency to ensure Lowry doesn't wear himself out again. JV will be given larger role on offense to minimize DD's loss.

Something like DD for Nick Young/#4 or
Wilson Chandler(TO $7.1M, $2M guaranteed)/#7*** or
Stephenson (1 year left on contract, TO year 2)-Henderson (if he opts in)/#9/future 1st or
Stephenson-Henderson/Vonleh/future 1st or

***is what I am putting my bragging rights on.


4. De Colo returns

Self explanatory


5. The team gets younger

With a D-League team going to be online next year, Masai won't hesitate to fill the 11-15 with RAW talent full of potential.


6. DeAndre Daniels won't make roster but will be on D-League team.

Self Explanatory


7. Lou Williams returns

Signs for a 2 year, team option 3rd year at $8M per.


8. Amir returns

Signs on a large 1 year contract - $12M - team option year 2 not fully guaranteed


9. JaVale McGee signs

minimum contract with team option for year 2


10. Raptors will have cap space to offer a max contract in 2016

Book it.



2015-16:
PG: Lowry, Vasquez, *draft pick*
SG: Ross, Lou, De Colo
SF: Chandler, JJ, Bruno
PF: Amir, Patterson, *draft pick*
C: JV, McGee, Bebe


2016-17:
PG: Lowry, *2015 draft pick*
SG: ????, Lou, De Colo
SF: ????, Bruno,
PF: ????, Patterson, *2015 draft pick*
C: JV, Bebe,

+ Two 2016 1st round picks

[magoon]

1. Casey will only be fired if we can get either Tom Thibodeau or steal Udoka away from San Antonio.

2. Lowry gets traded for much more than anybody expects - a first-round pick, at least one young prospect with a lot of upside, and an overpriced but still reasonably decent veteran to make the money work. (Bonus guess #2A: our starting PG at the season opener will be one of Jeremy Lin, Tyler Ennis or a rook.)

3. One or both of Vasquez and Ross gets traded, either to move up in the draft or, again, for more return than people expect right now.

4. We'll re-sign Amir to a one-year deal for much lower than anybody expects - $1-2m. Amir will then immediately get ankle surgery and miss the season. We will get a disability exception for him.

5. We'll extend Jonas for about $9-11m per season. The following season will make this look like a bargain.

6. By opening day we'll have our first Canadian on the team and they'll start in the home opener. Probably one of Ennis, Nik Stauskas, Trey Lyles or Anthony Bennett.

[mcHAPPY]

1. Casey will only be fired if we can get either Tom Thibodeau or steal Udoka away from San Antonio.

2. Lowry gets traded for much more than anybody expects - a first-round pick, at least one young prospect with a lot of upside, and an overpriced but still reasonably decent veteran to make the money work. (Bonus guess #2A: our starting PG at the season opener will be one of Jeremy Lin, Tyler Ennis or a rook.)

3. One or both of Vasquez and Ross gets traded, either to move up in the draft or, again, for more return than people expect right now.

4. We'll re-sign Amir to a one-year deal for much lower than anybody expects - $1-2m. Amir will then immediately get ankle surgery and miss the season. We will get a disability exception for him.

5. We'll extend Jonas for about $9-11m per season. The following season will make this look like a bargain.

6. By opening day we'll have our first Canadian on the team and they'll start in the home opener. Probably one of Ennis, Nik Stauskas, Trey Lyles or Anthony Bennett.

Good call on the Canadian part! Hopefully they are better than Magloire.

[octothorp]

Man, I hate thought-experiments like this, because it just makes me realize how big of a difference there is between what I optimistically would like to think would happen, and what I realistically think will happen.

[mcHAPPY]

Man, I hate thought-experiments like this, because it just makes me realize how big of a difference there is between what I optimistically would like to think would happen, and what I realistically think will happen.

It is a strictly voluntary endeavour.

But there will be no bragging rights for you!

