The Plan Moving Forward? All-Star PF in 2017?

[S.R.]

I mean I hate to be a cynic but we've heard similar things for the past two summers. "Masai is setting up pieces to do something big next summer"...
That was much of the rationale for the Ross extension.

It's possible for sure, but what's possible tends to meet a more difficult reality when summer comes. The guys you listed:
Griffin is probably a permanent Clipper
Orlando just traded the farm for Ibaka and will do everything to re-sign him
Millsap will be probably cost more than we can offer (again)
Gallinari is a centrepiece for Denver

I mean sure, but welcome to the challenge of building a championship contender in the NBA, right?

[big boi]

This team will improve through trade. That's the avenue. Look for a trade mid season.

Yeah. While I could live with losing the assets listed if it meant adding a Difference maker at PF on a good long term deal (assuming Sully leaving next year anyway, and adding an all star pf would make the loss of Patterson easier to handle), it does appear the trade route is the only way to meaningfully improve beyond organic improvement from within.

[Carlg]

Looking at the cap situation more closely, it does look like we would have to ship out cojo as well to add a max(or close to max player) as well as Lucas N. But I think Delon Wright will make a decent backup and I'd be okay with that. Especially if we traded Ross and Cojo for picks that won't come for a couple years down the road(2019?). That way once Kyle and Carrol are at the end of their contracts we will be able to load up again either with a youth movement or by using those picks to aquire new talent. Also, If Lowry's contract structure is backloaded there is probably more wiggle room there as well to sign that top tier PF.

I'd be down with the trade route as well, and that seems to be Masai's style, but I think with all 4 of those elite PFs coming available I can see him taking a run at one of them if the trade market proves tougher than he thought!

As a side note, I am curious what kind of draft picks guys like TRoss and Cojo could get? Those are both pretty team friendly contracts! It'd be tough to lose those good pieces but adding an elite PF would make us challengers to the Cavs in the East for sure! Which has to be the goal. Looking forward to see how it all plays out!

[DanH]

No, no. Those players I listed we have to drop, is to get to ~20M. The max will be about 30M. So, dump CoJo, dump Ross, lose a bunch of prospects and picks, lose Pat and Sully (though we probably lose him anyway), AND drop Carroll. That's how you get a max player. Basically you can only have DeMar, Lowry and JV on the roster, plus a couple prospects.

Trade, people. It's going to be through trade.

[saints91]

Due to the recent events in this offseason I don't see the Raptors contending in 2017. I think you field a competitive team and start building a team that will peak in 3-5 years. Don't mortgage the future in 2017.

I'm happy with building a culture of winning, and changing the image of this franchise. A championship will come, this just isn't the window to go for it.

[lewro]

Due to the recent events in this offseason I don't see the Raptors contending in 2017. I think you field a competitive team and start building a team that will peak in 3-5 years. Don't mortgage the future in 2017.

I'm happy with building a culture of winning, and changing the image of this franchise. A championship will come, this just isn't the window to go for it.

This is how I feel. Jv should be the focus. Lebron still had a couple extra gears in the ECF that he didn't need and I think losing biz will hurt us. I love Lowry but it might be better to trade him for the LA pick. I think Masai will resign him and plug holes with our two picks and another prove it contract like Sully and biz.
Aside from age, I think it's demars contract that handcuffs us, not Lowry's.

[big boi]

No, no. Those players I listed we have to drop, is to get to ~20M. The max will be about 30M. So, dump CoJo, dump Ross, lose a bunch of prospects and picks, lose Pat and Sully (though we probably lose him anyway), AND drop Carroll. That's how you get a max player. Basically you can only have DeMar, Lowry and JV on the roster, plus a couple prospects.

Trade, people. It's going to be through trade.

At the risk of appearing lazy (I seem to recall a few trade scenarios being laid out before but can't remember the details) what could a possible trade scenario for a marquee PF look like? What would work? Thanks.

[planetmars]

The DD contract unfortunately gets them out of free agency next season. Ultimately this team is not going to be able to get an all-star PF unless it happens in a trade, and that's really hard. Not many teams are rebuilding so lot of teams will be in the market for an 'all-star PF'. So the cost will be high.

In terms of tradeable pieces.. I don't think we have many. Ross' contract still exists. So that can net us about a $15M contract (which is not much anymore). CoJo is important. Despite having Lowry here, he's still a UFA and may decide to play elsewhere. I don't think its a high probability that he leaves but it's an unknown and I don't see Masai gambling away his backup PG when his primary PG will be a free agent. Sully and 2Pat are available in a trade I guess.. but if we're talking about 2017 then they are both UFA's that we can't trade in the summer. And Carroll, but he needs to be injury free this year and if he is, does that make him too important to trade? We are pretty thin at SF.

We have bit prospects like Bebe, Bruno, Wright, Poeltl etc.. but they won't really add much.

Actually two of the best PF's that can make this roster better (Millsap/Ibaka) are both free agents. Don't see too many 'all-star' PF's out there honestly and I don't see too many S&T's happening.. there were none this summer.

So I think Masai is going to have to continue to get that 1 year contract at the MLE until he drafts a guy that can become the starting caliber PF on this team. Maybe Siakam can become that guy.. but that's asking a lot. Feels like we're kind of screwed.

My hope is Atlanta just starts off terribly and is like in 10th or 11th in the East by the deadline. So that Atlanta shops Millsap again. And if they do they may consider a package of guys that gets them cap space and prospects (like 2Pat or Sully and a combo of Wright/Bruno or Poeltl). And even then Masai may say no to a crazy package since Millsap might not resign.

[DanH]

At the risk of appearing lazy (I seem to recall a few trade scenarios being laid out before but can't remember the details) what could a possible trade scenario for a marquee PF look like? What would work? Thanks.

Between Dec 15 and the deadline this year, the Raps can package Ross, Sully and prospects and bring back basically any contract in the league. The value in the package would be Ross as a young talent, Sully as an expiring, and prospects and picks. Most targets would be around 20M anyway, so Ross and Sully would be enough salary wise, plus whatever assets are needed to close the deal.

So something like Ross, Sully, BeBe and both 2017 picks (word is 2017 picks are valuable as GMs see this draft as very good and very deep). Maybe add Wright.

[big boi]

Between Dec 15 and the deadline this year, the Raps can package Ross, Sully and prospects and bring back basically any contract in the league. The value in the package would be Ross as a young talent, Sully as an expiring, and prospects and picks. Most targets would be around 20M anyway, so Ross and Sully would be enough salary wise, plus whatever assets are needed to close the deal.

So something like Ross, Sully, BeBe and both 2017 picks (word is 2017 picks are valuable as GMs see this draft as very good and very deep). Maybe add Wright.

And then we can go over the cap to sign Lowry on top of whatever new PF signs for? I see what you mean re trade really being the only route for meaningful improvement. That kind of trade doesn't seem like an impossible ask for Masai either.

[Apollo]

CoJo and Ross for Gali works in Trade machine. Simple and Easy for both team and where they are ...

Denver is loaded on the wing. This deal makes no sense for them.

Also he's proven to not be able to handle the rigours of an NBA season.