2019-20 Season: Draft, Trades, and FA Ideas Thread V2

[KillaSham23]

I saw allonzo trier was waived by the knicks. Id defs take him over McCaw

[pr0gr4m]

What about free agency and the MLE we have. I see us having some space after we re-sign or let go of Gasol, Ibaka, and FVV.

Any opinions on a FVV sign and trade for Oladipo? It's a low risk move that could pay off. I don't see long term success with FVV due to his size limitation. Unfortunately for us his value is high and we will be expected to pay about 25M/year.

Furthermore I would look at a veteran title chaser. A few names I like are Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari, Derrick Favors, Myers Leonard, and Bruno Caboclo.

Gallinari would be my first target. I am enamoured with players who are 6'10+ and can shoot the way he can. An extreme opinion I hold is, if Gallinari was load managed for the playoffs I can see him having a poor Kevin Durant type of impact on a series. He has elite shooting, ball handling, size, and clutch play. I would very easily throw the entire MLE at him to be a sixth man on next years squad.

Millsap is going to be 35 but the MLE would be fair for an older guy. One last significant title run as a rotational player. In the new age NBA I would experiement with him at the 5 behind Marc.

Favors hasn't been given appropriate opportunity thus far in his career. I would like to see him in a new veteran led environment and try to pass Marc's role off to him, as we shift to the new era.

Leonard has an impressive combination of size and shooting that would be used well off the bench in compliment to Siakam's transition and penetrating game.

Bruno still has an impressive combination of size and shooting. The organization should have always tried to develop him as a 5. I think he could really thrive as a 5 in this league. He is slow due to his unique body type compared to other SFs, but faster than most 5s in the league. He is stronger than he looks and could bang with thicker 5s down low. He's always been a decent rim protector, shooter, and could fit into the transition offense our guys love. I forecast a few haters on this point, let's just put it this way. I rather him than Stanley Johnson.

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

[Rapsfan07]

What about free agency and the MLE we have. I see us having some space after we re-sign or let go of Gasol, Ibaka, and FVV.

Any opinions on a FVV sign and trade for Oladipo? It's a low risk move that could pay off. I don't see long term success with FVV due to his size limitation. Unfortunately for us his value is high and we will be expected to pay about 25M/year.

Furthermore I would look at a veteran title chaser. A few names I like are Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari, Derrick Favors, Myers Leonard, and Bruno Caboclo.

Gallinari would be my first target. I am enamoured with players who are 6'10+ and can shoot the way he can. An extreme opinion I hold is, if Gallinari was load managed for the playoffs I can see him having a poor Kevin Durant type of impact on a series. He has elite shooting, ball handling, size, and clutch play. I would very easily throw the entire MLE at him to be a sixth man on next years squad.

Millsap is going to be 35 but the MLE would be fair for an older guy. One last significant title run as a rotational player. In the new age NBA I would experiement with him at the 5 behind Marc.

Favors hasn't been given appropriate opportunity thus far in his career. I would like to see him in a new veteran led environment and try to pass Marc's role off to him, as we shift to the new era.

Leonard has an impressive combination of size and shooting that would be used well off the bench in compliment to Siakam's transition and penetrating game.

Bruno still has an impressive combination of size and shooting. The organization should have always tried to develop him as a 5. I think he could really thrive as a 5 in this league. He is slow due to his unique body type compared to other SFs, but faster than most 5s in the league. He is stronger than he looks and could bang with thicker 5s down low. He's always been a decent rim protector, shooter, and could fit into the transition offense our guys love. I forecast a few haters on this point, let's just put it this way. I rather him than Stanley Johnson.

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Yeah I think secondary stars is probably the way to go. I like the idea of Giannis and unlike you, I'm not as down on our chances of getting him BUT I will almost always prefer keeping my options open rather than putting all my eggs in one basket.

To your point though - Wade never left his team. He brought guys in. That is a really important distinction for two reasons:

1. He was already a proven winner and a top 5 player in the league at the time, I would argue.
2. LBJ and Bosh were both superstars coming from teams that weren't able to get over the hump.

The Kawhi point is legit though. We've seen over and over than you really can't win in the NBA if you don't have a Top 5 guy.

