[Lewenberg] Sources say Raptors intend to be buyers this deadline

[Basketball_Jones]

Aside from Boucher who would we be interested in trading that other teams would want? Boucher/Dragic/2nd rounder is all I see tradeable.

[Supermann98]

We might be able to get Brogdon for cheap, considering his injury history and Indiana looking to go full tank. He'd be a great combo guard to play with FVV or 1st guard off the bench if GTJ is back and healthy

Edit: nvm as apparently he has a no-trade until April 2022

[HumbleRen]

I get the temptation but throwing away our future for this core isn't a wise move. Sell high on some of these guys.

[Los_29]

Well you see theres this thing called wins, and Chicago has more of those than the Raptors. Might kinda complicated for you to understand.

That doesn't make any sense.

Yea a team with many more wins couldn't be better than the Raptors, how in the world could that happen. Your takes just get worse and worse. So wins mean nothing now?

I'm just going to give you a bit of time to process what you are actually saying. Are you seriously going to roll with this?

[KL78192020]

That doesn't make any sense.

Yea a team with many more wins couldn't be better than the Raptors, how in the world could that happen. Your takes just get worse and worse. So wins mean nothing now?

I'm just going to give you a bit of time to process what you are actually saying. Are you seriously going to roll with this?

So teams with more wins aren't better than the Raptors? The Nets/Bucks/Sixers/Heat none of them are better than Raptors? LOL.

Reeko already explained to you how the Bulls are better not even counting the extra wins they have, so how are the Raptors the better team? Are you saying he's wrong to? Maybe youre the one who is completely clueless.

[duppyy]

Raptors won’t do anything

[Los_29]

What do we have to buy with? And what are we going to make a run at?

The East is wide open for the likes of Milwaukee, Brooklyn, Miami and Chicago.

If we're keeping the core 5 intact, we're likely going to have to attach picks to whoever we trade. If that's the case it better be a player/s that we have control over for the next 2-3 seasons, so that they can grow with the core.

Why is Chicago a better team than us?

And yeah, I think that's exactly what they are going to be looking at. Some pieces that are on reasonable deals and controllable for the next couple of years. I think Dragic's expiring and our FRP and/or SRP could get us a solid, young player.

Well they've got 2 legit All Stars in DeRozan and Lavine. A really solid starter in Lonzo, and bench pieces like Caruso, White and Dosunmu. They're just more talented, and deeper than we are.

I can't say that I would be too excited at the prospect of giving up a 1st rounder, not with where we're at as a team right now.

Lavine, Derozan and Vucevic are one-way players. None of whom have had much success in the playoffs, in fact Lavine has yet to even play in the playoffs. Same for Lonzo. Caruso is their 5th best player then you got White and a 2nd round rookie in Dosunmu. I'm just not sure what's so impressive about that. Why is that much better than our top 7?

They are built for the regular season and will fail miserably in the playoffs. That's my prediction.

[brownbobcat]

I agree 100%. I don't see the need to rush, and I would think that the FO was prepared to accumulate assets and build continuity over the next 3-5 seasons before making a serious playoff run towards a title.

Masai is more of an open book than most think - he's always said the results dictate the strategy. When Toronto struggled more than expected last year, they did the mini-tank and traded vets (or tried, in Lowry's case) who were due to hit free agency. They cut bait on guys they didn't like (Thomas & Davis).

Performance is better this year, but depth is clearly an issue. They know there's a clock on Siakam and VanVleet. If no youngsters step up, they can't add any useful FAs and this team is still muddling at .500 next year, we're going to see a blow-up. If they move up to a 50-win pace, I tend to think they'll give that core some leeway.

[Zeno]

If we gave up Boucher and Flynn for Horton Tucker that would be ‘buying’ technically, right? Since we’d be taking on salary for next year. That’s the kind of buying I think we do.

[Los_29]

Yea a team with many more wins couldn't be better than the Raptors, how in the world could that happen. Your takes just get worse and worse. So wins mean nothing now?

I'm just going to give you a bit of time to process what you are actually saying. Are you seriously going to roll with this?

So teams with more wins aren't better than the Raptors? The Nets/Bucks/Sixers/Heat none of them are better than Raptors? LOL.

Reeko already explained to you how the Bulls are better not even counting the extra wins they have, so how are the Raptors the better team? Are you saying he's wrong to? Maybe youre the one who is completely clueless.

Reeko gave his opinion on why he thinks the Bulls are better. I responded to him with my opinion.

Your first paragraph is just ridiculous on so many levels. Honestly, it’s actually amazing at this point.

