Windhorst: Raptors making noise around the league looking for a “big fish” // Giannis & Toronto "Mutual Interest"/KD too

[Coco Costanza]

Ya a lot of revitionist history here. Whole league was clowing us saying hurry up ur team stinks and trade these guys masai too patient. Lol

It's shocking how bad a lot of NBA analysts are. The reason Pascal, OG and Fred were in the playoffs was not because of their sole efforts, it was because they were traded to good teams. The fact that these guys couldn't do it together suggests keeping them together was obviously not the best move, despite what these guys think.

[Randle McMurphy]

They were always obviously going to make an offer for Giannis. Others have more to offer though.

[RoteSchroder]

Immanuel Quickly + Dick + Mogbo + 9th + future 1sts for Trae? Not enough? Hawks need a rebuild badly

Trae Young
RJ Barrett
Brandon Ingram
Scottie Barnes
Jakob Poetl

That's a top 3 team in the east

Defense would be pretty bad..look at OKC and Indiana, they got pretty good guard/wing defense.

If we’re going for a big fish, I’d also rather not trade too many picks, even if it’s for Giannis

[RoteSchroder]

Ya a lot of revitionist history here. Whole league was clowing us saying hurry up ur team stinks and trade these guys masai too patient. Lol

It's shocking how bad a lot of NBA analysts are. The reason Pascal, OG and Fred were in the playoffs was not because of their sole efforts, it was because they were traded to good teams. The fact that these guys couldn't do it together suggests keeping them together was obviously not the best move, despite what these guys think.

FVV was too expensive and was overstaying his welcome anyways. OG and his agent were on their way out of the door and he was also too expensive.

Pascal might have been the one we should have kept. He wanted to be here and a max contract for a second fiddle is pretty typical.

It also took trading OG/Siakam to get the depth/supporting cast that was needed and we’re still lacking a back-up C.

[djsunyc]

masai will always try to be in on everyone - he's tried multiple times in the past and he'll continue to try. that's not really news.

my guess is that this is just some noise and something fun to talk about but nothing more.

[Clutch0z24]

For anyone saying if we trade for Giannis we won't have a team to compete....Is wrong....Ofc it depends whats all included in the deal....

But if you can get away with trading
Barnes
Dick
Mogbo
#9
+2 or 3 future picks...

You would have

IQ
Barrett
Ingram
Giannis
Poetlt

Ochai
Walter
Shaed
Chomche
Lawson
Battle
2nd rounder 39th pick

Thats a top team in the East next year....You can also make either an additional move but you are also prolly getting back a player or two in the deal as well...

Also having Giannis/Ingram you have a good chance to get good buy out options and vets on the cheap....

[Tripod]

Ed Rogers told Masai you have 12 months to save your job

This rumour has "sign Landry Fields to block the Knicks from signing Steve Nash" all over it. Masai is weak af right now, going around the league telling everyone who will listen they'll pay up.

It’s a bad thing that Masai went after Kawhi, Durant and Lillard and is now in a position where he has all his picks and a deeper bench to make consolidation trades? I understand you hate him, but dude your dislike for Masai is driving you down a deep hole. What exactly is there to dislike about your team’s GM trying to find a superstar? You would rather he sit on his hands?

This is nothing new. This is just how Masai operates when he has what he feels is value throughout his roster. We were never going to do a slow, long rebuild and those historically haven’t worked for most teams.

It might sound weird, but this past draft absolutely sped things up. Our playable depth us now 11 deep and "could" be adding #9 to it. And the only "hole" is a backup C.

Logic shows we are in a position to consolidate.

Masai saw how this team played very well vs good teams despite losses and all the injuries in the 1st half. Then when we flicked the switch playing great defense, it showed what the identity of this team could be. And with Barnes being a big part of that effort on defense, he saw an undervalued BI as a way to add offense and push others down in the order.

And since then, the Bucks and Celtics were dealt injury blows so he absolutely should he trying to push the improvement even further. No need to "settle" at what he has done if a deal is out there to improve even more.

