Assuming the deal is approved, what comes next?

[mcHAPPY]

Saturday, November 27th - Friday, December 9th: Attorneys on both sides will have to agree to the langauge of the new CBA, which will take some time. Chris Mannix of SI.com reports that process will take until December 9th, which will mean both training camp and free agency will start on Friday, December 9th.

The NBA and players' representatives will bring the deal to the players for their approval during this time. The NBPA will have to reform, which shouldn't take hardly any time at all given their disclaimer of interest vs. involuntary decertification. The NBA owners will have to approve, but it will only need a majority vote. The same vote is needed from the full membership of the NBPA. Pending approval from both parties, the NBA will officially open for business whatever day that can be approved.

During this time, players playing abroad will exercise their NBA opt-outs to return home.

December 9th: The most furious free agency period in NBA history begins as teams rush to get their additional players into camp as quickly as possible. Players will likely be out of shape due to the extended time off. Conditioning will be difficult, and will likely affect the season. Teams will have to balance a competitive environment with avoiding rushing players into injury.

It's assumed there will not be an exhibition season.

December 25th: The NBA season will open. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com as well as SI.com reports that the original Christmas lineup of Heat at Mavericks, Bulls-Lakers, and Knicks-Celtics will lead off the season. That's right. The Heat will open their season with the Mavericks' ring ceremony.

Ouch.

From there, a 66-game season will take place. It's assumed that the end of the NBA regular season and playoffs will be pushed back upwards of two weeks to accomodate for more games. There will be a greater density still in game frequency, which can impact both injuries and fatigue. Get ready for more blowouts and a lower quality of play.

Source: CBSSports.com

[mcHAPPY]

The very first thing will be the B-list items

Chris Broussard: Players accepted 49-51 band, sources say..b-list issues (draft, sge limit, drug testing) to be discussed tomorrow Twitter

Howard Beck: Also, to be clear: Agreement is on main framework of deal . All the B-list items (drug testing, DLeague, etc) still need to be negotiated.Twitter

Adrian Wojnarowski: Still a tricky list of B-list of deal points, including drug testing, early entry draft age, D-League assginments that must be agreed on. Twitter

A fall out over these items would be worse than a house fire on Christmas morning (not really, but you know what I'm saying, hopefully).

[Soft Euro]

It will be pretty difficult for Casey to instill his defensive ideas. With such a packed schedule, there won't be much time for practise sessions.

[GarbageTime]

It will be pretty difficult for Casey to instill his defensive ideas. With such a packed schedule, there won't be much time for practise sessions.

no it won't. Put Bargnani on the bench...


all jokes aside, if the agreement ends up being identical to the one that was rejected a week ago or so, I will both laugh and cry and cheer at the same time

[GarbageTime]

read Matt52's post in the lockout thread. Some obvious changes from the last 'near deal'.

Still crying, laugh and cheering though

[SuperRaptor]

Thank god.

Finally, god said let there be basketball. Can't wait for the season to start, kinda surprised that free agency and training camp start at the same time, I thought free agency would start like a week earlier or something. Going to be interesting to see what happens in free agency, I think this new deal benefits teams like the raptors that have cap space, and do not go deep into the tax.

Even though coaches wont have that much time with players in the training camp, I think they have had plenty of time to watch video and come up with their "plan" on what to do, so that should be a plus.

Raptors FTW! I know many people on this forum believe raptors need to keep tanking, but I think the raptors will make the playoffs this year. I think that Bargnani will play better defense, and that a new center will be brought in, moving bargnani to the PF. Derozan will continue improving, Davis, Johnson, JJ, will get better. Bayless will start as PG (Calderon is a GREAT backup PG), raptors will stick with JJ at SF ... Not sure what is going to happen with the logjam at PF though ... definately tradeable pieces there to bring in a good back up SF until kleiza gets healthy.

Might want to see if we can trade Barbosa and either A.Johnson, E.Davis, or A.Bargnani for something NICE like a good Center or if we get a center via free agency a good wing or two.

[tenforthewin]

Order 66, I'm thrilled and excited to see the upcoming season. So far we lack a center unless Casey decides to go
with this lineup.

Bayless/Calderon
DeRozan/SG
J.Johnson/L.Kleiza/
E.Davis/A.Johnson/
A.Bargnani/Veteran 5

I think we need to go after Von Wafer as our backup SG and somehow get us Samuel Dalembart as our backup C and call it a season, tank and get a top 3-5 draft pick along with Valanciunas with 24 million cap space, we can get us some major key or backup players for next year. Keep Bargnani for the season and see how he does in Casey's system. Trade them at the end of the season.

