Grade My Offseason Transactions for the Raptors (for fun)

[BS10]

I actually liked Ross for Stauskas. Maybe cause I like Staus and hate Ross lol

I don't think its a bad trade because we need more pure shooting guards or guys that can shoot the 3 consistently and the kings already have maclemoore as their starting 2 so they won't have any need for Stauskas. We already have PP and JJ who could fill the 3 easily. Stauskas is also bigger than Ross but less athletic. I think most raptor fans have given up on the development of Ross and would like a change of scenario for him.

[BS10]

Stauskas\ross maybe a step backwards even. Ross seems lost on defense totally but i still think hes better than stauskas.
lowry can atleast get one first rounder, maybe two in the ultra competitive west.
Id go with another trading partner, like orlando or sacramento for lowry to get a top 10 pick in this years draft.
Gerald Green seems good on paper, but in reality he's kind of a punk, might work out but risky. Cory Joseph is coming to Toronto.
Derozan's a fan favourite, and you can't not appreciate his heart and desire, but he's a SHOOTING guard yet to add the 3 pointer to his resume. Look at the last 4 teams in the playoffs. Korver, /Harden, JR smith and klay thompson. they can all shoot 3's, its essential to have 3 point shooters and both the 1 and the 2 now, maybe even the 3, the nba is turning more euroball than people think, shit even the 4's have to shoot threes.
Give Patterson a chance to start, use the money elsewhere like WES MATTHEWS. This would be a dream, maybe its too far fetched.
The plan overall is ok though, id want more draft picks this year and next though. Rebuild Masai, your team isnt really yours anyways, its Colangelo's plus GV and Paterson next year. MAKE YOUR IMPRINT THIS OFFSEASON> Listen to your knowledgable RaptorsRepublic forum staff that works for free.

I'd rather get joseph over stauskas but i think stauskas will develop into a good player with the right coach.

Yea i agree i hope derozan will improve his 3 point shooting this off season. He'll be more valuable that way and we can justify paying him his money. I think he needs a real coach to ingrain some better basketball philosophies because i think he lacks in bball IQ but overall he's a solid player.

I like wes matthews too but i highly doubt he's leaving portland especially if LA decides to stay and sign a max deal with them but one can hope.

[KeonClark]

I actually liked Ross for Stauskas. Maybe cause I like Staus and hate Ross lol

[BS10]

Spurs are up against the cap as Duncan & Ginobilli are leaning towards returning for another season and they are going after max players Aldridge or Gasol and signing Kawhi to a max extension plus trying to bring back Danny Green, Joseph is a strong candidate to be a cap cut. I noticed the lack of 3pt threat outside Lowry in the starting 5 right away but thats something a good coach can work around.
Reason I picked the players I did was basically to be realistic given the NBA market and Toronto market. Faried is Masai's guy and is on the outs in DEN and very likely to be moved plus $12M/yr is a value deal in the new NBA come 2016. VC & Toronto...well you know..., Harris is the biggest name on the market that we know wants out and will not be back in Orl (as opposed to guys like Millsap etc that would be great but are in good situations and not likely to leave, let alone come to Toronto), Biyombo has strong ties to Masai through NBA Africa and is the type of Backup C- rebounder/rim protector we lacked, Joseph is a young, Canadian, lockdown defence, backup PG coming out the Spurs system. All these pickup's improve what we lacked last season, defence and rebounding plus Lou/VC/PP makes up for any lack of 3pt threat the starting V lacks off the bench lol

Yea, i totally get your rationale now for your ideas for off season moves and I get why some of the people you picked would more than likely end up in a raptors uniform. I really hope we get joseph too. We could have used him last year but then again, would casey made the proper decision to utilize him during the series? I'm leaning towards unlikely but idk. I completely agree that we need a new coach thats more creative with the offence and overall makes good adjustments during the game. I was more than sure we would get faried before the trade deadline but i realized his contract extension probably put masai off from wanting to get him. He's a really hard working guy and his defensive rebounding is something we could have used.

[psrs1]

What's wrong with gerald green? i think he's super talented, great defence, athletic, and solid shooter and a guy like vince can transform his game into a more consistent one.

Just the kind of guy that Casey would let languish on the bench.

[IwishIwasZachLowe]

I know, my jokes are pretty bad. Now you know, in advance.