Active Masai is good Masai. Masai focusing on GoA while Bobby got more rope was bad Masai. Let's enjoy what could happen. It might be nothing, but it just might be....

[PhilBlackson]

Although it may not be the popular choice on here personally I get the feeling they'll target KD more seriously than Giannis due to the asking price and being that Masai was trying to find a way to trade into the draft for him....I think they'll also low-key be after LaMelo.

[MiamiSPX]

Booker? Ja?

It's Booker. He fits the timeline, wouldn't have to give up too much, another good scorer/shooter and has a great relationship with Darko.

Barnes/Ingram/Booker is one hell of a big three.

Tbh sounds like Booker is not being traded....I think they hold booker and try and move Durant/Beal....The owner said a Booker trade will never happen for what its worth....I doubt hes available...

Booker also said he wants to be a Sun for life, and is literally being consulted these past few days, for their current coaching search. He is not being traded. Ishbia is not going to rebuild, try and recoup picks or care about going younger. He still doesn't get it and is in fact interviewing the coaching candidates himself next week lol.

[WuTang_OG]

For anyone saying if we trade for Giannis we won't have a team to compete....Is wrong....Ofc it depends whats all included in the deal....

But if you can get away with trading
Barnes
Dick
Mogbo
#9
+2 or 3 future picks...

You would have

IQ
Barrett
Ingram
Giannis
Poetlt

Ochai
Walter
Shaed
Chomche
Lawson
Battle
2nd rounder 39th pick

Thats a top team in the East next year....You can also make either an additional move but you are also prolly getting back a player or two in the deal as well...

Also having Giannis/Ingram you have a good chance to get good buy out options and vets on the cheap....

If we actually do acquire Giannis, everything is on the table to still make more changes so I don't understand the notion that this is the team and that's it - even with trading a big pick package. It's a huge trade and the dynamic of the team changes drastically... RJ likely gone. Poeltl? etc. Also, around the margins would likely change as well.

Lots more moves would be forthcoming. This is a Giannis/Masai marriage - not a kawhi situation at all.

[Tripod]

I feel like this report is 1 year too early. It's pretty obvious Masai is setting this team up for the next Kawhi trade, but I just don't think this is the off-season to do that.

We have to see how Ingram fits in with this new iteration of the Raptors. I think Masai is gonna see how this next season pans out with a IQ/RJ/Ingram/Scottie/Poetl lineup, and see what the ceiling is.

And then strike next off-season, depending on who's available

Because Masai might not be here next year...no contract.

And this year has Dame hurt and Tatum hurt...so 2 top 6 teams taking steps backwards.

[Clutch0z24]

For anyone saying if we trade for Giannis we won't have a team to compete....Is wrong....Ofc it depends whats all included in the deal....

But if you can get away with trading
Barnes
Dick
Mogbo
#9
+2 or 3 future picks...

You would have

IQ
Barrett
Ingram
Giannis
Poetlt

Ochai
Walter
Shaed
Chomche
Lawson
Battle
2nd rounder 39th pick

Thats a top team in the East next year....You can also make either an additional move but you are also prolly getting back a player or two in the deal as well...

Also having Giannis/Ingram you have a good chance to get good buy out options and vets on the cheap....

If we actually do acquire Giannis, everything is on the table to still make more changes so I don't understand the notion that this is the team and that's it - even with trading a big pick package. It's a huge trade and the dynamic of the team changes drastically... RJ likely gone. Poeltl? etc. Also, around the margins would likely change as well.

Lots more moves would be forthcoming. This is a Giannis/Masai marriage - not a kawhi situation at all.

Yep if we wanted to make an additional move we could package players for another high level player that fits the style better....But any team with Giannis/Ingram as a duo would have a chance....People forget how good Ingram would be as a 2nd option with a legit top 3 player.

