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Cleaning Up After The Fall Out
Posted on | July 8, 2010 | 6 Comments
So Bosh is in Miami, LeBron is in New York, Miami or Cleveland, Amare is in New York, Boozer is in Chicago and Joe Johnson and Wade stayed with their teams. I haven’t seen so many big names switch teams since Tom Cruise’s annual Mardi Gras party. All that’s left to do now is clean up the mess.
Okay, the Raptors are officially one of the losers of the free agency period so far. Even though Chris Bosh is now among the pantheon of most hated ex-Raptors among fans, losing him was a very big blow for the franchise. It doesn’t mean the Raptors simply should slink back home licking it’s wounds.
While the Raptors aren’t going to get nearly as much for Bosh as some hoped (if anything at all), they can still try and take advantage of the situation. The Raptors aren’t the only team that have lost out. Both New Jersey and the Clippers had hoped they would be able to land a big name free agent, and that didn’t happen. Even Minnesota was hoping to land, at the very least, David Lee.
With the prospect of trying to actually compete thankfully dim, the focus, as I’ve said before, needs to be on the future. Teams like the Nets, Clippers and T-Wolves may very well be desperate enough to make a questionable deal that will help them immediately, giving fans the comfort in knowing that all was not lost. With Carmelo and Durant all but locked up, no one on the horizon has the allure of this free agent crop.
The first team the Raptors need to focus on are the Nets. With the third most amount of cap space, and nothing to show for it, they have to be hurting. The new Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, has to be feeling like the fat kid at the prom, right now, wondering why no one will dance with him. Apparently Boozer didn’t even offer them a chance to match the offer from the Bulls, who were obviously higher on his list. Even David Lee looks like he might be going to Golden State, if rumours are correct. That’s got to sting. Now they have nearly $40 million in cap space and hardly anyone to spend it on. That’s less than $20 million in salaries. In other words, they need to start spending money just to reach the NBA minimum of $41 million.
So with the Nets not apparently high on their third pick in the draft, Derrick Favors, for some unknown reason, it’s a good bet that he might still be available. Depending on how desperate the Nets are, would they be willing to trade him for Turkoglu? No, probably not. Maybe Turkoglu and Jack? Would they take on both Bargnani and Turkolgu and give up Favors and the Nets other first round pick, Damion James? That would be one hell of a salary dump for the Raptors, and a way for the Nets to compete for a playoff spot next year. They’d still have enough left over to sign another free agent, believe it or not. That’s the great thing about having nearly $40 million in cap space available.
Losing nearly $20 in salary and getting two young studs in Favors and James would give the Raptors a head start in their rebuilding process.
There are also the Clippers, who delusionally believed they actually had a shot at LeBron. Now they are looking at overpaying guys like Mike Miller, who probably won’t want to sign, anyway. Do they want to start the season $25 million under the cap with their only small forward on the roster being Al-Farouq Aminu, a rookie. What they need is a veteran presence, and who better than….(drumroll, please)…Hedo Turkoglu?
It’s actually a perfect fit for both. The Clippers need a small forward who can initiate the offense since Baron Davis is more of a scoring guard than a point guard and Turkoglu needs to go somewhere he’s not hated. Hell, he might even help them get to the playoffs.
And if the Raptors can get Aminu out of the Clippers, it might very well be the best return the Raptors could even hope for.
Then, of course, there are the T-Wolves. Apparently spurned by David Lee, they apparently are looking for big men who don’t play defense, and what better guy than Andrea Bargnani? The T-Wolves are another team team that will be under the minimum salary cap if they don’t spend more money, and could simply absorb his contract, returning Ricky Rubio’s rights, of course.
So just because the Raptors have not done all that well so far, doesn’t mean they can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse. Or at least in a nice polyester knock off.
The Draft Is Here!!! The Draft Is Here!!!
Posted on | June 23, 2010 | 8 Comments
NBA Draft day is one of my favourite days of the year. It’s the day that separates the optimists and the pessimists. Optimists see this as a a chance to get a future All-Star, pessimists simply see this as another chance for their GM to screw up. I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of pessimists whose favourite team is the Spurs.
Since I consider myself a realistic, I guess I’m somewhere in between.
So as always happens, there are more rumours flying around than at any other time of year. Some is misinformation spread by teams wanting to throw other teams off the scent, some is made up stuff that somehow gets mistaken for real stuff and some is the truth. Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to separate the truth from the rumours now, unless you bowl with Chad Ford’s brother-in-law and are in the loop. Unfortunately, I ‘m not, so I have no idea.
