Everything 2018 Off Season

[KeonClark]

You think they'd take that kind of risk if DD wasn't a player who buckled in the playoffs like a chair made out of toothpicks when confronted with the ass of Charles Barkley? I don't think so.

I do. I dont think it's just the choking in the playoffs. Who is good player comparable for Derozan? Bradley beal..cj McCollum..Gordon Hayward...

If we swapped one of them for demar in the last 5 years and their play was the same In the regular season as the playoffs, we likely would have still kept hitting the same wall.

You need a top 10 player..a Kawhi trade is a smart risk even if demar was clutch in the playoffs. Hes just better.

[Apollo]

So you're asking if we saw regular season DeMar in the playoffs whether this deal would still be done.

The answer is yes, because DeMar wasn't the difference in any of those series losses to Cleveland. They would have won a few more games, sure, maybe Casey would still be here, but they'd still have that same ceiling where they aren't good enough to complete for the Finals - because they don't have a top 15 player much less the top 5 one you need.

DeRozan isn't good enough, playoff or regular season version.

No I'm not. I asking you would you deal a DD who plays tough defense and who doesn't choke under pressure?

This team is loaded with PG's. Lowry is out if the Raptors have this imaginary player.

[Other Scott]

No I'm not. I asking you would you deal a DD who plays tough defense and who doesn't choke under pressure?

When you say "DD who plays tough defense" now you're just talking about a completely different player. Do you think he just decides that he's going to suck defensively?

Yeah if DD played exactly like Kawhi Leonard I wouldn't trade him on a 2 year contract and loving Toronto for someone who's on a one year contract and doesn't want to come and will probably leave.

[S.R.]

Demar takes any slight or criticism against him extremely personally and uses it as motivation. Also, he definitely wanted to play out his career here. I don't imagine there's any way to trade him without him getting pissed and taking it personally.

I'm glad to see it doesn't look at all like Masai outright lied to him as originally claimed/implied. They talked about next season and DeRozan was under the impression he would be here. As has been pointed out - that's how trades work - a player isn't notified until it's done unless you're in a broken down relationship situation. And DeMar actually did get a direct call from MU as soon as it was done - players don't always get that courtesy.

All this talk about loyalty is BS, no loyalty was broken, everything that happened was well within the normal contractual boundaries between a player and a team.

DD should be thinking about SA right now. He should be spending a week talking about how excited he is to be playing for Popovich and a great Spurs organization.

Anyway, this partly getting so much traction because it's a slow news time of year. Hopefully it's mostly forgotten when the Spurs come to TO and he gets a huge standing O.

[LJ2]

Yes and I totally get that. Just stop making Masai out to be some snake oil salesman or liar. I think thats the story he's sticking with to give something to have beef with, when in reality he's just reality he's just really fucking upset he no longer has the keys to the franchise he was the face of for his entire career

Why? I mean it's not like he's bad mouthing the City, and who knows what was said when the supposed conversation took place at summer league.....oh wait, Masai burner account confirmed LOL.

[Axel]

The one thing I really don't get is DeMar talking about sacrifice. Like he sacrificed so much playing for the Raptors.

What did he sacrifice? He arguably had more leash and made more money than any other team would have given him. He also didn't sacrifice any part of his game, and didn't exactly lead the team in charges or diving for loose balls.

Was it personal sacrifice? Did living in Toronto ruin his life in some way?

No clue what he's talking about. Not trying to take a shot at him, just literally very confused by these remarks.

Yeah this part really annoyed me. Dude got carte blanche for years - shoot whenever you like, don't worry about defence, all the minutes you want; and then got paid max money. So where is the sacrifice? He was catered to by the team for nearly a decade. Glad we've finally moved on and can enjoy Kawhi instead.

[Apollo]

When you say "DD who plays tough defense" now you're just talking about a completely different player. Do you think he just decides that he's going to suck defensively?

Yeah if DD played exactly like Kawhi Leonard I wouldn't trade him on a 2 year contract and loving Toronto for someone who's on a one year contract and doesn't want to come and will probably leave.

Its a totally different person, yes. That guy would still be here but if he were traded he would probably not be crying to ESPN about it.

[Apollo]

Yeah this part really annoyed me. Dude got carte blanche for years - shoot whenever you like, don't worry about defence, all the minutes you want; and then got paid max money. So where is the sacrifice? He was catered to by the team for nearly a decade. Glad we've finally moved on and can enjoy Kawhi instead.