All that to say that outside of Giannis, I don't see any other Top 5 guys that are even POSSIBLY attainable. If Masai thinks he won't come or he himself won't be here, I wouldn't mind if he grabbed the second tier guys. I really really like Oladipo personally but I'm sure they'll be a ton of interest from other teams as well and unfortunately, we don't have a superstar to attract other guys.

[OGLife]

What about free agency and the MLE we have. I see us having some space after we re-sign or let go of Gasol, Ibaka, and FVV.

Any opinions on a FVV sign and trade for Oladipo? It's a low risk move that could pay off. I don't see long term success with FVV due to his size limitation. Unfortunately for us his value is high and we will be expected to pay about 25M/year.

Furthermore I would look at a veteran title chaser. A few names I like are Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari, Derrick Favors, Myers Leonard, and Bruno Caboclo.

Gallinari would be my first target. I am enamoured with players who are 6'10+ and can shoot the way he can. An extreme opinion I hold is, if Gallinari was load managed for the playoffs I can see him having a poor Kevin Durant type of impact on a series. He has elite shooting, ball handling, size, and clutch play. I would very easily throw the entire MLE at him to be a sixth man on next years squad.

Millsap is going to be 35 but the MLE would be fair for an older guy. One last significant title run as a rotational player. In the new age NBA I would experiement with him at the 5 behind Marc.

Favors hasn't been given appropriate opportunity thus far in his career. I would like to see him in a new veteran led environment and try to pass Marc's role off to him, as we shift to the new era.

Leonard has an impressive combination of size and shooting that would be used well off the bench in compliment to Siakam's transition and penetrating game.

Bruno still has an impressive combination of size and shooting. The organization should have always tried to develop him as a 5. I think he could really thrive as a 5 in this league. He is slow due to his unique body type compared to other SFs, but faster than most 5s in the league. He is stronger than he looks and could bang with thicker 5s down low. He's always been a decent rim protector, shooter, and could fit into the transition offense our guys love. I forecast a few haters on this point, let's just put it this way. I rather him than Stanley Johnson.

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

[JerryWestGold]

2 reasons why Nash choose LA:
1- Wanted a shot at a title
2 - As he stated many times LA was closer to phoniex and he wanted to be closer to hes kids.

I think we should focus on trading for a Bradely Beal, then try to sell Giannis of a big three of Beal, Pascal and Giannis.

[bballsparkin]

Also, Nash is not the best example of a Canadian not wanting to play in Toronto. He's a west guy accustomed to the gentler winters. A better example would be someone like Jamal Murray not wanting to play here.

[HeadtopChunes]

2 reasons why Nash choose LA:
1- Wanted a shot at a title
2 - As he stated many times LA was closer to phoniex and he wanted to be closer to hes kids.

I think we should focus on trading for a Bradely Beal, then try to sell Giannis of a big three of Beal, Pascal and Giannis.

Yeah Nash did want to come here but he had just gotten divorced and his kids were in Arizona so he wanted to be close to them.

Also lakers had Kobe then, who did we have lol?

[megalison]

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

[NYG]

If the Knicks offered VanVleet 3 years, $66 Million starting at $21 Million and offered the Raptors the option of making it a sign and trade where they got Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina.

Would the Raptors?
A. Beat that offer and keep VanVleet.
B. Let him take it and go to NY with no sign and trade.
C. Let him take it, but get the return of Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina in the process.

[Zeno]

If the Knicks offered VanVleet 3 years, $66 Million starting at $21 Million and offered the Raptors the option of making it a sign and trade where they got Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina.

Would the Raptors?
A. Beat that offer and keep VanVleet.
B. Let him take it and go to NY with no sign and trade.
C. Let him take it, but get the return of Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina in the process.

This for me is a hard question to answer without knowing two things, the outcome of these playoffs and whether Giannis has signed his extension yet.

