One week before the trade deadline…..

[YogurtProducer]

Looking ahead to what a championship team looks like, we need:
1. A superstar(hopefully Scottie develops fully into one or we luck out in the draft and Scottie is a 2 on this list). Alternatively we sign or trade for one.
2. A secondary star (can Quickley or RJ develop into this? Possible, but they are more likely #3s on this list.
3. Above average starters who complement your 1s and 2s on this list. Quickley will probably fit this category and RJ might.
4. Solid rotational pieces or starters on rookie deals/ cheap contracts. You need draft picks and luck for this and if you have an excess of them you could possibly make a trade for a 1. or 2. on this list.

Draft picks this year and next are crucial as they will still be on rookie deals while BBQ are hitting their peak. Trying to bring in a bunch of 23 year olds will be tough as they will all be due a payday at the same time and you cannot keep them all. It also maintains cap flexibility a couple years in the future for FA additions or trades.

That is more hope than an actual plan. As of now, nobody on this team is trending towards a #1 option. Having several secondary tier players isnt something new to us, considering the last few years.

The main problem in the last few years was, in my opionion, that there was always something lacking. Either a center, backup PG etc. and only a true #1 player can balance that out. Kwahi was a perfect example for it.

I believe it is better to build a team up with solid players and then either get lucky in the draft or ad a #1 option that fits.

I sometimes wonder how we would have looked if we traded for Jak in 2022 instead of 2023 (traded a 2022 and 2024 first), and then still did an OG (or Siakam) trade for depth pieces to fill out our bench. It would have been a more complete team.

[Yallbecrazy]

Looking ahead to what a championship team looks like, we need:
1. A superstar(hopefully Scottie develops fully into one or we luck out in the draft and Scottie is a 2 on this list). Alternatively we sign or trade for one.
2. A secondary star (can Quickley or RJ develop into this? Possible, but they are more likely #3s on this list.
3. Above average starters who complement your 1s and 2s on this list. Quickley will probably fit this category and RJ might.
4. Solid rotational pieces or starters on rookie deals/ cheap contracts. You need draft picks and luck for this and if you have an excess of them you could possibly make a trade for a 1. or 2. on this list.

Draft picks this year and next are crucial as they will still be on rookie deals while BBQ are hitting their peak. Trying to bring in a bunch of 23 year olds will be tough as they will all be due a payday at the same time and you cannot keep them all. It also maintains cap flexibility a couple years in the future for FA additions or trades.

Is Brunson now a possible 1? I can see Scottie reach his level in a couple of years. Even a 1b, with two to three 2a's or 2 b's. I think Quickley and Barrett are already 3's that are young and if they improve then can move into the 2 category like Lowry and Derozan were. I'd say they are another 2 away from being to at least where the Sacramento Kings are.

I listed them as tiers, but it is all relative. You can have 2 1s instead of a #1 and a #2 and then you may not need as many #3s or lower ranked #3s.
Nuggets last year fit this perfectly, Celtics have this set up currently. Bucks also had this set up.
When we won we probably had a high end #1 with Kawhi and a bunch of very high end #3s instead of a true #2.

Brunson could be a low#1 or high #2. Knicks right now seem to have a bunch of solid #3s as well.

It is hard to make up for a missing #1 with 3 #2s as those guys often get max or near max contracts and then you can't afford any quality #3 or #4s.

Obviously you can do it other ways, but it's hard to do with a salary cap where quality starters end up getting paid half of what a superstar does. It's also hard to get a true #1, let alone multiple #1s.

Most championship teams in the past have a formula of a superstar, secondary star, quality starters that complement the stars and good rotational pieces and in order to afford the latter two categories some of them need to be on rookie contracts or emerged after signing a bargain deal.

[PhilBlackson]

Praying as many vets are traded as possible (ofc assuming an ok return for each).

[Raptorfan2012]

Looking ahead to what a championship team looks like, we need:
1. A superstar(hopefully Scottie develops fully into one or we luck out in the draft and Scottie is a 2 on this list). Alternatively we sign or trade for one.
2. A secondary star (can Quickley or RJ develop into this? Possible, but they are more likely #3s on this list.
3. Above average starters who complement your 1s and 2s on this list. Quickley will probably fit this category and RJ might.
4. Solid rotational pieces or starters on rookie deals/ cheap contracts. You need draft picks and luck for this and if you have an excess of them you could possibly make a trade for a 1. or 2. on this list.

Draft picks this year and next are crucial as they will still be on rookie deals while BBQ are hitting their peak. Trying to bring in a bunch of 23 year olds will be tough as they will all be due a payday at the same time and you cannot keep them all. It also maintains cap flexibility a couple years in the future for FA additions or trades.