[mcHAPPY]

Order 66, I'm thrilled and excited to see the upcoming season. So far we lack a center unless Casey decides to go
with this lineup.

Bayless/Calderon
DeRozan/SG
J.Johnson/L.Kleiza/
E.Davis/A.Johnson/
A.Bargnani/Veteran 5

I think we need to go after Von Wafer as our backup SG and somehow get us Samuel Dalembart as our backup C and call it a season, tank and get a top 3-5 draft pick along with Valanciunas with 24 million cap space, we can get us some major key or backup players for next year. Keep Bargnani for the season and see how he does in Casey's system. Trade them at the end of the season.

Dalembert is not coming to the Raptors.

You forgot Alabi. He is going to get a shot to show he belongs in the NBA this season. There were numerous reports stating his explosiveness has returned and he is looking much better.

You also forgot Barbosa.

[er1csh3n]

Omg i am so happy, caps all day for no reason and nothing factually important to giveee uuuuu!!!

[SuperRaptor]

As for free agent targets: I would like to see us go for Kwame Brown at C, his numbers are almost identical to a Deandre Jordan minus 1 block a game, but he will be cheap, other teams like the Heat and Knicks will go after him, but he never made great money in his career we might be able to get him on a 3 year deal by slightly over paying. He's a veteran, getting him might mean that we can slide bargnani to PF, then play him as back up C too, giving our PFs play time (24 min. a game). He's been a bit of a bust but is a very serviceable defensive professional.

For the SF position: I would LOVE to see us pick up Shane Battier as a lock down defender, and a guy who can make open threes, and bring class and leadership to the dressing room. Will be a wicked mentor for all the youth on the team.

You add a defensive SF and a defensive C, give bayless who is a better defensive PG more play time, and bring in a coach who is obsessed with defense in, and I think we will be a much better team defensively. The only holes in our starting lineup under this scenario if you ask me would be DD, and Bargnani. I find it hard to believe that a hard worker like DD once told to focus 90% of his attention to his defense will not improve quickly, and I can only hope that moving Bargnani to the PF will make him be less of a help defender (his one on one defense is already quite good), thus improving our team defense.

[SuperRaptor]

Dalembert is not coming to the Raptors.

You forgot Alabi. He is going to get a shot to show he belongs in the NBA this season. There were numerous reports stating his explosiveness has returned and he is looking much better.

You also forgot Barbosa.

Oh yeah I forgot about Alabi he could definately play back up C. If we bring in a true C like Colangelo and Casey have been suggesting, and Alabi plays back up C, means we definately will might have to drop one of our PFs.

I could see barbosa, and one of the PFs going in a bit of a blockbuster deal lol for a SF and SG.

[Soft Euro]

[...] I would like to see us go for Kwame Brown at C [...] He's a veteran, getting him might mean that we can slide bargnani to PF [...]

A frontcourt of Kwame Brown and Bargnani would be quite funny to watch at times (for non Raptor fans). I'm willing to bet some money that we will have the frontcourt with the smallest total hand length in the league and, not totally unrelated, will have the frontcourt with the fewest amount of rebounds and blocks (by a long shot). But the amount of rebounds either player gets might be close to their career highs as they both will be paired with a bad rebounder...

[matt]

And We're back in business!
Seriously though, mentally that was a much needed break, usually by Christmas I'd get sick of this team, its great that we have the opener around Christmas time.

[SuperRaptor]

A frontcourt of Kwame Brown and Bargnani would be quite funny to watch at times (for non Raptor fans). I'm willing to bet some money that we will have the frontcourt with the smallest total hand length in the league and, not totally unrelated, will have the frontcourt with the fewest amount of rebounds and blocks (by a long shot). But the amount of rebounds either player gets might be close to their career highs as they both will be paired with a bad rebounder...

Well Kwame averages 5.6 rebounds in 22 min. thats about 12 rebounds per 48 min. pretty average for a C. Bargnani averaged 7.68 rebounds per 48 min. pretty low, we can only hope he improves his defensive rebounding if he is matched up with smaller guys at PF.

[LBF]

It will be pretty difficult for Casey to instill his defensive ideas. With such a packed schedule, there won't be much time for practise sessions.

unless we make signifcant changes to the roster.

it doesn't matter whether Casey has four months or four days to "instill his defensive ideas."

we're still going to be shit.