If the Raptors go back to back, I think you bring the band back together regardless of cost. If Giannis signs his extension, I think they are even more likely to match any offer for Fred. If he doesn't then they might want to preserve max room capspace.
As far as Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Ntilikina, I'd take that offer but I bet the Raptors would want to squeeze a 2nd rounder on top. I'm not a fan of Kevin Knox. Dennis Smith Jr. is also not that attractive but if the Raptors think they can develop these guys and turn them into assets, I trust their abilities. I do like Frankie on the Raptors though. I'd also ask for Ignas Brazdeikas.

So final answer, if Raptors don't go back to back and if Giannis doesn't sign his extension but the Knicks make this kind of offer, I'd take...

Freddy sign and trade (3 years, 66 million) for Frank Ntilikina, Ignas Brazdeikas, Taj Gibson (expiring) and the better of Charlotte or Detroit's 2021 2nd rounder.

[DreamTeam09]

Didn't really know where else to put this but I like Devin Robinson. Raptors 905 player with absurd hops.

He quietly had a weird good season this year. It was weird because he had career g league lows in his FT and 3pt % but a career high in fg%.

His length makes him a threat on the weakside, playing the passing lanes and protecting the rim. I'm a firm believer that every team should have one of these type of players. Those 3 n 4s n small ball 5 types that can protect the rim, space the floor and play above the rim.

He's a career 32% from 3 and 72% from the line in the g league. I was a fan of Bruno lol n been one of Robinson too. Bruno's missing Robinson feel for the game and Robinson is missing Bruno's jumper. Either way, just wanted to shout-out Robinson.

Maybe he can make the team next year if we don't bring back RHJ. He'd have to beat out OSB or Stanley Johnson or if we draft a rookie.

Any thoughts or feedback on DR??

He's had several big d league games too 30+ 40+ games

[OAKLEY_2]

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potenjtial or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

While I am sure he is OK with Milwaukee I think Toronto would have a massive edge in terms of market. As in world marketing not Geico. If he went to L.A. I'd fold my fan tent because I get no sense the league wants "stars" in Toronto. That Disney Tatum poster with fireworks was the usual you ain't in the advertising in crowd crap. F em.

[Merit]

What about free agency and the MLE we have. I see us having some space after we re-sign or let go of Gasol, Ibaka, and FVV.

Any opinions on a FVV sign and trade for Oladipo? It's a low risk move that could pay off. I don't see long term success with FVV due to his size limitation. Unfortunately for us his value is high and we will be expected to pay about 25M/year.

Furthermore I would look at a veteran title chaser. A few names I like are Paul Millsap, Danilo Gallinari, Derrick Favors, Myers Leonard, and Bruno Caboclo.

Gallinari would be my first target. I am enamoured with players who are 6'10+ and can shoot the way he can. An extreme opinion I hold is, if Gallinari was load managed for the playoffs I can see him having a poor Kevin Durant type of impact on a series. He has elite shooting, ball handling, size, and clutch play. I would very easily throw the entire MLE at him to be a sixth man on next years squad.

Millsap is going to be 35 but the MLE would be fair for an older guy. One last significant title run as a rotational player. In the new age NBA I would experiement with him at the 5 behind Marc.

Favors hasn't been given appropriate opportunity thus far in his career. I would like to see him in a new veteran led environment and try to pass Marc's role off to him, as we shift to the new era.

Leonard has an impressive combination of size and shooting that would be used well off the bench in compliment to Siakam's transition and penetrating game.

Bruno still has an impressive combination of size and shooting. The organization should have always tried to develop him as a 5. I think he could really thrive as a 5 in this league. He is slow due to his unique body type compared to other SFs, but faster than most 5s in the league. He is stronger than he looks and could bang with thicker 5s down low. He's always been a decent rim protector, shooter, and could fit into the transition offense our guys love. I forecast a few haters on this point, let's just put it this way. I rather him than Stanley Johnson.

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

It's not always prudent to view the present through the lens of the past. Steve Nash not coming to Toronto at that time is totally different from what Toronto offers now. As for big markets/small markets - Vince did really well here. Canada is the biggest market geographically and in terms of population. AT least until we get a second team.

[Merit]

I like the idea of bringing back Bruno as a back up C, especially if Chris Boucher gets paid elsewhere.

I think if we go for Gallinari, we may have to kiss our changes at getting Giannis goodbye (unless Masai can orchestrate a trade next summer to free up cap room). I am okay with picking up DG though and have him play forward with Pascal and see where that goes.