A superstar you say? Like a Top 5 player that every NBA Team is out there looking for? Masai and Bobby better be taking notes.

[Raptorfan2012]

Ok lets say we keep the pick and everyone celebrates etc. What happens if we're bad next year? We're going to have a lot of young players on our team next season and I could easily see us back as a play-in team because of another "development year".

Just so you know a 10 - 15 pick next season will be just as valuable (if not more) than a high lottery pick in this upcoming draft. Something the Spurs would be eternally grateful for.

The Spurs are in great position if we tank. If we miss being bottom 6, they get a superior 7-10 lotto pick. If we make bottom 6, their pick conveys to 2025, a much better draft year. Advantage Spurs either way.

Conversely, if we continue to try to win (don't tank), it'll give us an indication of where BBQ stands. We're 3 games out of the play-in. If we can't make up 3 games over the remaining 35 and then beat the likes of ATL, ORL or CHI in the play-in, then how good is this BBQ core? Better we find out sooner than later. If we make the playoffs, it'll be good experience for BBQ. We "win" either way.

Accordingly, 2025 being the better draft year, we're better off not tanking and losing a lesser 2024 pick. The exception being if Masai thinks there's a high ceiling prospect in the 4-6 spot (assuming we don't get Top 3) then that may be a good enough to tank. Otherwise, we should stay the course and continue to try for the playoffs this season.

Well said, I completely agree

Unfortunately one of the 'Bs' and the 'Q' are currently injured.

[dagger]

So many different opinions about what must be done by the deadline, the perceived worth of particular players, the timelines they offe, etc etc. It just goes to show why expectations get way out of whack.

I can see almost every scenario coming to fruition, even Masai doing absolutely nothing. It depends on the quality of trade offers and the team's perception of how much value they can see in cap space this summer. There will be only a few teams with enough cap space to offer a player $25 million, assuming the Pacers sign Pascal. Houston just used $13 million of its possible cap space taking on Steven Adams. And for young teams with lots of extensions in their future, I'm not at all certain they want to go out there and use it all up on long-term deals. (Detroit is the lone exception to this logic). So if Masai finds offers for players next week are poor value, the seeming worst case is not that bad at all - just letting everyone play out the season and rent out cap space next summer for picks. This would particularly be intriguing if we see more deals next week like the one Memphis did with Houston that reduce the amount of cap space available for next season, making cap space more valuable for us – and more expensive to acquire teams that absolutely have taxon payroll issues,

As crazy as it is, the East standings are such that it wouldn't take much of a run after the deadline to make the play-in because the 9th and 10th place teams right now aren't that far out of reach. I suspect it's not something Masai is focussed on this time, but it would certainly be good experience and move the 2024 pick we convey to SAS out of the top 10.

As for individuals, Bruce Brown is harder to get value for than Gary Trent, because Trent's contract is a bit smaller, and he is a specialist a lot of teams might wish to acquire for his current level of play and his Bird rights, whereas Brown is the kind of player who appeals mainly to a handful of contending teams which, unfortunately, tend to lack the first round pick and/or young talent the Raptors are looming for, and/or are CBA constrained in making a trade. Schroeder might have a market, he is playoff tested, and his contract isn't that large or long, I'f be shocked if Poeltl is traded now, come back in the summer when teams have a chance to retool their rosters. I doubt there is a big market for Boucher. It's easier for me to envision trading Thad or Otto to a team looking for salary relief next season. Heck, it wouldn't totally shock me if Masai added one of the non-Raptor picks in dealing them in order to get a better young player back.

I still suspect something will happen by the deadline, but if per chance nothing happens, I'm not going to see it as necessarily bad. It might actually turn out for the best, either on draft night or through the use of cap space in July.

[dagger]

The Spurs are in great position if we tank. If we miss being bottom 6, they get a superior 7-10 lotto pick. If we make bottom 6, their pick conveys to 2025, a much better draft year. Advantage Spurs either way.

Conversely, if we continue to try to win (don't tank), it'll give us an indication of where BBQ stands. We're 3 games out of the play-in. If we can't make up 3 games over the remaining 35 and then beat the likes of ATL, ORL or CHI in the play-in, then how good is this BBQ core? Better we find out sooner than later. If we make the playoffs, it'll be good experience for BBQ. We "win" either way.

Accordingly, 2025 being the better draft year, we're better off not tanking and losing a lesser 2024 pick. The exception being if Masai thinks there's a high ceiling prospect in the 4-6 spot (assuming we don't get Top 3) then that may be a good enough to tank. Otherwise, we should stay the course and continue to try for the playoffs this season.

Well said, I completely agree

Unfortunately one of the 'Bs' and the 'Q' are currently injured.

