2021-22 Season: Draft, Trades, and FA Ideas Thread V2.0

[tecumseh18]

I think we need a C more than we need a bench wing scorer.

Nope. We'll pick up a C on the buy-out market. We need an elite bench scorer.

People forget that the key to the fun 2019-2020 Raptors, especially before the all-star break, was TD2 coming off the bench and just laying waste. It's such a valuable asset to have. Bogdan did it against us a few days ago. Raps were running the Hawks out of the arena, and he checked in and single-handedly shot his team back into the game.

The lack of anyone on the Raps bench who can do that and create or increase points separation is why all our games are close and the starters have to play 40+ minutes.

Why would any decent bought out C choose the Raptors over an actual contender?

Because they know they'll get lots of minutes with us. And we're approaching contender territory. Those are the most important criteria for buy-out candidates.

[Rodrickle]

Sacramento desperately needs shooting, I wonder if they're in the mix for Tobias Harris?

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[StopitLeo]

Nope. We'll pick up a C on the buy-out market. We need an elite bench scorer.

People forget that the key to the fun 2019-2020 Raptors, especially before the all-star break, was TD2 coming off the bench and just laying waste. It's such a valuable asset to have. Bogdan did it against us a few days ago. Raps were running the Hawks out of the arena, and he checked in and single-handedly shot his team back into the game.

The lack of anyone on the Raps bench who can do that and create or increase points separation is why all our games are close and the starters have to play 40+ minutes.

Why would any decent bought out C choose the Raptors over an actual contender?

Because they know they'll get lots of minutes with us. And we're approaching contender territory. Those are the most important criteria for buy-out candidates.

I would think that the potential to win a title this year would be the most attractive thing to a player who is bought out. We shall see.

[Backcountry]

Everybody on here keeps on talking about centers. I keep remembering the team talking about positionless basketball and the lack of need or desire for a center. If we are going to add one, he won't be a traditional center, he'll be a bigger forward who can guard anyone, spread the floor, play Raptors' D, and hopefully be a threat from deep. Fast, mobile, big wingspan, young.

What we really need is someone who can score off the bench. When Banton, Precious, and Boucher are playing, we have a tendency to hold the fort defensively, but can't score. I think it will be a shooter who can play with Banton.

[Rapsobsessed7]

What about this?

To TOR: Terrence Ross + Richaun Holmes
To SAC: Chris Boucher + Robin Lopez
To ORL: Goran Dragic + 2nd Round Pick (Toronto)

Orlando clears Ross extra year and get a 2nd.

Sacramento gets a better fit next to Sabonis

Toronto gets a true 5 & bench help without really moving any core pieces

Fred / Barnes / Flynn
Trent Jr / Ross
OG / Yuta
Siakam / Precious
Holmes / Birch

Thoughts?

[tecumseh18]

Why would any decent bought out C choose the Raptors over an actual contender?

Because they know they'll get lots of minutes with us. And we're approaching contender territory. Those are the most important criteria for buy-out candidates.

I would think that the potential to win a title this year would be the most attractive thing to a player who is bought out. We shall see.

Raps with a legit gunner off the bench AND a legit buy-out C to go up against Embiid are a contender. There, I said it. The East is wide open. Nets are aging, and Harden has hamstring issue which will limit him whether he plays for Sixers or for Nets.

The better question is, who are the buy-out candidates? Would Portland buy-out Nurkic? He seems to want to stay there if Dame is there. Dieng? RoLo? Serge? DAJ? TT?

But admittedly, I'd rather play it safe and get a C and a gunner in the same deal - e.g. Dragic and a first for Holmes and Lamb (assuming Lamb can re-traded in a package trade).

Actually, OKC with all their cap space is an ideal target. Favors and Williams for sure. Is Dort available. He's due for a contract next year, and OKC is never going to start him.

[Tripod]

Reality is, we have a starting 5 we are happy with.

We then have 3 bench players that Nurse trusts, and all can play C.

It's very clear that we are missing a bench ball handler/shooter for when GTJ and Fred need rest.

GTJ has shot very well lately but shooters do go into slumps. Having another guy who can come in and get hot shooting or make plays for easy baskets for others is a much bigger need than a 4th bench guy who can play C.