A couple of deals have gone down…
- The Thunder have acquired Miami’s 18th pick and Daequan Cook in exchange for their 38th pick. It pays to have cap space around draft time. And for all you Raptor fans that wonder why Colangelo couldn’t pull that off, it’s because the Raptors couldn’t have absorbed Cooks contract.
- The Bucks traded their 2012 second round pick to the Nets for Chris Douglas-Roberts. Between trading for Maggette and getting Douglas-Roberts, it’s appearing that they aren’t banking on bringing Salmons back.
Some of the more interesting rumours flying around include…
- Toronto trading their 13th pick to Portland for Rudy Fernandez and the 22nd pick. My take? If Paul George, Ed Davis or another surprise player doesn’t drop to 13, I’d take this deal. I’m not excited about who else is available and Fernandez is probably better than anyone available there. Of course they’d have to figure out how to play four SGs, but they did that last season with Wright. Well, not very well, I guess. Still, if Turkoglu is traded, DeRozan and Weems could play the 3 and Fernandez and Belinelli man the 2.
- Orlando trading Vince to Washington for Gilbert Arenas. My take? Wow, is this how far Vince has fallen, and is this how desperate the Magic are? What exactly does this mean for Jameer Nelson, who was easily the second best player for the Magic during the playoffs.
- The Clippers trading the 8th pick to the Bulls for Deng. Well, the Clippers would have to actually select for the Bulls, since the Clippers aren’t under the cap until July 1st. This would take them out of the LeBron sweepstakes, but Deng would be a nice piece for them.
- The Nets may surprise everyone and take Wesley Johnson instead of Derrick Favors at the 3rd spot. The thinking, apparently, is that the Nets could simply sign an All-Star free agent (Boozer) and pair him with Johnson. I like Favors a lot more than Johnson, but the rumour does make sense. This summer there are a plethora of All-Star PFs available (Bosh, Stoudamire, Boozer, Dirk and David Lee) so they could pick up an All Star PF and then draft a potential All Star at SF. Still, it’s always best to draft the best player and in my opinion, it’s Favors.
- The Thunder may trade Eric Maynor and their 18th and 21st picks to Indiana for their 10th pick. That would give the Thunder to draft a legit big man, like Udoh, Ed Davis or Cole Aldrich, basically exactly what they need to take the next step. Presti might very well be best GM in the NBA right now.
We’ll see how many of those rumours come to fruition, and how many more start flying around tomorrow.
As for the draft itself, I’m not going to do a mock draft since everyone does that and it’s all basically guesswork. I’m going to take a quick look at some of the players, including which ones I like and which one’s I don’t like.
THE SURE-FIRE ALL-STARS:
John Wall: No explanation needed.
Evan Turner: I think he’s going to be a special player in the NBA.
Derrick Favors: The last player I think is a can’t miss prospect. If he doesn’t go third, the Nets are going to regret it, in my opinion.
POTENTIAL ALL-STARS:
Wesley Johnson: He doesn’t excite me, but he’ll probably end up being a good pick.
Ed Davis: It wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up winning a Championship one day. He’s got a very high basketball IQ and an underrated game.
Paul George: He’s got some bust potential, but I read an article that said he might end up being the best player from this draft 5 years from now. That’s saying something. If he falls to the Raptors, I’ll be thrilled.
PLAYERS I’M UNSURE ABOUT:
DeMarcus Cousins: He’s got the talent to be the best player in the draft, but might have motivational issues and be a knucklehead. These are the types of players that get coaches and GMs fired, get traded around as teams get enticed by his potential, and usually end up disappointing everyone. Yes, he scares me.
Greg Munroe: I was tempted to put him in the previous category, but there’s just something about him that makes me hesitate. He’s certainly got the talent, but is the desire and heart there?
Al-Farouq Aminu: Like the players above, he’s got loads of talent, but he seems so painfully shy and quiet, I wonder how he’ll do in the NBA.
SAFE PICKS:
Cole Aldrich: He’s never going to be an All-Star, but I can see him as a ten year starter and a guy who is going to be a solid defender and rebounder.
Xavier Henry: There’s little spectacular about him, but he’s a very good shooter who also players defense. I wouldn’t be upset in the least if the Raptors take him at 13.
MAYBE, JUST MAYBE:
Eric Bledsoe: He had to play off guard beside Wall, but he’s apparently a true PG with blazing speed, good defensive and half decent scoring ability. He’s one of my sleepers.
I’LL GET BACK TO YOU:
Luke Babbitt: He’s a 6′7 small forward whose game might be better suited for power forward, but not his body. Guys like this never seem to work out.
