Shams: Masai and Toronto part ways

[One_and_Done]

I get some of what Toronto way trying to build roster wise:

Scotty Barnes was their franchise player

The Siakiam trade made sense since he’s on a different timeline than Barnes and not a perfect fit. The return of the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, a 2026 top 4 protected 1st and a late first that was flipped of Abaji - a 3 and D wing that I like - was solid

The Anunoby trade was not. RJ Barrett isn’t a great fit with Barnes and while I do like Quickely as a 3 and D guard next to Barnes, he’s getting way too much money. They would have been better off keeping Anunoby.

But Toronto’s real issues stem from not accepting the window closed after Kwahi left and Lowry got old. They tried to rebuild on the fly and from the middle and that rarely works. This is how you give up top-10 picks for league average centers. And the Brandon Ingram thing made no sense.

Looking at their roster, they have some interesting young pieces on the perimeter in Grady Dick, Abaji, and JaKobe Walter. But these guys are blocked by Barrett/Ingram.

This was a very poorly executed rebuild.

OG was never staying and has really close ties to the GM in New York he basically demanded to be traded there.

That is completely untrue. If you'd paid OG his big money extension he'd have stayed. That was clear; the guy wanted an extension. But assume it was true for the sake of argument. That would make it even more negligent for Masai not to trade him sooner, when his value was higher. It also doesn't make the flawed 'win now' package any better. He should have gotten a future focused deal based on draft picks, like the Nets got for Bridges.

[Tripod]

I get some of what Toronto way trying to build roster wise:

Scotty Barnes was their franchise player

The Siakiam trade made sense since he’s on a different timeline than Barnes and not a perfect fit. The return of the 19th pick in the 2024 draft, a 2026 top 4 protected 1st and a late first that was flipped of Abaji - a 3 and D wing that I like - was solid

The Anunoby trade was not. RJ Barrett isn’t a great fit with Barnes and while I do like Quickely as a 3 and D guard next to Barnes, he’s getting way too much money. They would have been better off keeping Anunoby.

But Toronto’s real issues stem from not accepting the window closed after Kwahi left and Lowry got old. They tried to rebuild on the fly and from the middle and that rarely works. This is how you give up top-10 picks for league average centers. And the Brandon Ingram thing made no sense.

Looking at their roster, they have some interesting young pieces on the perimeter in Grady Dick, Abaji, and JaKobe Walter. But these guys are blocked by Barrett/Ingram.

This was a very poorly executed rebuild.

OG was never staying and has really close ties to the GM in New York he basically demanded to be traded there.

That is completely untrue. If you'd paid OG his big money extension he'd have stayed. That was clear; the guy wanted an extension. But assume it was true for the sake of argument. That would make it even more negligent for Masai not to trade him sooner, when his value was higher. It also doesn't make the flawed 'win now' package any better. He should have gotten a future focused deal based on draft picks, like the Nets got for Bridges.

Once again...you are wrong when it comes to facts.

1 year earlier than the actual OG deal, they offered 3 crappy 1sts where some might not even convert.

Just like Siakam where the deal earlier was geared around Bufkin and Griffin.

You live in this fantasy would where people like Masai know the exact future and should always be 100% correct. And even when he IS right, like with Serge, you try and spin it a different way.

You do you

[One_and_Done]

OG was never staying and has really close ties to the GM in New York he basically demanded to be traded there.

That is completely untrue. If you'd paid OG his big money extension he'd have stayed. That was clear; the guy wanted an extension. But assume it was true for the sake of argument. That would make it even more negligent for Masai not to trade him sooner, when his value was higher. It also doesn't make the flawed 'win now' package any better. He should have gotten a future focused deal based on draft picks, like the Nets got for Bridges.

Once again...you are wrong when it comes to facts.

1 year earlier than the actual OG deal, they offered 3 crappy 1sts where some might not even convert.

Just like Siakam where the deal earlier was geared around Bufkin and Griffin.

You live in this fantasy would where people like Masai know the exact future and should always be 100% correct. And even when he IS right, like with Serge, you try and spin it a different way.

You do you

I have not mentioned Serge once. You are confusing me with someone else.

What I expected did not involve some kind of future sight. You're in negotiations about an extension. You're far apart. Either you are able to come to any agreement, or you move the guy with 1.5 to 2 years left on their deal, to extract maximum value. Not complex, and what every GM in that situation should do. Masai went for option C; hope it all works out somehow, which was dumb.

He also focused on win now assets, not future assets, and doubled down by massively overpaying those guys.

[Tripod]

That is completely untrue. If you'd paid OG his big money extension he'd have stayed. That was clear; the guy wanted an extension. But assume it was true for the sake of argument. That would make it even more negligent for Masai not to trade him sooner, when his value was higher. It also doesn't make the flawed 'win now' package any better. He should have gotten a future focused deal based on draft picks, like the Nets got for Bridges.

Once again...you are wrong when it comes to facts.

1 year earlier than the actual OG deal, they offered 3 crappy 1sts where some might not even convert.

Just like Siakam where the deal earlier was geared around Bufkin and Griffin.

You live in this fantasy would where people like Masai know the exact future and should always be 100% correct. And even when he IS right, like with Serge, you try and spin it a different way.

You do you

I have not mentioned Serge once. You are confusing me with someone else.

What I expected did not involve some kind of future sight. You're in negotiations about an extension. You're far apart. Either you are able to come to any agreement, or you move the guy with 1.5 to 2 years left on their deal, to extract maximum value. Not complex, and what every GM in that situation should do. Masai went for option C; hope it all works out somehow, which was dumb.

He also focused on win now assets, not future assets, and doubled down by massively overpaying those guys.

Sorry about the Serge part...you are correct.