[kanersen]

if we can land bogdan bogdanovich without giving up a 1st I'd be estatic. Ideally it would be flynn and dragic. Would also be over the moon to trade birch and johnson for yusef nurkic giving us a legit 7 footer for matchups and having a rotation of our starting 5 + Bogi, Bouch and Nurkic.

[Kingsway_fan]

Why would any decent bought out C choose the Raptors over an actual contender?

Because they know they'll get lots of minutes with us. And we're approaching contender territory. Those are the most important criteria for buy-out candidates.

I would think that the potential to win a title this year would be the most attractive thing to a player who is bought out. We shall see.

Lol nah.. even during the Kawhi era, they didn't.. preferring to go to LA, or somewhere warm... this year no different. Raps can't count on a top tier free agent or bought put player... dont count on it. And management knows it. Draft or trade routes are the means for Toronto.

[PoundTown]

Because they know they'll get lots of minutes with us. And we're approaching contender territory. Those are the most important criteria for buy-out candidates.

I would think that the potential to win a title this year would be the most attractive thing to a player who is bought out. We shall see.

Lol nah.. even during the Kawhi era, they didn't.. preferring to go to LA, or somewhere warm... this year no different. Raps can't count on a top tier free agent or bought put player... dont count on it. And management knows it. Draft or trade routes are the means for Toronto.

Bingo. Management knows is right, with possibly the exception of a Canadian born or certain international players, that we’re not building via free agency like the New York’s, LAs of the league. No different reality than teams like Milwaukee and minnesota have to face.

Our mgmt has big focus on doing their homework on guys then developing and retaining.

[tecumseh18]

I would think that the potential to win a title this year would be the most attractive thing to a player who is bought out. We shall see.

Lol nah.. even during the Kawhi era, they didn't.. preferring to go to LA, or somewhere warm... this year no different. Raps can't count on a top tier free agent or bought put player... dont count on it. And management knows it. Draft or trade routes are the means for Toronto.

Bingo. Management knows is right, with possibly the exception of a Canadian born or certain international players, that we’re not building via free agency like the New York’s, LAs of the league. No different reality than teams like Milwaukee and minnesota have to face.

Our mgmt has big focus on doing their homework on guys then developing and retaining.

The problem then was that the Raptors didn't have the minutes to offer buy-out FAs. We had a very deep team at all positions. That's why the record continued to be stellar despite injuries or load management.

That's not the problem now. They'll come.

[LarSiN]

What about this?

To TOR: Terrence Ross + Richaun Holmes
To SAC: Chris Boucher + Robin Lopez
To ORL: Goran Dragic + 2nd Round Pick (Toronto)

Orlando clears Ross extra year and get a 2nd.

Sacramento gets a better fit next to Sabonis

Toronto gets a true 5 & bench help without really moving any core pieces

Fred / Barnes / Flynn
Trent Jr / Ross
OG / Yuta
Siakam / Precious
Holmes / Birch

Thoughts?

I'd prefer to forward Ross to another team tbh. I like him as a person, but really don't want him back as a streaky shooter

[Morris_Shatford]

If we could find a way to sneak into that Kings deal;
To land Lamb and Holmes (20.8m combine) what in addition to Dragic (and salary ballast) needs to go out?

Holmes is okay, but not sure about Lamb. I think its Rodney hood all over again with the post archilles injury. Dont think he'll make our rotation. And Dragic is probably our only asset we'll trade to land a guard which is badly needed imo.

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Its not ideal but I think its a deal you can make without having to move many non-Dragic assets to secure.

Holmes is a stopgap big on an fairly easily tradable deal should someone from our youth core eventually earn that stop.
Lamb is simply a bench shooter at this point who has shown he can play around 15 - 20MPG if needed with the Pacers, if he flames out he is an expiring any way, if not you maintain his bird rights.

[augustine]

Goran + 1st for Eric Gordon

He is a tough guard who drives and shoots the 3 incredibly well. He can sustain the offense while FVV or GTJ are out, and he can defend well enough. Just turned 33 (but we need some vets with experience), contract over at the end of next season, so 1.5 years of his service for this little run of ours. Then, next year at this time, we have a big expiring deal once again to trade.