Why did the Hawks beat the Sixers last year if they had less wins? Why doesn’t the team with the most wins win the championship every year?

You’ve had a lot of horrible takes on here but this might actually be your worst one.

[LoveMyRaps]

If we gave up Boucher and Flynn for Horton Tucker that would be ‘buying’ technically, right? Since we’d be taking on salary for next year. That’s the kind of buying I think we do.

Given that Boucher is an expiring and Flynn is a nobody, yeah that'd be considered buying. But THT is honestly ass, I've seen a lot of him this season. Not a fan whatsoever. He'd make us worse. But if you're looking to rebuild, he's a solid prospect to have. (Precious level/B level prospect)

[Reeko]

Why is Chicago a better team than us?

And yeah, I think that's exactly what they are going to be looking at. Some pieces that are on reasonable deals and controllable for the next couple of years. I think Dragic's expiring and our FRP and/or SRP could get us a solid, young player.

Well they've got 2 legit All Stars in DeRozan and Lavine. A really solid starter in Lonzo, and bench pieces like Caruso, White and Dosunmu. They're just more talented, and deeper than we are.

I can't say that I would be too excited at the prospect of giving up a 1st rounder, not with where we're at as a team right now.

Lavine, Derozan and Vucevic are one-way players. None of whom have had much success in the playoffs, in fact Lavine has yet to even play in the playoffs. Same for Lonzo. Caruso is their 5th best player then you got White and a 2nd round rookie in Dosunmu. I'm just not sure what's so impressive about that. Why is that much better than our top 7?

They are built for the regular season and will fail miserably in the playoffs. That's my prediction.

I agree with you to a certain extent, as far as their playoff hopes are concerned. But I also didn't think they'd be at the top of the East at this point. They currently have the 6th best defensive rating in the league (they're tied with two other teams), I'm not sure how they're doing it. Guys like Lavine, DeRozan and Vuc are known as defensive sieves by reputation, but they must have figured something out to have a rating that high as a team, because you're not getting into the top 6 with three sieves in your starting 5.

Admittedly, I think we'd have a better chance against them in the playoffs than any other team in the top 5.

Regardless, I think if they're clicking at the right time they have the higher ceiling at this point.

[KL78192020]

Why is Chicago a better team than us?

And yeah, I think that's exactly what they are going to be looking at. Some pieces that are on reasonable deals and controllable for the next couple of years. I think Dragic's expiring and our FRP and/or SRP could get us a solid, young player.

Well they've got 2 legit All Stars in DeRozan and Lavine. A really solid starter in Lonzo, and bench pieces like Caruso, White and Dosunmu. They're just more talented, and deeper than we are.

I can't say that I would be too excited at the prospect of giving up a 1st rounder, not with where we're at as a team right now.

Lavine, Derozan and Vucevic are one-way players. None of whom have had much success in the playoffs, in fact Lavine has yet to even play in the playoffs. Same for Lonzo. Caruso is their 5th best player then you got White and a 2nd round rookie in Dosunmu. I'm just not sure what's so impressive about that. Why is that much better than our top 7?

They are built for the regular season and will fail miserably in the playoffs. That's my prediction.

Bulls are in first, the Raptors might not even make the playoffs, they're currently in 10. The team was so bad last year Masai decided to tank, yet somehow you think this team is better than the first place team. I don't think even people on team mediocre would say this team is better than the Bulls.

[HumbleRen]

Yea a team with many more wins couldn't be better than the Raptors, how in the world could that happen. Your takes just get worse and worse. So wins mean nothing now?

I'm just going to give you a bit of time to process what you are actually saying. Are you seriously going to roll with this?

So teams with more wins aren't better than the Raptors? The Nets/Bucks/Sixers/Heat none of them are better than Raptors? LOL.

Reeko already explained to you how the Bulls are better not even counting the extra wins they have, so how are the Raptors the better team? Are you saying he's wrong to? Maybe youre the one who is completely clueless.

He's the same guy who said we would steam roll the Cavs in a 7 game series lol. Homers don't tend to keep up with the NBA outside of their own team so I get it.

[Zeno]

If we gave up Boucher and Flynn for Horton Tucker that would be ‘buying’ technically, right? Since we’d be taking on salary for next year. That’s the kind of buying I think we do.

Given that Boucher is an expiring and Flynn is a nobody, yeah that'd be considered buying. But THT is honestly ass, I've seen a lot of him this season. Not a fan whatsoever. He'd make us worse. But if you're looking to rebuild, he's a solid prospect to have. (Precious level/B level prospect)

Well he has been put in a horrible situation this year for his skillset. It would probably make us worse, I agree though. We may buy and get worse if it is a prospect they like. I can also see a trade of our 1st for a 2nd year guy who another team has soured on a bit but still has potential. Depends how they feel about the draft next year.

