Max deals will cripple teams in the long-run

[TGM]

Thought this deserved a separate thread, but one of my biggest concerns for the Raps was if we did keep Pascal and OG that we ended up maxing both guys. As much as people might think it wouldn't happen, just look at the money that Fred got. This is where I think cap management is critical. Someone like Scottie deserves to be maxed out, but over the years we are seeing so many player get maxed out cause of teams needing to throw hail mary passes. Instead 20-25 million is really the way to manage your cap space. This is where the recent OG trade positions us well as a team from a cap perspective. 20-25 million deals are way more tradeable then deals in the 40-50 range. This is why guys like Beal and even Lillard don't command the premium that people expect and why Lavine's deal is absolutely unmovable. So despite all the criticism Masai is given for not extending Pascal, maybe the exact issue he sees is overpaying Pascal will create a Lavine or Beal situation especially where Pascal's age is at.

Now with RJ at around 25 per year. Jakob at 20 per year. Barnes will get maxed in the 40s. IQ at around 20-25 per year. You got 4 out of your starting 5 at around 100 million bucks. Thats not bad cap management at all. RJ is 23 and IQ is 24. So these guys still have room to grow. Under the existing contracts they are in. This is how you potentially create a contender again.

Now Masai just needs to move Siakam for a few more good pieces.

[greekman]

they won't get good pieces for siakam. the best option is just to sign him and and keep him

[JN]

Part of the reason FVV got a massive deal was that he was willing to take only a 2 year deal, and that fits well with a young team who has plenty of cap space for another 2 years.

It becomes more difficult for a team to make a big overpayment when it goes out 4 years and it messes with some moves towards the end of that tenure. And I'm pretty sure OG and PS want at least 4 year deals.

Although I think Siakam will get close to / or the max regardless.

[bobbyp3588]

they won't get good pieces for siakam. the best option is just to sign him and and keep him

Lay off the drugs.

Of course they’ll be able to get some good young pieces for Pascal. He’s a more valuable piece than OG and we just got 2 young starters for him.

Maybe you’re just being a contrarian on purpose. Some peeps are difficult like that.

[CPT]

You may have a point, but generally max deals don't hurt teams, giving max deals to non-max players (like Beal and Lavine) is what does it. Siakam may very well be in that group, even if I think he's better than those players.

I'm actually more worried about having a bunch of mid-level (not the literal MLE) contracts in that 20-30 million range for guys who just aren't that important.

To address the Raptors-specific part of this, yeah it would be nice to lock up 4 starters for 100 mill, but if those starters are IQ, Barrett, Barnes, and Poeltl, what are you really doing? I have high hopes for Quickley, but as it stands, only one of those 4 would be an above-average starter, and two might even be below-average to borderline starters. That mystery 5th starter (or Quickley, I guess) better be an All-Star or better, or your team won't be very good.

[dagger]

The Poeltl contract is interesting because it's flatlined (4x$19.5m). I am thinking that the Raptors will look to do more of that. For example, they could conceivably give Quickley the high end of his range to get a similar flat-lining. Flat-lined contracts help a team manage the cap/tax situation because the cap keeps rising, so these contract become a diminishing percentage of team finances.

[Brinbe]

This is why I wouldn't mind a dejounte deal. That contract should age well in the coming years. Should help things once Scottie is ready for the big money extension coming his way down the road.

[bluerap23]

With OG gone and IQ deal starting at 23-25 this is no longer an issue. Scottie max is not a real max unless he gets to designated player. I’ll post updated cap sheet soon. Pascal at max is not an issue. Still think he gets traded for basketball reasons though.

[Westside Gunn]

OG will be commanding a max?

[Johnny Bball]

With OG gone and IQ deal starting at 23-25 this is no longer an issue. Scottie max is not a real max unless he gets to designated player. I’ll post updated cap sheet soon. Pascal at max is not an issue. Still think he gets traded for basketball reasons though.

Pascal at the max is an issue for GTJ. I think you will find Pascal at the max, paying Barrett, signing IQ, using the MLE will pin this team right up against the tax.

[James_Raptors]

IQ isn't getting less than 25mill per, and if I had to bet it'll be 27mill.

[Sticks]

IQ isn't getting less than 25mill per, and if I had to bet it'll be 27mill.

Doubt it.

I see 23per

[dagger]

With OG gone and IQ deal starting at 23-25 this is no longer an issue. Scottie max is not a real max unless he gets to designated player. I’ll post updated cap sheet soon. Pascal at max is not an issue. Still think he gets traded for basketball reasons though.

Pascal at the max is an issue for GTJ. I think you will find Pascal at the max, paying Barrett, signing IQ, using the MLE will pin this team right up against the tax.

It's right up against the tax every season. I do think Masai will weigh the return on trading expiring contracts vs using the full MLE next season.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

OG will be commanding a max?

He was supposedly OK with taking les to play in NY.

[James_Raptors]

IQ isn't getting less than 25mill per, and if I had to bet it'll be 27mill.

Doubt it.

I see 23per

During the negotiations in NY, he was asking for 25mill , as a backup playing 24mins per game behind Brunson.
He's the Raptors starting PG of the future, and you don't think he'll squeeze another 2mill out of that to cap out? Of course he will, he has us by the proverbial balls, and we wouldn't even consider quibbling over 2mill, that's petty and silly. Not to mention, rumours are San Antonio and possibly Orlando may be interested in signing offer sheets, which Toronto will obviously be forced to match. Either way, no chance it's under 25mill.

[artsncrafts]

Purtle's $20M cripples the team more than a Siakam max (assuming Masai doesnt trade him like he should have)

[Ell Curry]

We might be able to move RJ to some team who strikes out in free agency like Detroit, Charlotte, Utah or Washington.

[mihaic]

og on a max deal I agree, not worth it. I think I wouldn't max Pascal either. Perhaps Barnes is the only guy worth maxing on our roster, in the future, as long as his progress is steady.

[Merit]

Purtle's $20M cripples the team more than a Siakam max (assuming Masai doesnt trade him like he should have)

We are just gonna agree to disagree.

Poeltl is fine. We need his size and he can move the ball. He’s the classic player who plays up with talent around him.

Let’s move on from Thad, OPJ, Boucher, Gary etc.

If we move pascal and get one of Bogie or Dejounte plus griffin I’m good. Or TM3, Nance and Hawkins.

I would also like to see us get Killian Hayes. He’s stuck on Detroit the way IQ was stuck in NY.

[DatHomieYouHaTe]

Max deals have to be superstars and that's it.. cannot sacrifice your cap for guys like Siakam and OG... Depth will take a huge hit and you'll have no bench