Would you trade...

[DanH]

Let's be real, getting out from Carroll was to dodge the luxury tax. Powell getting a bigger role was a nice side effect, but there was nothing preventing the team from relegating Carroll to the end of the bench role, or like give him the Landry Fields "Break in case of emergency" treatment.

Nothing except Dwane Casey.

[KeonClark]

Let's be real, getting out from Carroll was to dodge the luxury tax. Powell getting a bigger role was a nice side effect, but there was nothing preventing the team from relegating Carroll to the end of the bench role, or like give him the Landry Fields "Break in case of emergency" treatment.

Carroll was useless. Like a net negative. And I think we've seen enough from his comments and general attitude that "break in case of emergency" may not have been good for locker room harmony. I'm glad he's gone, even his defense was atrocious. He'd be taking minutes from OG right now you can bet that. There could be a time to go into the tax, but for Demarre freakin Carroll? That's just dumb

And Powell (AND Wright) getting a bigger role was not a "side effect", it was the plan. You draft these guys to one day play and become the new role player over the more expensive older vets on the bench. That's how you maintain flexibility going forward.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Sucked not having a pick in 2013.. pretty good talent all around. Although I wonder too if Masai would have selected Giannis over someone like Olynyk if he had the #12 pick still.

He may not have wanted to pass up on a Canadian kid in his first tenure as a Raptor GM. Either way it's too bad BC didn't give up the 2014 pick for Lowry instead of the 2013 pick.

its also possible that we may have had an even better pick

[S.R.]

Keeping Carroll would have been terrible. It does only take one player to torpedo team chemistry.

Everybody agrees that it sucks that a) the signing didn't work out in the first place, and b) it cost a late first to dump him and move on. I'm sure Masai is first in line acknowledging that this is a less than ideal outcome. But at the same time, he took a poor situation, pulled several positives out of it, and the roster is now better for it. That's a GM's job. He is not going to bat a thousand, but this was a decent recovery. He had a lot of other moving parts this summer, evidently at the end of the day the pick was what it cost to get rid of Carroll.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Sorry I'm never a fan of trading 1st rounders to dump salary (period).

A "late 1st rounder" is exactly what OG Anunoby is and he is by far out of all the younger talent we have the most intriguing and best upside imo. You really have no idea who happens to be available at your pick. Despite as much as I love Lowry, I'd much rather have the pick back to be able to have had Giannis right now. The last thing you want is situation exactly like the Giannis pick where we were absolutely desperate to get in where we should have been able to just draft him ourselves but are unable to do so just look at what that cost us...truly franchise altering.

Of course I'm very happy with swapping out the flaming pile of dogshit Carroll was and McDribbles for CJ and for additional playing time for Norm but not a fan of losing a 1st in order to do so, sorry.

To me I look at it this way. Realistically each rookie and player you draft you have to spend time developing ...even if they are a generational talent coming in. We have a ton of young talent and are showing the ability to develop it. If you want to continue to win games and build a strong bench sometimes you have to clear spots out. Demarre would have taken away development from several players just for the sake of fitting him on the roster. Additionally, there are chemistry and confidence issues that manifested because of his injury. I don't blame anyone really except for the fact that he was consistently injured. He tried, did his best but ultimately didn't perform up to his pay grade.

Going back to my original point. In order to develop rookies (we have the 905 to help) you want them to get minutes at the professional level. Bruno not included we have Bebe, Poetl (who was the right pick and best pick in my opinion), Powell, Delon, and Siakam that all factor in some way in the future. This is why we traded cojo and Demarre. Not only to get under the tax but to also give these players a chance to shine. Cojo was good but long term he wasn't a solution to start and he would have demanded starters wages... that would have put us way above the tax. Remember we had him on a value contract of around 6-8 million a year for 3 years. Cojo played the SG spot and the PG spot so that takes away norm AND delons minutes. Same with Demarre. Does CJ miles go counter to that argument... partially but he is a much more serviceable player for cheaper.

Again missing out on developing a player this year when we will have a pick at 20 something ... unless another OG situation comes up it will not be that big of a missed opportunity and it will be difficult to find minutes to those develop that person. Sometimes in order to correct you need to do this. It isn't a mistake .They did this trade knowing full well what they are doing. Again it fits into the time line. They still have the assets that if they succeed they will be able to go all in and push the chips into the center of the table for the next two years to see what happens. If not in year 3 you can do a soft tank and trade all of your expiring deals. You will get young decent players/ midround picks for lowry... same with derozan... same with ibaka. Perhaps even lottery picks and players for all that.

In 3 years that gives our current crew of young players enough time to develop to see whose worth keeping around and they will be entering their primes at that point in time. I hope we keep demar because ...loyalty and all that but we will see what happens. It really isn't a bad situation at all considering where we were and as we project into the future.

[planetmars]

its also possible that we may have had an even better pick

Like if we didn't trade for Lowry at all you mean? Lowry wasn't "LOWRY" until the year after (and after the Delon said no to the trade). He was decent (and played poorly at times) but definitely was not extraordinary. We may have been the 10th or 11th worst team instead of the 12th I guess.. but I don't think we would have been in the top 8/9.

[CalibreMC]

Speaking of trades...

JV and future second for Bledsoe??

Thoughts...

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Bledsoe is gonna want to start and contribute. I like him in Denver or Milwaukee.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

oops

[Other Scott]

LOL I love how trying that in the trade machine decreases the Raptors win expectancy by 8 wins.

Seriously the Raptors really don't need Bledsoe, I think they're pretty set at point guard. Better to keep JV.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Bledsoe is gonna want to start and contribute. I like him in Denver or Milwaukee.

i think thats exactly where he is going.. he makes sense in denver.. for murray or mudiay and a pick

[3inthekeon]

Speaking of trades...

JV and future second for Bledsoe??

Thoughts...

Thoughts
1. You don't think Phoenix can get better than that for Bledsoe?
2. Do the Suns need or want another big man?
3. Suns need plus defenders and a PG to replace Bledsoe.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Like if we didn't trade for Lowry at all you mean? Lowry wasn't "LOWRY" until the year after (and after the Delon said no to the trade). He was decent (and played poorly at times) but definitely was not extraordinary. We may have been the 10th or 11th worst team instead of the 12th I guess.. but I don't think we would have been in the top 8/9.

still a difference.. but yeah i think that isn't masai's fault but rather BC

[007]

Thoughts
1. You don't think Phoenix can get better than that for Bledsoe?
2. Do the Suns need or want another big man?
3. Suns need plus defenders and a PG to replace Bledsoe.

Van Vleet and a second for Bledsoe

[Shaolin Fantastic]

We're not getting Eric and he's not what we need anyway. We're pretty set at 1/2 with Lowry, DD, Wright, Powell. If we're trading JV it needs to be for a center upgrade or very good 3/4 combo forward or not at all.