Giannis 2021 - Should the Raptors start recruiting this year?

[bootsythornton]

sticky this thread. we are coming after Giannis with everything we have

[Johnny Bball]

Uh no. And even if you wanted this to happen, have some courtesy and stop pissing off bucks fans in such a hypocritical way!!!

[D.Brasco]

sticky this thread. we are coming after Giannis with everything we have

Wouldn't that make the Raptors the thing they despise with what the Clippers did with Kawhi?

[bootsythornton]

Uh no. And even if you wanted this to happen, have some courtesy and stop pissing off bucks fans in such a hypocritical way!!!

are you into winning or losing? did you see what just happened to us? we lost our guy because we weren't his first choice. You force your way to first choice

[Johnny Bball]

Uh no. And even if you wanted this to happen, have some courtesy and stop pissing off bucks fans in such a hypocritical way!!!

are you into winning or losing? did you see what just happened to us? we lost our guy because we weren't his first choice. You force your way to first choice

Did you think stalking Kawhi for a year was a good idea? And you want to do it for two? Beyond the subtle hints Ujiri drops? Am I into winning instead of losing? Lmao. What I'm into is not doing something so stupid that one would look like an idiot and fail by stalking him for two years or getting a pick taken away.

And yeah, we lost our guy, that's probably a reason not to openly act like dbags right now to bucks fans.

[Raptorzzs]

Next time Giannis shows up in Toronto, 20 000 Greeks are going to greet him at the ACC. Giannis will be overwhelmed but will have to play it cool due to Bucks being there.

Watch on YouTube

[The_Hater]

Do you think Giannis is a realistic option? Or just a pipe dream? He did say wants to retire as a Buck.

If there’s another level above ‘pipe dream’, he’s that.

[anotherhomer]

He's a pipe dream at this point....u just build ur franchise and be ready to get another star. Also as per AEG insider...that's Jeannie buss dream too

Hi all,

Sorry I was too busy to update for most of today. But I did have a chance to get a detailed play by play of the Lakers-AEG meeting and wanted to share. Keep in mind this is the AEG perspective, but I feel as though it is quite neutral.

Several senior AEG execs, including C-suite level folks, met with Jeanie Buss, Tim Harris, and a few other business and basketball operations folks today. AEG raised several concerns, most notably about their handling of the Kawhi Leonard situation. I will say before I begin, this is the most concern I've seen AEG place in basketball affairs in a number of years.

AEG said that the Lakers management cost them Kawhi Leonard. They cited that they viewed the situation as having two discrete factors, business, and basketball, saying how that because the business side was a clear winner against both the Clippers and the Raptors, they failings must have come from the basketball side. They also stated how they spent tons of money on hiring financial analysts for the revenue projections, legal to work out deal points, and extra marketing help for cross-channel promotions. This was all in addition to the time sink with New Balance and others. Their total bill was enormous, as some people were charging upwards of $800/hr. And AEG said they invested all these resources as per the Laker's direction. Additionally, they stated they may have to cease any future partnerships with New Balance, now that Kawhi Leonard has joined the Clippers, as that will be directly counterproductive to their investment in the Lakers, ultimately costing them even more money down the line. They asked to be compensated financially, with an astronomical figure I won't quote, or suggested the Buss family trust transfer half a percent of shares to AEG for a price of $22.5MM, which would be roughly 75 cents on the dollar at current valuations. Jeanie balked at both of these requests, claiming that as a minority owner any investments AEG makes in the Lakers are to their own benefit as well. And if they had an issue with management that was a different story, but they should use their voting rights (which of course being a minority owner makes it essentially worthless) to make the changes they see fit. However she stressed they would not receive any compensation for their Kawhi Leonard efforts.