[IwishIwasZachLowe]

Stauskas\ross maybe a step backwards even. Ross seems lost on defense totally but i still think hes better than stauskas.
lowry can atleast get one first rounder, maybe two in the ultra competitive west.
Id go with another trading partner, like orlando or sacramento for lowry to get a top 10 pick in this years draft.
Gerald Green seems good on paper, but in reality he's kind of a punk, might work out but risky. Cory Joseph is coming to Toronto.
Derozan's a fan favourite, and you can't not appreciate his heart and desire, but he's a SHOOTING guard yet to add the 3 pointer to his resume. Look at the last 4 teams in the playoffs. Korver, /Harden, JR smith and klay thompson. they can all shoot 3's, its essential to have 3 point shooters and both the 1 and the 2 now, maybe even the 3, the nba is turning more euroball than people think, shit even the 4's have to shoot threes.
Give Patterson a chance to start, use the money elsewhere like WES MATTHEWS. This would be a dream, maybe its too far fetched.
The plan overall is ok though, id want more draft picks this year and next though. Rebuild Masai, your team isnt really yours anyways, its Colangelo's plus GV and Paterson next year. MAKE YOUR IMPRINT THIS OFFSEASON> Listen to your knowledgable RaptorsRepublic forum staff that works for free.

[RepTdot]

Interesting moves, I would love to get Joseph but I don't think we could pry him from the Spurs. We would have to over pay cause he's a restricted free agent. I like your starting line up but we'd be lacking any real 3 point shooting or 3 point threat. Maybe you could start PP instead of Faried?

Spurs are up against the cap as Duncan & Ginobilli are leaning towards returning for another season and they are going after max players Aldridge or Gasol and signing Kawhi to a max extension plus trying to bring back Danny Green, Joseph is a strong candidate to be a cap cut. I noticed the lack of 3pt threat outside Lowry in the starting 5 right away but thats something a good coach can work around.
Reason I picked the players I did was basically to be realistic given the NBA market and Toronto market. Faried is Masai's guy and is on the outs in DEN and very likely to be moved plus $12M/yr is a value deal in the new NBA come 2016. VC & Toronto...well you know..., Harris is the biggest name on the market that we know wants out and will not be back in Orl (as opposed to guys like Millsap etc that would be great but are in good situations and not likely to leave, let alone come to Toronto), Biyombo has strong ties to Masai through NBA Africa and is the type of Backup C- rebounder/rim protector we lacked, Joseph is a young, Canadian, lockdown defence, backup PG coming out the Spurs system. All these pickup's improve what we lacked last season, defence and rebounding plus Lou/VC/PP makes up for any lack of 3pt threat the starting V lacks off the bench lol

[The Great One]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to give a perspective of what I think would be the most beneficial and potential moves for the Raptors this off season. Personally, I believe a retooling of our roster and personnel would make us still a competitive team and possible contenders. No, I don't think they are going to make these moves but it is something i did for fun and something to consider. Let me know what you think.

Offseason moves:
+Draft Kevon Looney (PF with great defensive, offensive spacing, incredible length and size for his position)
+Trade a future 2nd round pick for George De Paula (Great size and length and potential for his position), if he gets picked, or have him work out for our team if undrafted
+Sign Gerald Green (More reliable wing shooter and great all around player)
+Trade Terrence Ross for Nik Stauskas (This works financially too)
+Trade Kyle Lowry to Houston for Clint Capella + Kostas Papanikolou + future 1st or 2nd round pick (I believe this will work when the new cap increases)
+Fire Casey
+Hire new head coach (Mark Price or JVG) someone that will implement a real offensive system
+Sign Veterans (Vince Carter)

1. I think the Raps can get a whole lot more for Lowry than just Capela, Papanikoliau and draft picks.
2. Say no to Gerald Green. Want no part of him.
3. Not a fan of Looney.

C -

[BS10]

It's...okay? Maybe a C? There's a lot of lateral moves. Moves that make things better long term, mixed with moves that do nothing, mixed with moves that are only short term benefits.

This is why some people on this board would rather tank. It may be quicker to balance the roster trading major pieces, but vets are more likely to be attracted to teams that have immediate potential for success. If you trade Lowry for long term benefits it makes it highly unlikely that vets will sign here. If that's the case, trading Demar while he has value would also become an option.

The Stauskas for Ross thing is REALLY lateral. If Nik gets better he's still a defensive liability -- which is Ross' biggest issue (well, that and inconsistency).