[Los_29]

Well they've got 2 legit All Stars in DeRozan and Lavine. A really solid starter in Lonzo, and bench pieces like Caruso, White and Dosunmu. They're just more talented, and deeper than we are.

I can't say that I would be too excited at the prospect of giving up a 1st rounder, not with where we're at as a team right now.

Lavine, Derozan and Vucevic are one-way players. None of whom have had much success in the playoffs, in fact Lavine has yet to even play in the playoffs. Same for Lonzo. Caruso is their 5th best player then you got White and a 2nd round rookie in Dosunmu. I'm just not sure what's so impressive about that. Why is that much better than our top 7?

They are built for the regular season and will fail miserably in the playoffs. That's my prediction.

I agree with you to a certain extent, as far as their playoff hopes are concerned. But I also didn't think they'd be at the top of the East at this point. They currently have the 6th best defensive rating in the league (they're tied with two other teams), I'm not sure how they're doing it. Guys like Lavine, DeRozan and Vuc are known as defensive sieves by reputation, but they must have figured something out to have a rating that high as a team, because you're not getting into the top 6 with three sieves in your starting 5.

Admittedly, I think we'd have a better chance against them in the playoffs than any other team in the top 5.

Regardless, I think if they're clicking at the right time they have the higher ceiling at this point.

I absolutely don’t think we beat the other top teams in the East but there is just something about Chicago that makes me believe that we along with other teams in the East can beat them.

[Los_29]

Well they've got 2 legit All Stars in DeRozan and Lavine. A really solid starter in Lonzo, and bench pieces like Caruso, White and Dosunmu. They're just more talented, and deeper than we are.

I can't say that I would be too excited at the prospect of giving up a 1st rounder, not with where we're at as a team right now.

Lavine, Derozan and Vucevic are one-way players. None of whom have had much success in the playoffs, in fact Lavine has yet to even play in the playoffs. Same for Lonzo. Caruso is their 5th best player then you got White and a 2nd round rookie in Dosunmu. I'm just not sure what's so impressive about that. Why is that much better than our top 7?

They are built for the regular season and will fail miserably in the playoffs. That's my prediction.

Bulls are in first, the Raptors might not even make the playoffs, they're currently in 10. The team was so bad last year Masai decided to tank, yet somehow you think this team is better than the first place team. I don't think even people on team mediocre would say this team is better than the Bulls.

Didn’t the Bulls miss the playoffs last year?

[Los_29]

I'm just going to give you a bit of time to process what you are actually saying. Are you seriously going to roll with this?

So teams with more wins aren't better than the Raptors? The Nets/Bucks/Sixers/Heat none of them are better than Raptors? LOL.

Reeko already explained to you how the Bulls are better not even counting the extra wins they have, so how are the Raptors the better team? Are you saying he's wrong to? Maybe youre the one who is completely clueless.

He's the same guy who said we would steam roll the Cavs in a 7 game series lol. Homers don't tend to keep up with the NBA outside of their own team so I get it.

You can’t even tell me why they are better. You just said that they are a better “fit” even though they are starting three 7 footers.

And don’t make me go through your old posts.

What a controversial take saying we’d beat a Cavaliers team whose three best players are Mobley/Garland/Allen. Do you know where the Cavs were predicted to finish this year?

[Appostis]

*as they trade CB and Dragic*

[mdenny]

Don't get the obsession with Poeltl. He adds a win or two but doesn't move the needle whatsoever.

Speaking for myself...i remember gow amazibg the chemistry was between poetl and siakam. Wicked big to big actions. So imo there's potential for both him and siakam to make each other better than they are currently perceived.

The problem with getting him: we have the worst bench in the league and Center happens to ve the only position we have depth at. If we DO get poetl (i doubt there's any substance to it)....one would think we HAVE trade either precious or birch for a backup guard player. Doesn't make sense to have 3 centers and literally 0 bench guys capable of playing in the backcourt.

Here's what i would do:

Birch/flynn/FRP for Poetl and SRP.

We upgrade from birch to poetl. Our pick this summer goes from between 15 and 20th overall to around 35th to 40th overall. Poetl and Precious becomes our frontcourt depth.

Then trade boucher for an 8 milly per year combo guard to a team that needs frontcourt help (and has a glut of guards). Not sure who. But it shouldnt be hard to do. There's alot of players that fit the bill.