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Yeah I think secondary stars is probably the way to go. I like the idea of Giannis and unlike you, I'm not as down on our chances of getting him BUT I will almost always prefer keeping my options open rather than putting all my eggs in one basket.

To your point though - Wade never left his team. He brought guys in. That is a really important distinction for two reasons:

1. He was already a proven winner and a top 5 player in the league at the time, I would argue.
2. LBJ and Bosh were both superstars coming from teams that weren't able to get over the hump.

The Kawhi point is legit though. We've seen over and over than you really can't win in the NBA if you don't have a Top 5 guy.

All that to say that outside of Giannis, I don't see any other Top 5 guys that are even POSSIBLY attainable. If Masai thinks he won't come or he himself won't be here, I wouldn't mind if he grabbed the second tier guys. I really really like Oladipo personally but I'm sure they'll be a ton of interest from other teams as well and unfortunately, we don't have a superstar to attract other guys.

Both Dallas and Detroit didn't have a top 5 player, but still won championships.

Pascal, Kyle and Marc are all arguably superstars.

[Merit]

The key for Toronto is to improve through trade and the draft.

Unfortunately Canada isn't a great FA market.

I would take incremental steps to ensure players in the rotation from 1 to 9 are as high quality as possible. While a superstar is nice if management can bring in a few 2nd tier stars to work together with culture, coaching, and system in place it could be a recipe for success.

Name's I am interested in would be: Oladipo, Gallinari, Holiday, Millsap, Chris Paul, and Andre Roberson.

Giannis is not going to come to Toronto. There is even a chance Ujiri may leave.

It has appeared over the years while winning and championships are great for most players and of high priority there is more emphasis on other aspects of their lives. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh a decade ago left their markets for Miami. Although George stayed in OKC he abruptly left as well. There's also Kawhi.

Using history to depict the future we can see that would mean Giannis would go to a warmer weather city with endorsement potential or he would go to his hometown (not possible). There is no chance he would come to Toronto.

Want a nail in the coffin?

Steve Nash didn't even want to come here and picked a toxic LAL roster to join instead.

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

Climate means a whole lot less when the NBA is planning to move to a December start. Virtually everywhere will be cold, and furthermore - Toronto in the summer? Hands down one of the best places to be in North America.

Giannis is playing in Milwaukee right now. The climate there is comparable. Please, no need to overstate and bring up points that have been accounted for repeatedly.

Given the political climate in the USA, and Canada's response to the pandemic, Canada's way of life is quite appealing. In terms of lifestyle, Miami and LA are great. (Psst. Mona says hello). Most of the Raptors are focused family dudes. In terms of family, it's hard to argue that Miami or LA would be better options than Toronto.

Also, Masai has never said anything about leaving. If anything he's consistently said the opposite. Of course, anything could happen, but if you like those types of odds, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would be happy to sell you.

[Merit]

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

While I am sure he is OK with Milwaukee I think Toronto would have a massive edge in terms of market. As in world marketing not Geico. If he went to L.A. I'd fold my fan tent because I get no sense the league wants "stars" in Toronto. That Disney Tatum poster with fireworks was the usual you ain't in the advertising in crowd crap. F em.

Winning changes everything. Raps brand is the underdog, and I think the city is cool with that. Pascal and Tatum are pretty much a wash and agreed that Toronto is a far better market than Milwaukee. Not to say Milwaukee isn't a solid spot to live, but Toronto's multiculturalism and Northern New York with less violence and better politics vibe is hard to beat.

[OGLife]

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

Climate means a whole lot less when the NBA is planning to move to a December start. Virtually everywhere will be cold, and furthermore - Toronto in the summer? Hands down one of the best places to be in North America.

Giannis is playing in Milwaukee right now. The climate there is comparable. Please, no need to overstate and bring up points that have been accounted for repeatedly.

Given the political climate in the USA, and Canada's response to the pandemic, Canada's way of life is quite appealing. In terms of lifestyle, Miami and LA are great. (Psst. Mona says hello). Most of the Raptors are focused family dudes. In terms of family, it's hard to argue that Miami or LA would be better options than Toronto.