[Mack North]

Let's start all over and get all four of those Canadians! haha #WigginsSoonCome

[octothorp]

It is a strictly voluntary endeavour.

But there will be no bragging rights for you!

Oh, I'll do it. I'll just hate the bitter realizations that it forces on me.

[octothorp]

1. Casey is not fired. A couple of the coaching staff -- I'm going with Sterner (no!) and Murmys, maybe Bayno -- are replaced with other respected but largely unknown-to-fans assistants.

2. Draft: we don't trade up. We draft a long PF, probably one of Looney, Harrell, Portis, or Wood. We also pick up a mid-second for cash and draft either Hanlan or a relatively unknown international.

3. Amir does not get a new contract with the team, Lou gets a short-term contract. All other UFA are not retained.

4. Ross and Patterson are packaged for a new starting PF, perhaps with a semi-protected draft pick tossed in from our side. Someone of the Thad Young, Gibson, Faried teir.

5. James Johnson is traded for a veteran backup PG.

6. JV is extended.

7. We're in the mix for a few different SFs including Middleton, and Draymond Green. We end up with Loul Deng who is touted as the 'veteran presence' on the team.

8. Bruno and Bebe get loads of time with the Brazilian team over the summer; Bebe looks great and Bruno has occasional flashes of greatness. This ends up being the highlight of the summer for Raptors-related stuff.

[Demographic Shift]

1. To the chagrin of many Dwane Casey remains as coach.

2.As expected we waive adieu to Landry, sadly say g'bye to Chuck Hayes, just say goodbye to The Steamer
AND
Unexpectedly renounce sixth man of the year Lou Williams and with a lot of regret to Amir the man we renounce Amir the basketball player.

Wall really showed that taller guards can really negate shorter ones and Lou is a shorter guard who when pressed isn't that much of a ballhandler. His struggles on the defensive end are known.

Only in pro sports is 28 old. Father time and the stress of 10 years on the court have caught up to the Raps Happy Warrior and current Poppa Smurf. Thanks for everything Amir.

3.We solidify the SF slot by trading one of PPat or Ross plus our next years 1st.

- To get something of value you have to give up something of value. MU has long liked Nick Batum in Portland and Orlando who loves PPat has Harris/Nicholson/Harkless and O'Quinn who would seem to be available. We don't get all of them but we do get Harris plus one in an orchestrated offersheet sign and trade scenario. Orlando has no 3 point shooters at present.

4. Our Free Agent Frenzy is modest but incrementally improves what we need help with.
We sign two of the following ---
Omer Asik for rebounding and rim protection and to push JV to see what he has.
Brandan Wright for rebounding and a little more speed and length up front to replace Amir.
Mo Williams to be the next microwave from the 3 point arc post Lou along with adding some speed and more ballhandling.

5. Just for cheap laffs we put an offer sheet to Paul Pierce for a buck.

[007]

Going to be completely wrong, but here we go!!!


PRE-DRAFT:

1. Casey is fired.


I'm 50/50 on believing whether this will actually happen, but I'm praying it does for all the sanity of RR.


DRAFT:

1. Draft George Lucas with our pick.


I originally would have gone with package GV and our pick to get Jerian Grant, but since we now will have a D-League team, I'm going with Lucas.

Now that we have the D-League team, he (and Bruno) can be developed how we want without them riding the bench all year. Has freakish physicals, will have just turned 19 at the draft, and has promise. Another home run swing by Masai.



REST OF OFFSEASON:

1. Let everyone walk, except Hands Bro and Steamer.

Fields doesn't really matter to this team, and his contract is finally up. Bye bye.

Lou will get overpaid a la Jodie Meeks, too expensive for us.

The Chuckwagon brings vet leadership, but Bebe needs to be ahead of him (please train like crazy over the summer Bebe!), and Hayes just doesn't really seem to fit in.

Amir has been huge for the Raps in his career, but his ankles seem to be one injury away from completely done. Too much of a risk. Goodbye to a long-time Raptor.