I disagree with your rationale for firing Casey, but agree with the idea. His biggest issue is that he is slow to adapt to situations. He doesn't make adjustments fast enough. Things that take better coaches minutes take games for him to fix. When selecting a new coach that needs to be a priority. Not the particular system, but a willingness to adapt if the system fails. The defense failed after Demar went down. They never changed the system to fit the available personnel and the team fell apart.

No on Green -- that's already been discussed.

Someone like Carter isn't coming here if you trade an All Star away (Sorry I'm circling back here).

Sorry, not a fan of players like DePaula. I would probably trade Bruno. They're so raw that you are getting them ready for their second contracts -- if you're lucky. This team is built around players who want to win now. As much as I and others diss Ross he doesn't want to take backward steps. Neither does Pat Pat, or GV or any of the 10 rotation players from last season. IF they get the D League team (which is not guaranteed) then MAYBE you keep Bruno, but roster spaces have value and I would rather use the space getting a kid like George Lucas would take up on a vet who can help guys like our draft pick, Deandre Daniels, Bebe and Bruno. Someone who could also, if needed, play solid minutes for the team from the end of the bench.

As it's been covered in other threads -- this is not a young team. It's a poorly built team that lacks balance. Solid vets, who have been well scouted over a longer period of time are a much easier way to inject balance into a roster -- but you have to sell them on the team, unlike tanking where draft picks and kids on rookie contracts have little choice.

REALLY like drafting Looney, sadly size seems to climb in drafts (He probably will be drafted earlier than us), but I hope they bring him Harrell, Wood and Christmas in.

Good criticism.

Yea, you're right about vets being attracted to teams that win now mode. I would want VC only because it would be a picturesque way to finish his career. Otherwise, vets would be a waste of time.

The Ross-Stauskas trade, i've realized isn't that great of a move. I only considered the move because Stauskas might play better at home and may be hailed a hometown hero which might boost his confidence and his overall game.

You're right about Casey's inability to make adjustments during the game. I think this coupled with his favouritism to particular players or lack of objectivity while coaching has been our biggest problem. He's too stubborn, and his justifications for his bad in-game decisions during post conference of game 4 against the wizards made it obvious that he isn't the right coach. I could add a hundred reasons why we should fire casey but that wouldn't change the desired result.

I honestly don't feel that we're a team that can say we're in the win-now mode. I think we need to take more steps progressively in the right direction to help us get there. There's too much pieces that are wrong with this puzzle of the raptors. I think Masai knows this, and is going to make some slight moves to help us towards this. Plus, i don't understand why we would deal LN or BC at this point? We're planning for the future because its highly unlikely we can somehow win in the short term.

Paula, is a long shot. I don't know if he'll pan out to anything but it'd be nice to have him on our roster with some fellow brazilian national players. I think getting him will work to our advantage of having greater chemistry on our roster. 2nd round picks don't normally pan out well but its worth a try.

[BS10]

I like your offseason, Green as a role player isn't a bad bet and all the other moves improve the team outside the only part I disagree with, trading Lowry.

my offseason would look a little different

Draft Kevon Looney or Christian Wood at #20
Re-sign Lou Williams
3 team deal with Den & Mem; Ross, Vasquez and future 1st (20's) + Udrich & mem 1st (20's) to Den, Chandler & Jameer Nelson to Memphis, Faried & VC to Toronto
Sign Tobias Harris, Bismack Biyombo & Cory Joseph in FA
*Fire Casey

C- JV, Bismack, Bebe
PF- Faried, PP, Looney/Wood
SF- Harris, JJ, Bruno
SG- DD, Lou, VC
PG- Lowry, Joseph, TBD

Interesting moves, I would love to get Joseph but I don't think we could pry him from the Spurs. We would have to over pay cause he's a restricted free agent. I like your starting line up but we'd be lacking any real 3 point shooting or 3 point threat. Maybe you could start PP instead of Faried?

[BS10]

I dig the draft picks and firing Casey. The rest of the moves I'd pass on. Not opposed to trading Ross or Lowry, but I think there's a better return out there than either of the trades you suggest.

Thats fair.

[BS10]

He's a selfish player and total chucker. He's Nick Young with an even bigger sense of entitlement. No thank you.