Also, Masai has never said anything about leaving. If anything he's consistently said the opposite. Of course, anything could happen, but if you like those types of odds, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would be happy to sell you.

Let's also not discredit the fact the Raptors are built for a guy like Giannis to come in and be championship contenders in the East.

We can go small:

FVV
Lowry
Powell
Siakam
Giannis

We can go big:

FVV / Powell
OG
Siakam
Giannis
Gasol / Ibaka

All these guys have shown they can play team ball. They move the ball around so beautifully. A guy like Giannis can get so many easy buckets just because this team is built off shooters and ball movement. Giannis will find lanes to score and if you cut that lane off, you're leaving good shooters open for open looks.

Extra big:

Giannis
OG
Siakam
Ibaka
Gasol

Now that is a line up I would love to see. As long as Gasol and Ibaka don't lose too much foot speed, it would be a very hard line up for any team to score on.

[HeadtopChunes]

Wonder if Bagley ends up on the trade block w his issues in SAC?

Could be an interesting upside swing, not sure what i'd trade for him though

[h4rrison]

Team Giants of Africa in 21

Giannis
Serge
Siakam
OG
Oladipo

Bench: Mudiay, Fournier (parents are Algerian), Snell, Gorgui

[megalison]

Nash wanted to win a ring and he was at the end of his career. He choose a roster which looked stacked on paper. Let's get the narrative straight.

Giannis has a lot of endorsement potential here. Way more than in the States. There is no way he is beating LeBron in LA or in the US with endorsement deals.

He is not going to GS because of it would be considered a KD move. Giannis doesn't want that comparison made.

The only other team I believe he would consider is Miami. Other than that, he will either be a Buck or A Raptor.

Giannis does not have more endorsement potential here than in the US. If the league moves to online streaming via YouTube or Twitch, then maybe geography/regional networks no longer matter, but American brands simply aren't going to endorse a player based in Canada who simply won't be seen by their consumers enough.

Climate will probably come into play. Giannis has lived in warm climates throughout his childhood.

If neither of those factors matter to Giannis, then it comes down to competition, family, and professional relationships. Would the Raptors offer a more competitive environment than Mil/LA/Miami? Maybe, but I don't think it's clear cut. Would his family rather live in Toronto over all of Mil/LA/Miami? As much as I love the city, that's a tough argument to make.

So really it comes down to Giannis and Masai's relationship. Is that relationship really that strong? My bet is no. The cherry on top is that Masai may be leaving anyway.

Climate means a whole lot less when the NBA is planning to move to a December start. Virtually everywhere will be cold, and furthermore - Toronto in the summer? Hands down one of the best places to be in North America.

Giannis is playing in Milwaukee right now. The climate there is comparable. Please, no need to overstate and bring up points that have been accounted for repeatedly.

Given the political climate in the USA, and Canada's response to the pandemic, Canada's way of life is quite appealing. In terms of lifestyle, Miami and LA are great. (Psst. Mona says hello). Most of the Raptors are focused family dudes. In terms of family, it's hard to argue that Miami or LA would be better options than Toronto.

Also, Masai has never said anything about leaving. If anything he's consistently said the opposite. Of course, anything could happen, but if you like those types of odds, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would be happy to sell you.

Have you ever been to LA or Miami, or checked the weather report? Like I said, I love Toronto but for an NBA superstar with no ties to Canada, there isn't much Toronto can offer that LA and/or Miami cannot. You mention Toronto in the summer, but what about the cold months of December to April? The fact that you keep on denying climate to be a factor is why the points keep coming up. Climate has legitimately been an issue with prospective free agents in the past!

Regarding politics, sure Canada probably takes this one. By 2021 however, there likely will be a Democrat in office.

The reason why I make these points is because the Giannis-to-Toronto rumours are so damn ridiculous. For him to choose Toronto would mean:

- Poor weather for half the season
- Significantly higher taxes
- His partner would need to move to Canada (she's an American citizen from California by the way)
- Reduced sponsorship potential
- Cutting his ties to Milwaukee

... all for a similar likelihood of winning a championship, and Masai.