[nowayguy]

[Tor_Raps]

I think we all need to see the type of move that gets made before we react one way or another. Giannis is the only player that immediately takes us to championship contention but there are some other players who would make us a really good team next year (Trae, JJJ, Booker, etc).

I wouldn't have trusted the 2020 to 2024 version of Masai but am seeing good signs of the 2024/2025 version to make the right move. I will be refreshing like crazy once the NBA season ends and we head towards the draft.

I don't see how Giannis immediately takes us to championship contention. Giannis requires a very specific team around him, and we don't have that team. In fact, we'd have even less of that team since one or more of our young shooters would be involved in the trade that brings him here. The Bucks have been completely irrelevant in the playoffs for the past 4 years because of this. That's the team we'd be turning into. Giannis isn't Kawhi and the current Raptors aren't the 2017-18 Raptors

I think the following team is a championship contender next year considering how weak the East is. We wouldn't be favorites but if we make a follow up Marc Gasol like trade then we could get there.

Poeltl/ Portis
Giannis/ Mogbo
Ingram/ Battle
Ochai/ Walter
IQ/ Shead

[sidsid]

Let's hope for a trade that doesn't deplete our future draft picks and kind of hamstrings the cap so that management can't make anymore damaging Jak trades. Then you can start over in 4 years. An Embiid or Trae move could fit that mold.

Edit: I'd say Durant too, but he's expiring and the salary space could give Masai too many bad ideas.

[pingpongrac]

I think I might be in the slight minority but I would move Barnes for JJJ in a second. Wouldn't even think twice.

I think watching JJJ in a Raptors uniform every game would drive me crazy. For all of the good he would bring offensively and by protecting the rim, I've never seen a player that is so physically gifted be so terrible at rebounding while his inability to consistently stay on the floor due to foul trouble is something that would be an issue too.

[Tripod]

We have to remember that our defense became the teams identity. I don't see them going after a Trae for example, for that reason. The person has to play some semblance of defense.

[Deep1984]

Yeah, the man who brought a championships in recent times needs to be stopped.

Masai Ujiri needs to be stopped. He was lucky to get Kawhi and Gasol and the surrounding players worked well, but this ain't 2019 - we have been a b2b lotto team.

The man as he gets older cuts so many corners and is now compounding mistakes. We already have a broken non-relevant Brandon Ingram, we don't need more mistakes like this.

[TheRaptor!]

I think we all need to see the type of move that gets made before we react one way or another. Giannis is the only player that immediately takes us to championship contention but there are some other players who would make us a really good team next year (Trae, JJJ, Booker, etc).

I wouldn't have trusted the 2020 to 2024 version of Masai but am seeing good signs of the 2024/2025 version to make the right move. I will be refreshing like crazy once the NBA season ends and we head towards the draft.

I don't see how Giannis immediately takes us to championship contention. Giannis requires a very specific team around him, and we don't have that team. In fact, we'd have even less of that team since one or more of our young shooters would be involved in the trade that brings him here. The Bucks have been completely irrelevant in the playoffs for the past 4 years because of this. That's the team we'd be turning into. Giannis isn't Kawhi and the current Raptors aren't the 2017-18 Raptors

I think the following team is a championship contender next year considering how weak the East is. We wouldn't be favorites but if we make a follow up Marc Gasol like trade then we could get there.

Poeltl/ Portis
Giannis/ Mogbo
Ingram/ Battle
Ochai/ Walter
IQ/ Shead

Absolutely, Who would've bet on Haliburton and Siakam going to the finals at the start of the season?

No one can tell me Nemhard, Nesmith, Mathurin, and to a lesser extent Turner are players that are levels above our current role players and Giannis + BI > Haliburton and Siakam

[M3tro]

Although it may not be the popular choice on here personally I get the feeling they'll target KD more seriously than Giannis due to the asking price and being that Masai was trying to find a way to trade into the draft for him....I think they'll also low-key be after LaMelo.

Those two make the most sense because they're #1 scoring options and will be cheaper than Giannis.

I don't think Charlotte moves off of LaMelo just yet though.