Hands Bro, on the other hand, will be brought back. He brings much needed intensity, and can fill in when an injury occurs. Sign him to a 2 year contract, keeping cap clean as possible for the cap explosion of 2016.

Steamer is the insurance big, might as well keep the one familiar with the team.


2. Sign Ed Davis to a 2 deal.

Most people on these boards (including me) are tired from Davis popping up everywhere in PF discussion threads, but it makes sense. Look at the free agent PF's who are around him:


Aldridge, Love and Millsap - All either won't leave where they're playing or won't want to come to Toronto.

Josh Smith - Unlikely to leave Houston, and a bit of a head case. Casey would give him free reign to jack up threes.

David West, Amare Stoudemire, Luis Scola, Kevin Garnett and Carlos Boozer - Too old. Plus Garnett won't leave Minnesota.

Thaddeus Young and Brandon Bass - Don't rebound.

Tristan Thompson - Will cost too much.

Andrea Bargnani - lol.


Davis does make sense for this team. He's only 25, and could be here for a while. Him, 2Pat and Hands Bro wouldn't be a great PF platoon, but definitely a solid one. And 2Pat, Hands Bro and Davis all expire in 2017, when we can fully rebuild the PF spot if we choose.


3. Sign Tobias Harris to a 4 year deal.


Tobias Harris is going to get a raise this offseason. The Orlando Magic know this, and they might choose to build around Payton/Oladipo/Gordon/Vucevic/whoever they draft this year (Winslow?), leaving Harris as the odd man out. He's only 22 years old, has plenty of room to improve, and is already a good SF. He and JJ can handle the SF duties.


4. Sign a PG like Shane Larkin or Andre Miller to a 1 year deal.

Insurance.


5. Sign a wing such as Xavier Henry to a 1 year deal.

Insurance.



NON-NBA STUFF:


1. Bring in DeAndre Daniels to play on the D-League team.

DAD probably won't be good enough to play, but he can improve on the D-League squad.


2. Sign Kevin Pangos to Summer League/D-League

Give the Canadian a chance, if he wants to. See what happens.



LINEUP:


Lowry/GV/FA
DD/Ross/FA
Harris/JJ/Ross
2Pat/Davis/Hands Bro
JV/Bebe/Steamer


Lowry, DD and Ross are all on the trade block, but don't trade them until we see how they perform under a new coach and system. We should have an improved team, and Bruno, Lucas and DAD will all be developing in the D-League.

[TheWaterboy]

My predictions:

* Williams leaves, Hayes re-signs at 3 mil/year-ish for multiple years. Williams gets 9-10 million/4 years elsewhere.
* Amir gets an offer if he has ankle surgery before the start of FA. Amir gets renounced and Tristan Thompson gets an offer for 10 million/year-ish if Amir doesn't. Hansbrough potentially gets renounced to allow for the best possible offer for Thompson in this case. (If the Cavs renounce Thompson to pursue another big name to capitalize on Love's remaining year under contract,
which is unlikely but not impossible, the Raptors make him an offer anyway.)
* Casey and the team part ways in early June. The parting is portrayed as mutual and in a sense is, as it is due to Casey realizing that it is down to "coach this team Ujiri's way or hit the road" and he will choose to hit the road.

[Will come back later and edit this post to include more predictions.]

[Mediumcore]

Here we go..

1. Casey, Lowry and DD are all here next season.

2. Ujiri, starts the process of building a contender and looks to make a big splash. Maybe a max offer for Jimmy Butler (wants his "own" team), perhaps we lose JV somehow in this process if it's a sign and trade. Perhaps making a run at Tyson Chandler as well. Anyone not Lowry or DD could be moved in this process.

3. Ross, if not traded in the off season starts at SF, but is replaced by Bruno at the mid way point of the season.

4. Toronto has a 50 win season which throws more fire on the #FireCasey debate.

That's all I got for now