Everything Marc Gasol

[Puffer]

I'm not sold on that succession planning quite yet. Ibaka was critical in the playoffs last season and I don't see Boucher being able to replicate his presence (at least not yet). The question of how this team could be materially improved this season is really interesting because they have no glaring weakness (other than they don't have a top-5 guy) and the team as a whole is more than the sum of its parts. You mess around with that and it could go sideways.

But Blazers and Pelicans bear watching. Have to think both those situations could be in flux depending on how December and January go for each of them.

I would say Boucher has improved remarkably from where he was last year. Hard to say how good he will be coming up to the trade deadline. Given how RHJ, Davis, Siakim, and Boucher have improved from last year, any speculation about how good anyone of them will be in May is highly speculative. I am completely content to leave it to the brain trust.

[Zak24gege]

We mainly need rebounding and solid #1B scorer type. This team is very good with perhaps the biggest challenges being MIL in the East and LAC in the West. With the emergence of Davis and Boucher it opens up trade opportunities with Norm and Ibaka, As I mentioned earlier, Gasol is a trade option too, however, he provides a big, long defensive presence that is effective in neutralizing other big scoring C's like Embiid, Vuc. Whatever Masai decides to do, we certainly are witnessing the Golden Era of Raptors basketball.

[slaw]

I think the emergence of Boucher makes Ibaka expendable. There's teams out there that need him more than us. But not as a salary dump, this is all part of the grand scheme to get a Jrue Holiday or a Bradley Beal, or in a dream scenario, a Dame Lillard

I'm not sold on that succession planning quite yet. Ibaka was critical in the playoffs last season and I don't see Boucher being able to replicate his presence (at least not yet). The question of how this team could be materially improved this season is really interesting because they have no glaring weakness (other than they don't have a top-5 guy) and the team as a whole is more than the sum of its parts. You mess around with that and it could go sideways.

But Blazers and Pelicans bear watching. Have to think both those situations could be in flux depending on how December and January go for each of them.

[planetmars]

I don't think we should trade Serge. If Marc gets hurt we'd be screwed. I like Boucher but he's not really a starter yet. Serge can play that role if he has to.

If we're trading anyone I'd be fine with Norm. Mainly because he has that player option into 2021. But also because he's our most inconsistent player. Package him up with SJ or McCaw and a first and we may be able to upgrade the backup SG spot.

[DanH]

I think the emergence of Boucher makes Ibaka expendable. There's teams out there that need him more than us. But not as a salary dump, this is all part of the grand scheme to get a Jrue Holiday or a Bradley Beal, or in a dream scenario, a Dame Lillard

I could see them accepting draft assets for Ibaka as well, if a star is not immediately available, for use or for leveraging in a later trade for a star.

[KeonClark]

Why not? They won't have significant cap space in 2020 regardless if they are keeping FVV, so why not keep Gasol an extra year so long as you can still duck the tax?

Now, it may not be Lowry sized, but the concept of a big one year salary is exactly what they should be driving at. Heck, they should be trying to get him to extend his current deal one year like Lowry. If they can't by the deadline, then that's a good reason to explore trading him. Same goes for Ibaka (though they probably only want to extend one of them, and which one is open to a one year deal, if either are, could be the deciding factor for who they trade).

I think the emergence of Boucher makes Ibaka expendable. There's teams out there that need him more than us. But not as a salary dump, this is all part of the grand scheme to get a Jrue Holiday or a Bradley Beal, or in a dream scenario, a Dame Lillard

[DanH]

Trading Marc is another option. I certainly can't see a Lowry size contract.

Why not? They won't have significant cap space in 2020 regardless if they are keeping FVV, so why not keep Gasol an extra year so long as you can still duck the tax?

Now, it may not be Lowry sized, but the concept of a big one year salary is exactly what they should be driving at. Heck, they should be trying to get him to extend his current deal one year like Lowry. If they can't by the deadline, then that's a good reason to explore trading him. Same goes for Ibaka (though they probably only want to extend one of them, and which one is open to a one year deal, if either are, could be the deciding factor for who they trade).

[Zak24gege]

Trading Marc is another option. I certainly can't see a Lowry size contract.

[DanH]

I hope we can keep Marc when his contract is over (at an avg of like $10-$12M).

Pau is 39.. but got to 77 games at the age of 37 in SA.

Marc is *only* 34 (35 in January).. so he has 3 years left before he potentially becomes dead weight. If we can get him for a 2+1 with a team option in that third year for about $36M or less, that would be awesome.

Or even better would be a 1 year Lowry size contract.. and then hope he signs back in 2021. But I could see him getting some looks in free agency. We'll feel his loss if he moves on.

Yeah, the big one year deal is definitely the play.

[planetmars]

I hope we can keep Marc when his contract is over (at an avg of like $10-$12M).

Pau is 39.. but got to 77 games at the age of 37 in SA.

Marc is *only* 34 (35 in January).. so he has 3 years left before he potentially becomes dead weight. If we can get him for a 2+1 with a team option in that third year for about $36M or less, that would be awesome.

Or even better would be a 1 year Lowry size contract.. and then hope he signs back in 2021. But I could see him getting some looks in free agency. We'll feel his loss if he moves on.

[SkywalkerAC]

Winner.

[JawsGT]

Marc is in embiids head...like the 6ers didnt even seem to know what to do with embiid last night.

[Scraptor]

This deserves to be posted twice:

[Borsnahan]

I'd never bench Gasol either. I believe he's still critical to the team.

[bertarapsfan]

I dont think gasol should go to the bench but i think there is something to be said about closing some games with that pascal,O.G, Ibaka frontcourt. That can be a deadly defensive frontcourt that can switch onto almost anyone in tight games when defensive stops are key.