At this point, AEG asked why the Lakers response to losing Kawhi was to sign multiple 2 year contracts. They pressured Jeanie about what her long term plan was to bring more stars to the Lakers. Apparently, Jeanie at this point acted as though she had a master plan. She said that management expected LeBron to opt out in 2 years, giving her just the long term contract of Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma's hold on the books. At that point, she said she planned to go after another big fish and form a twin tower duo: Giannis Antetokounmpo. She stated that Kobe had been working out with him last summer and would see him again this summer, so she knew he was intrigued. AEG asked if Kobe had been recruiting him specifically, and she said she asked but he refused, unless Giannis asked him about being a Laker directly. At this point, some of the AEG guys started getting visibly upset, their voices raising a bit. They said that they already knew the Lakers were interested in him, but that it was a pipe dream, and he's shown no indication of being unhappy on a Bucks team that's doing quite well. They said it's foolish and the Lakers risked becoming a mediocre team with only Kyle Kuzma and Anthony Davis running the show. They asked Jeanie if she had any backup plans and she said no, and that it wasn't her job to know those types of details. Basketball ops folks were too scared to chime in, apparently.

Once the topic of conversation shifted to members of management, AEG asked why a guy who had asked to work for the Lakers not too long back and was turned away, is now quietly orchestrating deals that just cost the Lakers and AEG big time - Jerry West. Jeanie mentioned that after Jim/Mitch she wanted to focus on a Lakers-only circle that she could trust. She said that she went to her two closest advisors, Linda Rambis and Phil Jackson, who confirmed her beliefs. They suggested sticking to people from the "Laker family" including Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson, and later Kurt Rambis. AEG pressed as to why not Jerry West, who's also a former Laker player and employee. Jeanie said that Phil Jackson thought he was too short tempered for a rebuilding job, and past his best days. At this point, one AEG exec started to almost yell, saying that "Jerry West is about to singlehandedly [expletive] the Lakers. How the [expletive] could you not hire him!" Jeanie responded by saying that the experience of Kurt combined with the savvy of Rob Pelinka is a better combination than Jerry West, who probably would have not wanted to work there. She really emphasized how the addition Kurt Rambis has been a blessing for the franchise. After she said that, one very prominent AEG exec screamed some horrible, borderline sexist things at her I won't repeat.

The anger on AEG's side allowed their true grievances to come out. They mentioned how for the last several years, the Clippers had been a better basketball team than the Lakers, and that while revenues on the Lakers side had not declined, some of their analysts attributed a lot of decrease in projected growth due to the Clippers prominence. They noted this trend became more obvious after Ballmer bought the team, as he had a net worth that far eclipsed the entire Buss family combined. While the Lakers are the better global brand, AEG made it clear that things can change, and that we cannot rely entirely on history. The Warriors, who were unknown before, are now known worldwide thanks to Curry. They said that if the Clippers continue to be relevant and if the Lakers decline again in just two years, the narrative could shift significantly. They said that its pretty clear the Clippers have the ability in both trade and free agency to attract star talent, having stolen two big players - Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard - from the Lakers hands. One example they brought up was Ballmer's control of the media, and how he was able to get them talking leading up to free agency and then shut them up once the Kawhi deal gained traction. They said that getting the media, especially the LA media, to keep quiet, is a huge feat, and is a testament to the resources he has.

One other area of concern that arose after this was the arena. AEG currently owns Staples Center, but noted how the Clippers want their own arena. They said a successful Clippers team that consistently has stars on the roster, in a new arena, could significantly devalue AEG's investment in Staples Center and Lakers. They were worried Staples Center would become an afterthought at that point. Jeanie thought these concerns were silly and unfounded, and said LA would always be a Lakers town, no matter what happens.

At that point tempers cooled a bit and the meeting ended with no resolution. AEG folks are still upset but don't have much recourse. Let's wait and see what happens next

[jimmy keys]

Uh no. And even if you wanted this to happen, have some courtesy and stop pissing off bucks fans in such a hypocritical way!!!

are you into winning or losing? did you see what just happened to us? we lost our guy because we weren't his first choice. You force your way to first choice

Did you think stalking Kawhi for a year was a good idea? And you want to do it for two? Beyond the subtle hints Ujiri drops? Am I into winning instead of losing? Lmao. What I'm into is not doing something so stupid that one would look like an idiot and fail by stalking him for two years or getting a pick taken away.

And yeah, we lost our guy, that's probably a reason not to openly act like dbags right now to bucks fans.

I'm not suggesting we go about it the same way as the Clippers. Also I do not care about Bucks fans. They better get used to this, every team wants him.