[Rodrickle]

Id do two 2nds, not sure about a 1st for someone his age

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[Morris_Shatford]

if we can land bogdan bogdanovich without giving up a 1st I'd be estatic. Ideally it would be flynn and dragic. Would also be over the moon to trade birch and johnson for yusef nurkic giving us a legit 7 footer for matchups and having a rotation of our starting 5 + Bogi, Bouch and Nurkic.

If you can land 2Bog for a package around Dragic and Flynn I would be ecstatic;
Given all the trouble the Hawks went through to get him, I am not sure if he is the guy would ends up outbound at the deadline.

[Morris_Shatford]

Re: Gordon

He may be amongst the worst defenders at his position in the league at this point, who is 33, is owed 19.6m next season, BUT he is career 37% PT shooter who is shooting 43% this season.

I am not the biggest fan of converting Dragic into a single player but if this is the best that can be done at the deadline, sure.

As for trading an FRP to land him;
I wouldn't be a fan personally because at this point in his career Gordon is just a shooter and generally speaking I am fairly confident that shooting can be addressed in the draft (with far better cost controls) or via the MLE this summer. Despite our awful bench shooting I am pretty sure we could do better than Gordon for cheaper than Gordon and younger than Gordon in the off-season.

[Rodrickle]

Re: Gordon

He may be amongst the worst defenders at his position in the league at this point, who is 33, is owed 19.6m next season, BUT he is career 37% PT shooter who is shooting 43% this season.

I am not the biggest fan of converting Dragic into a single player but if this is the best that can be done at the deadline, sure.

As for trading an FRP to land him;
I wouldn't be a fan personally because at this point in his career Gordon is just a shooter and generally speaking I am fairly confident that shooting can be addressed in the draft (with far better cost controls) or via the MLE this summer. Despite our awful bench shooting I am pretty sure we could do better than Gordon for cheaper than Gordon and younger than Gordon in the off-season.

Eric Gordon was known to be a good defender, has any metric shown otherwise?

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[tecumseh18]

Re: Gordon

He may be amongst the worst defenders at his position in the league at this point, who is 33, is owed 19.6m next season, BUT he is career 37% PT shooter who is shooting 43% this season.

I am not the biggest fan of converting Dragic into a single player but if this is the best that can be done at the deadline, sure.

As for trading an FRP to land him;
I wouldn't be a fan personally because at this point in his career Gordon is just a shooter and generally speaking I am fairly confident that shooting can be addressed in the draft (with far better cost controls) or via the MLE this summer. Despite our awful bench shooting I am pretty sure we could do better than Gordon for cheaper than Gordon and younger than Gordon in the off-season.

Eric Gordon was known to be a good defender, has any metric shown otherwise?

He always has been. But defence is the first to go as players age. Apart from taking charges in a help capacity, Kyle hasn't been that good as a one on one defender for at least a few years. Maybe the same is true of EG.

Raptors are not trading a FRP for Gordon. I expect negotiations to go the way they did in 2017 to get PJ Tucker. Suns loudly proclaimed they wanted a FRP, or they would be happy to keep PJ and his Bird rights. Masai called their bluff, and with just a few minutes to go the trade (for two late, late seconds) ultimately went down. And PJ helped us beat the Celtics a day or so later.

[Morris_Shatford]

Re: Gordon

He may be amongst the worst defenders at his position in the league at this point, who is 33, is owed 19.6m next season, BUT he is career 37% PT shooter who is shooting 43% this season.

I am not the biggest fan of converting Dragic into a single player but if this is the best that can be done at the deadline, sure.

As for trading an FRP to land him;
I wouldn't be a fan personally because at this point in his career Gordon is just a shooter and generally speaking I am fairly confident that shooting can be addressed in the draft (with far better cost controls) or via the MLE this summer. Despite our awful bench shooting I am pretty sure we could do better than Gordon for cheaper than Gordon and younger than Gordon in the off-season.

Eric Gordon was known to be a good defender, has any metric shown otherwise?

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I can certainly do a little more digging when I am not on my phone,
But his DefRtg is the worst of his career, his DWS has trended negative for the first time in his career, then of course there is the eye test, he looks like he is moving in slow motion compared to even a few seasons ago with the Rox.

He is having a hard time staying in front of quicker guards which makes sense considering he is 33.
On a team where your effort on the other-side of the floor gets you minutes he may have an issue in a Nick Nurse system

Or alternatively, Houston stinks and its hard to put a solid 100% effort in when you are expected to lose.