I think DeMar calls professionalism "sacrifice". He made no sacrifices since getting traded.

[LJ2]

Yeah this part really annoyed me. Dude got carte blanche for years - shoot whenever you like, don't worry about defence, all the minutes you want; and then got paid max money. So where is the sacrifice? He was catered to by the team for nearly a decade. Glad we've finally moved on and can enjoy Kawhi instead.

I'm really hoping this pans out as well as you think. I'm starting to forget how badly this could turn out for the Raptors...

[KeonClark]

Anyway, this partly getting so much traction because it's a slow news time of year. Hopefully it's mostly forgotten when the Spurs come to TO and he gets a huge standing O.

Isn't that the truth. The trade literally broke the night after the MLB all star game. The day it was news there was ZERO professional sporting events taking place in north America. July 18th might by the slowest sports day of the year. NFL training camp hasn't started and NHL nba offseasons are basically done for every other team. Magnified with the fact the Jays suck and have nothing interesting going on.

I had to laugh the day of the trade dan and jay sportscentre was basically a one hour DeMar and Kawhi show.

[Axel]

I'm really hoping this pans out as well as you think. I'm starting to forget how badly this could turn out for the Raptors...

If Kawhi walks, we rebuild 1 year earlier and can recoup assets by trading expiring deals of Lowry, Ibaka, JV rather than everyone expiring together. All roads are likely better than status quo would have been.

[KeonClark]

If Kawhi walks, we rebuild 1 year earlier and can recoup assets by trading expiring deals of Lowry, Ibaka, JV rather than everyone expiring together. All roads are likely better than status quo would have been.

Not to mention, forget next offseason completely. Forget Kawhi free agency and assume he walks. I'd trade 2 years of demar and Kyle trying for 1 year of Kawhi and company trying to go as far as they can.

[A.I]

If Kawhi walks, we rebuild 1 year earlier and can recoup assets by trading expiring deals of Lowry, Ibaka, JV rather than everyone expiring together. All roads are likely better than status quo would have been.

There is a pattern here that points to Kawhi re-signing.

When the trade happened, Chris Haynes, Cris Carter said Kawhi will not go to Toronto, then reports saying he is warming up to Toronto, then Woj saying Kawhi will be at training camp...Only a matter of time until we see “Kawhi has re-signed with the Toronto Raptors”.

[MixxAOR]

There is a pattern here that points to Kawhi re-signing.

When the trade happened, Chris Haynes, Cris Carter said Kawhi will not go to Toronto, then reports saying he is warming up to Toronto, then Woj saying Kawhi will be at training camp...Only a matter of time until we see “Kawhi has re-signed with the Toronto Raptors”.

That would be amazing but I'm not getting my hopes up until I see him next year in Raptors jersey

[KeonClark]

Without a deposition and a time-stamped transcript, we’ll probably never know or understand the complete picture of the communication between Ujiri, DeRozan and DeRozan’s agent Aaron Goodwin.

But a number of agents I’ve communicated with have described Ujiri as upfront and transparent as a matter of habit. And make no mistake: most communications between an executive and his players that relate to contracts or player movement take place through agents to avoid miscommunications and hard feelings that sensitive business discussions can sometimes bring about.

And those with clients who might be on the move that have been on the receiving end of texts from Ujiri relate the same story: messages that are on point, clear and honest about what range of possibilities might be, for example.

It only makes sense. An executive in Ujiri’s position can’t last if they get in the habit of making promises they can’t keep, so better to keep things open-ended and avoid making promises altogether.

In a perfect world, I’m sure Ujiri would have flown to Los Angeles and told DeRozan in person, but that’s not realistic. Further complicating things, Ujiri was several time zones away in Kenya as all of this was happening.

There was a reason Ujiri’s first comments after the trade were phrased as an apology, but an apology for what?

For misleading DeRozan’s camp? Or more likely for the fact that would have been nearly impossible for Ujiri to keep them abreast of developments as they unfolded?

Put yourself in Ujiri’s shoes: once a deal begins picking up momentum the last thing he wants to do is have word of it leak out, even inadvertently.

Why give another team a chance to trump their offer?

An even bigger consideration: What if the deal falls through – would Ujiri really want to let DeRozan know a trade was imminent only to have to walk it back?

https://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/...cture-raptors/