2015 Raptors Offseason - Everything rumors, musings and rumblings

[TrueTorontoFan]

Aminu and what it means for our plans

First off I like how we are going towards defence. He does have JJ's skillset but he also has a consistent corner 3 ball. He is also very young. Apparently he could be had for as little as 4 million. To me this means that Ujiri wants the cap to remain flexible for 2016. It also points towards us looking at a top tier power forward. These things I like. I think the guy is a great pick up. We can even play JJ at the PF spot while playing this guy at the 3 with terrence ross all on the bench. I don't see whats so bad about this cheap pick up.

[BobLoblaw]

Au contraire, there are (unreliable) rumours he could be headed to Toronto:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports...article/436995

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...a-draft/page/2

I mention this because Gibson's surgery would set up just the sort of opportunistic move that Mr. Ujiri excels in. The contract is quite reasonable, as well.

A couple of the other players in the Bleacher report might be targets, as well. How would Marcus Smart or Nerlens Noel do in a Raptors uniform?

Meh, Marcus Smart and Nerlens Noel sound like click bait. I'm sure those teams would them for young stars, like in Boston's case probably DeMarcus Cousins. The Raptors have nothing to offer that would interest those teams.

[Miekenstien]

i also wouldn't trade smart. i would continue to give him 30+ minutes a night on a stat padding team.

[BobLoblaw]

I would love to get Exum but do you really think that Utah would part with him after one season?

Well, if they are trading for Bledsoe (first time I hear about this! could be just BS), then maybe.

Exum hasn't shown that he can do anything at NBA level, except defend. And defense is nice, but they need a point guard. Don't get me wrong, Exum could develop, he was supposed to be a raw prospect anyway. But if they can get a good young sure thing point guard, then why not just go with that.

[3inthekeon]

Well, if they are trading for Bledsoe (first time I hear about this! could be just BS), then maybe.

Exum hasn't shown that he can do anything at NBA level, except defend. And defense is nice, but they need a point guard. Don't get me wrong, Exum could develop, he was supposed to be a raw prospect anyway. But if they can get a good young sure thing point guard, then why not just go with that.

Bruno hasn't shown he can do anything at NBA level, except maybe shoot the 3. If MU can get a good young sure thing SF, should he be looking to move Bruno?

[BobLoblaw]

Bruno hasn't shown he can do anything at NBA level, except maybe shoot the 3. If MU can get a good young sure thing SF, should he be looking to move Bruno?

Bruno who? I suspect that no one in the NBA gives a shit about Bruno other than the Raptors. You probably won't get any value for him, which is probably not the case with Exum.

Another thing is you are putting words in our mouths. We aren't talking about what Utah should do, we are talking about what they might do. Trading a pile of assets for Bledsoe -- and he won't be cheap -- would be a clear sign that they see him as their point guard of the future. That seemed to be Exum's status.

Will that definitely make Exum available? Well I can't read tea leaves, but it might make him more available than now.

[mcHAPPY]

Bruno hasn't shown he can do anything at NBA level, except maybe shoot the 3. If MU can get a good young sure thing SF, should he be looking to move Bruno?

Definitely not.

You realize Bruno will be younger than Delon Wright now just getting drafted when his rookie deal ends?

He is the ultimate project prospect. Even if Raptors go out and sign Tobias Harris or Khris Middleton, the most they are going to be is 4 year deals which takes Bruno to 23. It is possible Bruno sits on the bench or is in DLeague for 2 years then becomes rotational player and maybe becomes a starter after that.... maybe.... maybe more. But even if that plays out, he is going to be in his 5th year and his 23. The Raptors have ability to keep him under contract for another 7-8 years.

Why would you give up on a cheap promising 19 year old player with his stroke and physical attributes?

[3inthekeon]

Definitely not.

You realize Bruno will be younger than Delon Wright now just getting drafted when his rookie deal ends?

He is the ultimate project prospect. Even if Raptors go out and sign Tobias Harris or Khris Middleton, the most they are going to be is 4 year deals which takes Bruno to 23. It is possible Bruno sits on the bench or is in DLeague for 2 years then becomes rotational player and maybe becomes a starter after that.... maybe.... maybe more. But even if that plays out, he is going to be in his 5th year and his 23. The Raptors have ability to keep him under contract for another 7-8 years.

Why would you give up on a cheap promising 19 year old player with his stroke and physical attributes?

I agree. My question was actually rhetorical. And although Exum isn't as cheap as Bruno, I can't see Utah moving him for reasons similar to what you posted.

[CA$H MONEY]

I'm personally a fan of this
He has finally improved
And he has always worked hard

[Primer]

Aminu is a guy I've been talking about as a good under the radar target for a while. Really good defender, great length, good rebounder, and only 24 years old. He still has room to grow and get better, but even if he stays where he's at he's a nice player to have. The biggest plus is he'll cost 1/3 to 1/4th what the other SF options will, while providing a lot of the same things except outside shooting. If we got him around $5-7M we'd still have enough cap space for a max offer to a PF of our choosing, or a big offer to Danny Green should we move Derozan for a PF.

[JimiCliff]

I think it means Casey isn't going to be coaching here for long

[Primer]

Can we fix the thread title? His name is Aminu. I'm guessing it was an autocorrect thinking you were talking about amino acids.

[Balls of Steel]

I think it means Casey isn't going to be coaching here for long

I hear ya. Given this is such a copycat league, Casey knows he holds the cards. I like Aminu as a backup SF with Johnson moving to back-up PF. I don't think Carroll (nor is he worth the max he could potentially be seeking) isn't coming here but I'm still hoping for a Millsap!

[Primer]

Exum can play SG, he's 6'6, basically a combo guard. Bringing in Bledsoe shouldn't make Exum available, especially considering Exum could use a few years coming off the bench as he's still quite raw.

[BobLoblaw]

Exum can play SG, he's 6'6, basically a combo guard. Bringing in Bledsoe shouldn't make Exum available, especially considering Exum could use a few years coming off the bench as he's still quite raw.

Maybe they do see him as a shooting guard. Well, that's what he's been this year practically. A 3D shooting guard who's not very good at 3s, who's very soft and terrified of contact in the paint. He hasn't shown much in terms of point guard skills. Maybe he's a defensive shooting guard who can handle a little, move the ball and might develop a 3 eventually.

I don't know. I think he might still have a lot of value as a big point guard project, so if they don't see him reaching that potential, and they get a young star point guard for that role, they might be open to calls.

To me, big point guards are valuable because they are a matchup nightmare offensively. If you pick someone no.5 to be your big point guard, and then you decide that you have a small-ish, not very athletic shooting guard, you are losing value. It might be better to entertain offers from teams who still see a big point guard and a potential matchup nightmare.