And Carter's not a free agent. So you'd have to trade with Memphis, which totally changes everything. He's not worth it either way at this point. Not worth trading assets for, and he'll probably retire when his contract is done. The window to bring Vince back was last summer. That passed and now it's basically a thing where I think you only consider it post-retirement in some other role.

I'm down with...
-Drafting Looney
-Trying to get a later pick for Paula (might be able to flat out buy one instead of trading a future 2nd)
-The Lowry to Houston trade...but I'd want more draft picks. Would have to get at least one first, and I might get greedy and want Terrence Jones thrown in.
-Firing Casey (seems that's unlikely at this point)

Indifferent on the Ross/Stauskas move. And I would have a hard time choosing a new coach no matter what...JVG is not good at developing offensive strategies though...just wanted to point that out.

Still probably not my ideal offseason moves though. Think we can get a better overall deal for Lowry (and don't think HOU would trade Capela). And don't see the need to add vets.

I think Green again has been given a bad situation and the wrong coaching but i'll accept him as not a potential viable signing option. I just think we can get him for cheap and see how fits into the rotation.

I just looked it up and you're right on carter. I didn't know he signed a 3-year deal with the grizz. Yea, i don't think we'll be able to get him either and its not worth it. It would have been nice though, imo.

The firing of casey could still happen. His assistants have been fired and new guys brought in. But if it does happen it'll happen in the early part of the season if the raptors get off a bad start.

Yea, i just wanted a new objective coach for our squad. I can't deal with the favouritism Casey has for players. Its ruined our team, especially the chemistry.

[blackjitsu]

It's...okay? Maybe a C? There's a lot of lateral moves. Moves that make things better long term, mixed with moves that do nothing, mixed with moves that are only short term benefits.

This is why some people on this board would rather tank. It may be quicker to balance the roster trading major pieces, but vets are more likely to be attracted to teams that have immediate potential for success. If you trade Lowry for long term benefits it makes it highly unlikely that vets will sign here. If that's the case, trading Demar while he has value would also become an option.

The Stauskas for Ross thing is REALLY lateral. If Nik gets better he's still a defensive liability -- which is Ross' biggest issue (well, that and inconsistency).

I disagree with your rationale for firing Casey, but agree with the idea. His biggest issue is that he is slow to adapt to situations. He doesn't make adjustments fast enough. Things that take better coaches minutes take games for him to fix. When selecting a new coach that needs to be a priority. Not the particular system, but a willingness to adapt if the system fails. The defense failed after Demar went down. They never changed the system to fit the available personnel and the team fell apart.

No on Green -- that's already been discussed.

Someone like Carter isn't coming here if you trade an All Star away (Sorry I'm circling back here).

Sorry, not a fan of players like DePaula. I would probably trade Bruno. They're so raw that you are getting them ready for their second contracts -- if you're lucky. This team is built around players who want to win now. As much as I and others diss Ross he doesn't want to take backward steps. Neither does Pat Pat, or GV or any of the 10 rotation players from last season. IF they get the D League team (which is not guaranteed) then MAYBE you keep Bruno, but roster spaces have value and I would rather use the space getting a kid like George Lucas would take up on a vet who can help guys like our draft pick, Deandre Daniels, Bebe and Bruno. Someone who could also, if needed, play solid minutes for the team from the end of the bench.

As it's been covered in other threads -- this is not a young team. It's a poorly built team that lacks balance. Solid vets, who have been well scouted over a longer period of time are a much easier way to inject balance into a roster -- but you have to sell them on the team, unlike tanking where draft picks and kids on rookie contracts have little choice.

REALLY like drafting Looney, sadly size seems to climb in drafts (He probably will be drafted earlier than us), but I hope they bring him Harrell, Wood and Christmas in.

[RepTdot]

I like your offseason, Green as a role player isn't a bad bet and all the other moves improve the team outside the only part I disagree with, trading Lowry.

my offseason would look a little different

Draft Kevon Looney or Christian Wood at #20
Re-sign Lou Williams
3 team deal with Den & Mem; Ross, Vasquez and future 1st (20's) + Udrich & mem 1st (20's) to Den, Chandler & Jameer Nelson to Memphis, Faried & VC to Toronto
Sign Tobias Harris, Bismack Biyombo & Cory Joseph in FA
*Fire Casey

C- JV, Bismack, Bebe
PF- Faried, PP, Looney/Wood
SF- Harris, JJ, Bruno
SG- DD, Lou, VC
PG- Lowry, Joseph, TBD