Ekpe Udoh: He’s a fairly raw 23 year old athletic big man who is best at the defensive end. If he was 3 years younger, I’d be more enthusiastic, but at 23, you have to wonder why he hasn’t polished his game more.
Patrick Patterson: He’s a tough, undersized PF who isn’t a great rebounder or defender. So if he isn’t a great rebounder or defender, who cares how tough he is?
Gordon Hayward: If he didn’t surprise everyone and lead his team to the final game of the NCAA’s, would he be rated as high as he is? Why can’t I get Luke Jackson out of my head?
NO THANKS:
Avery Bradley: The fact that his name is so often connected with the Raptors scares the hell out of me. He’s got no PG skills, is undersized at the 2 and doesn’t finish well or draw contact when he drives. People love his defense, but Marcus Banks plays great defense, too. And he barely got off the bench. Oh, and they’re about the same size.
Hassan Whiteside: He’s extremely long, blocked 5.4 shots per game last season and is pretty mobile. Of course, i’ve heard he couldn’t even get really motivated during workouts. How do you think he’s going to do once he’s paid?
INTRIGUING PROSPECTS:
Damion Jones: A tough, excellent rebounding, athletic SF who plays very good defense. He’s not great on the offensive end, but he brings some talent to the table.
Larry Sanders: He’s got great length and athleticism, but he’s painfully thin. And you have to wonder if Hank Kinglsey is going to be part of his entourage.
Solomon Alabi: Again, great length but very raw. Apparently he’s a great teammate and might motivate his teammates.
Kevin Seraphin: See Alabi, but he’s shorter but stronger.
Willie Warren: You think he kicks himself for not coming out last season? I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up being one of the top 15 players in the draft….or craps out after his rookie contract is done.
FINAL PREDICTIONS?
Well, I really have no clue who the Raptors are going to end up with. This draft seems to be far to difficult to gauge. I would be surprised if a big name falls in their laps, or if they end up trading the pick. If nothing else, I think the night will be more full of surprises than usual. And in the end, it’s all about entertainment, isn’t it?
Whispering In Colangelo’s Ear (Trades)
Posted on | June 23, 2010 | No Comments
The last of my trilogy of articles before draft day. If you haven’t read the first, involving the offseason strategy I think Colangelo should use, or the second, discussing the draft, I’d recommend it.
Now, obviously there going to be some trades going down this summer involving the Raptors. I think that’s pretty much guaranteed. I’m not a journalist, so I don’t pretend to have a beat on what the Raptors are going to do. I try and read up and keep informed, but it’s nearly impossible to separate the rumours from truth. I’m not trying to do that here. What I’m doing is suggesting what I feel should be the direction the trades should take and why.
The first thing I’m going to do is discuss each player, whether I would try and trade them or keep them and why. For the most part, I’m going to refrain from posting actual trade proposals, since I simply don’t know what a team would be willing to give away for certain players, but I will offer up teams and players I think might make good targets.
BOSH (Only he knows)
While I’d want to re-sign him, if Bosh wants to go, I’ve already detailed the teams I would want him to go and the players I would be looking to get back.
TURKOGLU (Trade)
I think Turkoglu had a bigger impact that some give him credit for. Despite the fact that he simply didn’t perform up to expectations, he more often than not had a positive impact on the team on the court. He wasn’t used like he was in Orlando, but the Raptors are certainly not built like the Magic so there was bound to be some changes. You can blame the coaches (and many do) but in the end it’s up to Turkoglu to adjust, and he failed to.
At the end of the season, I was of the mind to keep Turkoglu. The main reason was because I didn’t like the idea of buying high (his signing) and selling low. I figured there would be a very good chance that Turkoglu would have a better year and his stock would go up, making him easier to trade. After his little tirade in the Turkish media, and the more I read about the behind the scenes stuff, I think it might very well be best to part ways as soon as possible.
At this point, I’m almost willing to just find the best deal for him and be done with it. Possible trade partners include the Jazz (for a package including Kirilenko), New Jersey (for Jianlian), New York (for Eddy Curry), Golden State (for Biedrins), the Clippers (for a trade exception), Memphis (maybe as part of a package in a sign and trade for Rudy Gay), Minnesota (for Corey Brewer among others), Orlando (for Gortat and Bass) or Sacramento (for Dalembert). How serious any of those trading partners is anyone’s guess, but if Colangelo can trade Turkoglu away without bringing back a similar sized problem, I’d be all for it at this point.
Obviously Gay would be the most appealing option, but many stars would have to align for that to happen, including Gay wanting to sign with Toronto. Biedrins and Kirilenko would be nice options, as would Gortat/Bass and Dalembert, but a trade exception would potentially be almost as valuable.