[Johnny Bball]

Real question....do people really think Giannis wants to come here just because we have a big Greek population?

[gpoon]

no i feel like that would just annoy Giannis, Raptors really should focus on building a competitive team in the next two years. Tanking is not an option we have to put together a competitive team with cap flexibility, same way Brooklyn and Clips did it.

[ThatClockWork]

well .. based on what the league let the clippers do to us for Kawhi ... why not do the same to Giannis? (an eye for an eye, right)

[Salted Meat]

Real question....do people really think Giannis wants to come here just because we have a big Greek population?

My understanding is that Giannis, if he did want to come here, would do so largely because of his relationship with Masai Ujiri. I'm sure he'd be thrilled at the opportunity to get some decent paithakia, but I don't know if that'd be his main reason to sign with us.

[Michael Jordan]

The Bucks can offer Giannis a supermax, I don't think he'd turn it down. He's like a Damian Lillard; win or lose he'll just stick with his team.

[agentzero2010]

Clippers rebuilt their roster in 2 years. First trading CP3 for picks and assets (Lou, Beverley, and Harrell), then traded Blake for picks and assets (SGA and Harris) and then finally traded Harris for even more picks and assets (Heat first + Shamet).

Unlike the Clippers, Raptors already have a couple of young prospects and stars. Now the question really becomes, do we start to sell off our vets or run it back, do a victory lap and just let their deals expire.

Masai is not a sentimental person and I think he would jump on the first opportunity to restock on assets. I truly believe that the first domino would be Lowry. I think he can yield us a young prospect, a vet and a couple of first round picks. Then I think it will be Ibaka and Gasol.

I would be very surprised if all three are still on this team by the end of next season. Stock up on assets, trade for Beal and wait for Giannis in 2021. That should be our plan.

Beal, Siakam, Giannis.

[jimmy keys]

Real question....do people really think Giannis wants to come here just because we have a big Greek population?

No ofc not. It's about how we built a team around a star player and seeing themselves in that role.

[720]

He's a pipe dream at this point....u just build ur franchise and be ready to get another star. Also as per AEG insider...that's Jeannie buss dream too

Hi all,

Sorry I was too busy to update for most of today. But I did have a chance to get a detailed play by play of the Lakers-AEG meeting and wanted to share. Keep in mind this is the AEG perspective, but I feel as though it is quite neutral.

Several senior AEG execs, including C-suite level folks, met with Jeanie Buss, Tim Harris, and a few other business and basketball operations folks today. AEG raised several concerns, most notably about their handling of the Kawhi Leonard situation. I will say before I begin, this is the most concern I've seen AEG place in basketball affairs in a number of years.

AEG said that the Lakers management cost them Kawhi Leonard. They cited that they viewed the situation as having two discrete factors, business, and basketball, saying how that because the business side was a clear winner against both the Clippers and the Raptors, they failings must have come from the basketball side. They also stated how they spent tons of money on hiring financial analysts for the revenue projections, legal to work out deal points, and extra marketing help for cross-channel promotions. This was all in addition to the time sink with New Balance and others. Their total bill was enormous, as some people were charging upwards of $800/hr. And AEG said they invested all these resources as per the Laker's direction. Additionally, they stated they may have to cease any future partnerships with New Balance, now that Kawhi Leonard has joined the Clippers, as that will be directly counterproductive to their investment in the Lakers, ultimately costing them even more money down the line. They asked to be compensated financially, with an astronomical figure I won't quote, or suggested the Buss family trust transfer half a percent of shares to AEG for a price of $22.5MM, which would be roughly 75 cents on the dollar at current valuations. Jeanie balked at both of these requests, claiming that as a minority owner any investments AEG makes in the Lakers are to their own benefit as well. And if they had an issue with management that was a different story, but they should use their voting rights (which of course being a minority owner makes it essentially worthless) to make the changes they see fit. However she stressed they would not receive any compensation for their Kawhi Leonard efforts.

