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

[TimeForChange]

They brought up Pascal, it's in the podcast episode.

OK, so if Brandon Ingram was brought in to be the number two option...and the Raptors are now looking for a "big fish" on top of that...what does that make Scottie Barnes aka future face of the league?

(and Pascal Siakam is the reason the Raptors even came up on that podcast, most media people don't talk about middling lottery teams)

Scottie was likely never going to be a number 1, that's not his game. But what does this make him? A 23 year old capable of getting 20 a night on elite defense and playmaking... I mean lol

If he was "never" going to be a number one option, why did Darko call him the future face of the league? Why did the Raptors blow up this team to build around him?

OK, so he's 24 in 8 weeks and entering his fifth season in the league. He's actually not yet capable of averaging 20 PPG, he's never done it despite being force fed touches for the last 18 months. He can't shoot, he can't beat his defender with a live dribble, his ballhandling isn't good enough to actually leverage his ability to process the game.

He's a great defender, but he's best used offball, so you still need a primary onball defender next to him. Since he can't shoot, you also need shooting at every other position on the floor. Since he can't dribble, you also need live dribble creators next to him.

So again, what are we doing here? We're contorting ourselves to build around a player who is not a number one option, not a game changing defender, not a shooter, not a lead playmaker...why?

Taking anything Darko says as something to support your argument is laughable

Jakob and Scottie are the only 2 starters on this team with any value around the league. The fact that offering Scottie would get you into the conversation for someone like a KD or Giannis tells you what other GM's think about him.

[Troubadour]

Scottie was likely never going to be a number 1, that's not his game. But what does this make him? A 23 year old capable of getting 20 a night on elite defense and playmaking... I mean lol

If he was "never" going to be a number one option, why did Darko call him the future face of the league? Why did the Raptors blow up this team to build around him?

OK, so he's 24 in 8 weeks and entering his fifth season in the league. He's actually not yet capable of averaging 20 PPG, he's never done it despite being force fed touches for the last 18 months. He can't shoot, he can't beat his defender with a live dribble, his ballhandling isn't good enough to actually leverage his ability to process the game.

He's a great defender, but he's best used offball, so you still need a primary onball defender next to him. Since he can't shoot, you also need shooting at every other position on the floor. Since he can't dribble, you also need live dribble creators next to him.

So again, what are we doing here? We're contorting ourselves to build around a player who is not a number one option, not a game changing defender, not a shooter, not a lead playmaker...why?

Taking anything Darko says as something to support your argument is laughable

Jakob and Scottie are the only 2 starters on this team with any value around the league. The fact that offering Scottie would get you into the conversation for someone like a KD or Giannis tells you what other GM's think about him.

Ben Simmons also once got you James Harden, I wouldn't put too much stock into present-day trade value as a predictor of future success.

Rodrigue Beaubois was once held out of Dwyane Wade trade talks.

[tsherkin]

Rodrigue Beaubois was once held out of Dwyane Wade trade talks.

Now THERE'S a name I haven't heard in nearly 15 years, lmao.

[TimeForChange]

If he was "never" going to be a number one option, why did Darko call him the future face of the league? Why did the Raptors blow up this team to build around him?

OK, so he's 24 in 8 weeks and entering his fifth season in the league. He's actually not yet capable of averaging 20 PPG, he's never done it despite being force fed touches for the last 18 months. He can't shoot, he can't beat his defender with a live dribble, his ballhandling isn't good enough to actually leverage his ability to process the game.

He's a great defender, but he's best used offball, so you still need a primary onball defender next to him. Since he can't shoot, you also need shooting at every other position on the floor. Since he can't dribble, you also need live dribble creators next to him.

So again, what are we doing here? We're contorting ourselves to build around a player who is not a number one option, not a game changing defender, not a shooter, not a lead playmaker...why?

Taking anything Darko says as something to support your argument is laughable

Jakob and Scottie are the only 2 starters on this team with any value around the league. The fact that offering Scottie would get you into the conversation for someone like a KD or Giannis tells you what other GM's think about him.

Ben Simmons also once got you James Harden, I wouldn't put too much stock into present-day trade value as a predictor of future success.

Rodrigue Beaubois was once held out of Dwyane Wade trade talks.

I will take my chances with scouts and GM's around the league's perception of what Scottie is and can become before I take the opinion of anyone on realgm.

[Ado05]

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

[WuTang_CMB]

Can we please start showing some appreciation to Wu for starting this thread?

Only one and-1 is disgusting.

Thank you for the post Wu.

Lol
We can only hope this actually happens. Losing sucks

[Godaddycurse]

Could also be a trade up to the top 4.

[Tor_Raps]

Can we please start showing some appreciation to Wu for starting this thread?

Only one and-1 is disgusting.

Thank you for the post Wu.

Lol
We can only hope this actually happens. Losing sucks

You are a massive reason why I visit the website. Your posting of good tweets is always a great source of info. Thank you lol

[Raps in 4]

Both Masai and rogers know the time is now. They are going to go all out after Giannis.

The time isn't now though. This team is picking in the lottery for the second year in a row and is looking like a 6-10 seed next year.

Our 2019 team won 59 games the year before we traded for Kawhi and had been as far as the ECF in the playoffs.

[Raps in 4]

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.

If his MO is just going to be erratic treadmill moves from here on out, I'm ready to move on from him. I still think he's one of the best scoutong executives in the league, but if he isn't going to be doing much drafting/trading for prospects, then there are better executives available.

[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.

[Clutch0z24]

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.

If his MO is just going to be erratic treadmill moves from here on out, I'm ready to move on from him. I still think he's one of the best scoutong executives in the league, but if he isn't going to be doing much drafting, then there are better executives available.

Blame the weak af Eastern Conference for this....If the East had any kind of legit tough challenges like the West had we would be in none of these convos....Even if the Raptors add a Morant/Ball/Young type of player thats prolly one of the better Eastern teams next year....Obv we are going after Giannis here but so many things will have to go right for that to actually happen....

[DG88]

I'm I surprised no but that just means the FO is looking at all avenues of improving the team. I don't want to set my hopes up of us being in a massive trade that gets us a star player and then nothing happens.

[ATLTimekeeper]

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.

[Syd-TK3]

Ja is definitely not on our list

Only people I'm interested in is Giannis ofcourse and Booker

[MiamiSPX]

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

[tsherkin]

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

Why would Memphis do that, though? Like, would you roofie their GM first?

[MiamiSPX]

Can we please start showing some appreciation to Wu for starting this thread?

Only one and-1 is disgusting.

Thank you for the post Wu.

Lol
We can only hope this actually happens. Losing sucks

You are a massive reason why I visit the website. Your posting of good tweets is always a great source of info. Thank you lol

Agree 100%

[Raps in 4]

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

[LoveMyRaps]