BARGNANI (Trade)
No surprise here. Unless you’ve got specific types of players that can cover Bargnani’s weaknesses, he’s going to hurt your team. The Raptors have none and I’m not high on his skill set enough to want to build around him.
I believe this is the best time to trade him. He still got that “upside” label and skills that some GMs covet. I think if he’s forced to be the first option on the Raptors this year, his fatal flaws will be highlighted and he’ll be less attractive as an asset. Basically, if he doesn’t fulfill his potential this season, it’s fair to say he never will, and I really don’t think he’s going to fulfill his potential. By trading him this summer, you’re trading him at a high.
I don’t think a lot of teams will be clamouring for his services because his skills are so unique. He’s not a big man who is going to play great defense or rebound, which is what most teams want out of their big men.
Minnesota
The first trading partner I would look at is Minnesota. The T-Wolves started Darko, instead of the more talented Love with Jefferson because they want Jefferson to play at his more natural position of PF and because Darko can play on the perimeter, leaving the inside to Jefferson. On offense, Bargnani would be a perfect pairing for Jefferson. Defense is another story, but we’ll let Minnesota worry about that.
The player I would covet the most would be Ricky Rubio. He would be that elite PG the Raptors have not had since Stoudamire. He would most likely want to go to Toronto and is a player the city should fall in love with. And he’s a winner. The Raptors might have to wait a year before he would suit up, but that would give them a year to rebuild.
If they don’t want to part with Rubio, Kevin Love would be another target. He’s apparently available despite the fact that I think he’s going to be a better player than Jefferson. He rebounds, shoots, defends and is a high IQ player. If Bosh leaves, he’d certainly make the locals (and team) miss him less).
Barring getting either Rubio or Love, I’d be happy getting their 4th pick, especially if Derrick Favors falls there, which there is now a possibility happening, apparently.
Golden State
Bargnani seems to me to be the exact type of player the Warriors like. If they would part with Biedrins and their 6th pick in the draft, I’d be happy. Biedrins would be that rebounding and shot blocking center the Raptors have lacked, and with the 6th pick, the Raptors could grab Al-Farouq Amin or Ed Davis who would fill big needs for the Raptors.
Philadelphia
Now, I have no clue as to whether Philadelphia would want Bargnani, but if they do, they have a few assets I’d focus on. If the rumour is true that they would give away the 2nd pick in exchange for taking Brand, they might agree to take Bargnani and someone like Evans for Brand and the 2nd. Personally, I doubt it, though. Still, I’d take Iguodala for him if they do it. Iguodala would give the Raptors a veteran swingman who is still fairly young and could be paired with DeRozan and/or Weems.
Other teams might include Chicago, Phoenix, New Jersey and New York.
CALDERON (Keep)
Believe it or not, I would keep Calderon. I think he’s far more valuable to the team than as a trade asset at this point. His stock is pretty low at the moment, and if he can have a good year, his stock will go up. If he has another similar year, I really don’t think his stock will go down much. Might as well take a gamble. He does help the team and if you can improve the overall defense of the team, he’s going to look that much better.
JACK (Trade)
I like Jack, but he’s a good young player with an affordable contract, so he’s a valuable asset that might be better off being traded for something more in need. On a team with so many holes, having two good PGs is a luxury. He could be included in a Turkoglu or Bargnani deal, or perhaps with another player on on his own. Because he can start or come off the bench, just about any team could use his services.
WEEMS (Keep or Trade)
I’d much rather keep him, but because of DeRozan, he’s almost a redundancy and if including him in a deal would improve the team, you have to do it.
JOHNSON (Re-sign)
With the likelihood Bosh will leave, re-signing Amir is important. He rebounds, hustles and is only 23. I think if you offer him $5 million, he’ll be back and you won’t be overpaying him.
BELINELLI (Keep)
He didn’t perform as many hoped, but he’s still extremely talented and still young. He’s another guy who you don’t want to sell low, so it’s best to keep him and see if he can fulfill some of that potential.
EVANS (Trade or Keep)
He’s more valuable as expiring fodder in a trade than anything he brings to the team. Still, if he returns he’s at least enthusiastic, so I wouldn’t be disappointed.
BANKS (Trade or Keep)
See Evans, plus it’s nice to have a half decent backup PG at the end of the bench who can actually play.
So there are quite a few trades I think can improve the team. I think Colangelo needs burn up the phone lines on draft day, since many of these trades would include draft picks.
Tomorrow is Draft Day, so I’m going to look more closely at the actual draft.
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