At this point, AEG asked why the Lakers response to losing Kawhi was to sign multiple 2 year contracts. They pressured Jeanie about what her long term plan was to bring more stars to the Lakers. Apparently, Jeanie at this point acted as though she had a master plan. She said that management expected LeBron to opt out in 2 years, giving her just the long term contract of Anthony Davis and Kyle Kuzma's hold on the books. At that point, she said she planned to go after another big fish and form a twin tower duo: Giannis Antetokounmpo. She stated that Kobe had been working out with him last summer and would see him again this summer, so she knew he was intrigued. AEG asked if Kobe had been recruiting him specifically, and she said she asked but he refused, unless Giannis asked him about being a Laker directly. At this point, some of the AEG guys started getting visibly upset, their voices raising a bit. They said that they already knew the Lakers were interested in him, but that it was a pipe dream, and he's shown no indication of being unhappy on a Bucks team that's doing quite well. They said it's foolish and the Lakers risked becoming a mediocre team with only Kyle Kuzma and Anthony Davis running the show. They asked Jeanie if she had any backup plans and she said no, and that it wasn't her job to know those types of details. Basketball ops folks were too scared to chime in, apparently.

Once the topic of conversation shifted to members of management, AEG asked why a guy who had asked to work for the Lakers not too long back and was turned away, is now quietly orchestrating deals that just cost the Lakers and AEG big time - Jerry West. Jeanie mentioned that after Jim/Mitch she wanted to focus on a Lakers-only circle that she could trust. She said that she went to her two closest advisors, Linda Rambis and Phil Jackson, who confirmed her beliefs. They suggested sticking to people from the "Laker family" including Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson, and later Kurt Rambis. AEG pressed as to why not Jerry West, who's also a former Laker player and employee. Jeanie said that Phil Jackson thought he was too short tempered for a rebuilding job, and past his best days. At this point, one AEG exec started to almost yell, saying that "Jerry West is about to singlehandedly [expletive] the Lakers. How the [expletive] could you not hire him!" Jeanie responded by saying that the experience of Kurt combined with the savvy of Rob Pelinka is a better combination than Jerry West, who probably would have not wanted to work there. She really emphasized how the addition Kurt Rambis has been a blessing for the franchise. After she said that, one very prominent AEG exec screamed some horrible, borderline sexist things at her I won't repeat.

The anger on AEG's side allowed their true grievances to come out. They mentioned how for the last several years, the Clippers had been a better basketball team than the Lakers, and that while revenues on the Lakers side had not declined, some of their analysts attributed a lot of decrease in projected growth due to the Clippers prominence. They noted this trend became more obvious after Ballmer bought the team, as he had a net worth that far eclipsed the entire Buss family combined. While the Lakers are the better global brand, AEG made it clear that things can change, and that we cannot rely entirely on history. The Warriors, who were unknown before, are now known worldwide thanks to Curry. They said that if the Clippers continue to be relevant and if the Lakers decline again in just two years, the narrative could shift significantly. They said that its pretty clear the Clippers have the ability in both trade and free agency to attract star talent, having stolen two big players - Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard - from the Lakers hands. One example they brought up was Ballmer's control of the media, and how he was able to get them talking leading up to free agency and then shut them up once the Kawhi deal gained traction. They said that getting the media, especially the LA media, to keep quiet, is a huge feat, and is a testament to the resources he has.

One other area of concern that arose after this was the arena. AEG currently owns Staples Center, but noted how the Clippers want their own arena. They said a successful Clippers team that consistently has stars on the roster, in a new arena, could significantly devalue AEG's investment in Staples Center and Lakers. They were worried Staples Center would become an afterthought at that point. Jeanie thought these concerns were silly and unfounded, and said LA would always be a Lakers town, no matter what happens.

At that point tempers cooled a bit and the meeting ended with no resolution. AEG folks are still upset but don't have much recourse. Let's wait and see what happens next

This guy is a likes fan btw guys. He trolls here.

[AreBe]

Just because we won does not mean there are no American broadcast partners to look after.
Don't give Adam Silver his opportunity to seize his revenge.
Raptors would be made an example of what happens when a non- top 10 American market tries to recruit a player from another team.

[T-d0t]

Don't forget Kristaps Porzingis listed the Raps as a preferred trade destination when he was on the Knicks.

We are not the foreign wasteland that some posters here think we are.

[Inklink]

Bobby Webster at every Bucks game this coming season.