Game 18: Toronto Raptors @ Orlando Magic - Tuesday, November 20th 7pm ET, SN1

[planetmars]

I get that but again, it's always seemed strange for the Raptors to be up against the cap (4th highest payroll in the leage, higher than GSW and Houston and Boston for instance) when we only had 2 stars in DeRozan and Lowry, no superstars but one being paid like it. A couple questionable contracts like Norm and arguably Ibaka (last year) and voila. btw, GSW have 5 guys eating up more than 80% of team salaries....the Celtic have 3 guys making big money and a lot of cheap salaries in first round picks and minimums making contributions.

Kyle is the only suspect contract right now (and how can you question his work this season, just the price of it) and Norm is the only "bad" contract going forward. Once again, I love Kyle but if he was making a moire reasonable 20M, we could have anohter solid contributor here which I really think would be a nice luxury going forward. This team is much less deep than many fans think.

OG and Pascal are steals right now and are under control for at least another year going forward.

The ebbs and flows of building a team. Draymond and Klay got their extensions before the big cap hike. DeMar got his during the big cap hike.. and Lowry and Ibaka the year after that.

It's all about timing more than anything.

Norm was a bad judgement call. But I think the plan was to resign and then trade. Like he did with Ross to get something better. Norm just turned into a stiff (and now he's injured). Add his contract with other role players like JV, Green, CJ, and Fred.. and you've got one of the highest payrolls in the NBA.

Good news is in 2 years, every contract except for Norm, OG and Pascal's contract is off the books if we want them to.

[MixxAOR]

Like always, the problem is who you gonna give up and how to make salaries work. We always say OG and Pascal are off limits. You'd need to move Lowry or trade Ibaka or JV++. I'd be OK with either Ibaka or JV plus Moose here if the deal was right.

I don't think we have what any team needs for an A asset but you never know with Masai.

If we're trading for Beal I would be ok with letting go of OG.

[G__Deane]

I feel like we missed out on Butler so hope we don't miss out on Wizards fire-sale

Like always, the problem is who you gonna give up and how to make salaries work. We always say OG and Pascal are off limits. You'd need to move Lowry or trade Ibaka or JV++. I'd be OK with either Ibaka or JV plus Moose here if the deal was right.

I don't think we have what any team needs for an A asset but you never know with Masai.

[MixxAOR]

Yeah, Porter has all the physical tools and as Mixx was saying he's a good shooter...better than I thought...just don't know about his commitment to defending someone other than DeMar That's why I like Pascal and OG more right now. They are younger and have room to grow whereas Porter seems to have stagnated. Like I said he may hit new levels on a team that isn't so dysfunctional.

Oh I'm not trading Pascal and OG for Porter. Nah my idea is to add Porter to our young core not replace it lol

[LJ2]

Porter is a really good player. I wouldn’t trade OG or Pascal for him, but he’s probably a better player than both of them right now. He’s not the playmaker that Pascal is, but he’s a real good tertiary ball handler who can space the floor (very well) and play lock-down defence. If and when he gets traded people will see. New Orleans should make a play for him if they can’t get in on Beal.

Yeah, Porter has all the physical tools and as Mixx was saying he's a good shooter...better than I thought...just don't know about his commitment to defending someone other than DeMar That's why I like Pascal and OG more right now. They are younger and have room to grow whereas Porter seems to have stagnated. Like I said he may hit new levels on a team that isn't so dysfunctional.

[G__Deane]

The CBA has made that tough. Teams that can sign top free agents need cap space. But in order to have cap space you usually suck unless you have a good collection of rookies and sophomores who make less than what they deserve.

So best way to get a star for most teams is via trade. Houston did that with Paul. OKC did that with George. We are trying with Kawhi.

I get that but again, it's always seemed strange for the Raptors to be up against the cap (4th highest payroll in the leage, higher than GSW and Houston and Boston for instance) when we only had 2 stars in DeRozan and Lowry, no superstars but one being paid like it. A couple questionable contracts like Norm and arguably Ibaka (last year) and voila. btw, GSW have 5 guys eating up more than 80% of team salaries....the Celtic have 3 guys making big money and a lot of cheap salaries in first round picks and minimums making contributions.

Kyle is the only suspect contract right now (and how can you question his work this season, just the price of it) and Norm is the only "bad" contract going forward. Once again, I love Kyle but if he was making a moire reasonable 20M, we could have anohter solid contributor here which I really think would be a nice luxury going forward. This team is much less deep than many fans think.

OG and Pascal are steals right now and are under control for at least another year going forward.

[MixxAOR]

I feel like we missed out on Butler so hope we don't miss out on Wizards fire-sale

[Maury]

Game 18: Toronto Raptors @ Orlando Magic - Tuesday, November 20th 7pm ET, SN1

Pretty much all our rotation wings are better than Porter. Who knows how he could flourish though in an actual NBA system.

Porter is a really good player. I wouldn’t trade OG or Pascal for him, but he’s probably a better player than both of them right now. He’s not the playmaker that Pascal is, but he’s a real good tertiary ball handler who can space the floor (very well) and play lock-down defence. If and when he gets traded people will see. New Orleans should make a play for him if they can’t get in on Beal.

[MixxAOR]

Pretty much all our rotation wings are better than Porter. Who knows how he could flourish though in an actual NBA system.

Yeah Porter could use change in scenery. Previous years he shot really well.

[LJ2]

Maybe Otto Porter could be gettable for Raps but does he move the needle?

Pretty much all our rotation wings are better than Porter. Who knows how he could flourish though in an actual NBA system.

[The Great One]

Maybe Otto Porter could be gettable for Raps but does he move the needle?

Don't want any part of Porter and hoes contract.

[MixxAOR]

Maybe Otto Porter could be gettable for Raps but does he move the needle?

[The Great One]

having beal on this team could be fun. But they are going to ask for a lot

We don't have the asset to trade for Beal or Wall.

[The Great One]

Wizards are shopping Beal and Wall

If i'm Magic Johnson, i would trade any of my young players for Beal.

Ingram, Kuzma, Ball, it doesn't matter, they all suck. They're all overrated. The funny thing about the Lakers is, i think their best young player is Hart but no one ever talks about him lol.

[S.R.]

It's about time we learned how to SIGN top free agents for nothing but $$$ instead of giving up assets and picks for them. To be against the cap with only one superstar and one star on the team is difficult. I love Lowry but he makes $10M too much.

Raps have been able to sign the best guy on the market at a position of need a couple times and it failed miserably both times. It's easier said than done. You very rarely have both a very good team and max FA space anyway. Masai's actually setting the blueprint for how to turn a middling team into a really good team without tanking for a #1 pick or clearing cap space for max FA signings, which are the traditional pathways for roster overhaul.