Quickley went full practice yesterday, I'd expect him to play tonight. Barrett still out

[Chalky_White]

Hopefully masai doesnt get back to being stubborn and actually manages to trade Bruce for decent value. This team could use another young rotarion piece next to BBQ.

That Stubbornness got him the backcourt of the future through OG and 3 FRPs for Pascal. Ultimately, from a Masai POV, he should not be desperate to trade anyone at this point while teams should be desperate to acquire the Bruce Browns, the Schroeders for their playoffs push.
The Knicks want to play chicken for that first round pick until the deadline? Fine, Masai has no reason to be desperate to trade Brown

Ehh , trading Pascal last summer likely wouldve netted a better return from the Pacers. You couldve at least gotten back guys like Nesmith or Jalen Smith.

[Chalky_White]

Hopefully masai doesnt get back to being stubborn and actually manages to trade Bruce for decent value. This team could use another young rotarion piece next to BBQ.

That Stubbornness got him the backcourt of the future through OG and 3 FRPs for Pascal. Ultimately, from a Masai POV, he should not be desperate to trade anyone at this point while teams should be desperate to acquire the Bruce Browns, the Schroeders for their playoffs push.
The Knicks want to play chicken for that first round pick until the deadline? Fine, Masai has no reason to be desperate to trade Brown

Also, i think a decent young rotation piece should be a priority in a Bruce trade instead of the mediocre picks the Knicks are likely to wanna trade.

Grimes, in particular, seems taylor made for this raptors group. A player with upside who can defend really well and shoot.

[Chalky_White]

Looking ahead to what a championship team looks like, we need:
1. A superstar(hopefully Scottie develops fully into one or we luck out in the draft and Scottie is a 2 on this list). Alternatively we sign or trade for one.
2. A secondary star (can Quickley or RJ develop into this? Possible, but they are more likely #3s on this list.
3. Above average starters who complement your 1s and 2s on this list. Quickley will probably fit this category and RJ might.
4. Solid rotational pieces or starters on rookie deals/ cheap contracts. You need draft picks and luck for this and if you have an excess of them you could possibly make a trade for a 1. or 2. on this list.

Draft picks this year and next are crucial as they will still be on rookie deals while BBQ are hitting their peak. Trying to bring in a bunch of 23 year olds will be tough as they will all be due a payday at the same time and you cannot keep them all. It also maintains cap flexibility a couple years in the future for FA additions or trades.

That is more hope than an actual plan. As of now, nobody on this team is trending towards a #1 option. Having several secondary tier players isnt something new to us, considering the last few years.

The main problem in the last few years was, in my opionion, that there was always something lacking. Either a center, backup PG etc. and only a true #1 player can balance that out. Kwahi was a perfect example for it.

I believe it is better to build a team up with solid players and then either get lucky in the draft or ad a #1 option that fits.

Why don't you see that Scottie's growth could be similar to Kawhi's? Scottie has already developed above average 3pt shooting. He just needs more experience and the turnovers should go down. Also just keep developing.

Kawhi ascended to allstar status in a small market at age 24, Barnes got snubbed at age 22 but is close. Barnes A/T is over 2 while it took Kawhi until age 29. Barnes gets more blocks than steals, which Kawhi is elite in steals. Barnes' steals + blocks is almost 3 which is comparable to Kawhi. Barnes put up points in the 4th quarter so that bodes well for his ability to be clutch.

Kawhi was an allstar by year 4 and MVP-caliber by year 6.

We should know more about Scottie's potential ceiling by next season, i think.

[ash_k]

Hopefully masai doesnt get back to being stubborn and actually manages to trade Bruce for decent value. This team could use another young rotarion piece next to BBQ.

That Stubbornness got him the backcourt of the future through OG and 3 FRPs for Pascal. Ultimately, from a Masai POV, he should not be desperate to trade anyone at this point while teams should be desperate to acquire the Bruce Browns, the Schroeders for their playoffs push.
The Knicks want to play chicken for that first round pick until the deadline? Fine, Masai has no reason to be desperate to trade Brown

Ehh , trading Pascal last summer likely wouldve netted a better return from the Pacers. You couldve at least gotten back guys like Nesmith or Jalen Smith.

It was the right time to trade him, after not getting Dames in the summer then at 12-19 with OG/the full-lineup: It was the right time.
Gary Trent Jr is the same age as Nesmith and has showed more potential than Aaron. We are good there with the Jordan's return giving us Norman Powell's vibe

[Yallbecrazy]

Looking ahead to what a championship team looks like, we need:
1. A superstar(hopefully Scottie develops fully into one or we luck out in the draft and Scottie is a 2 on this list). Alternatively we sign or trade for one.
2. A secondary star (can Quickley or RJ develop into this? Possible, but they are more likely #3s on this list.
3. Above average starters who complement your 1s and 2s on this list. Quickley will probably fit this category and RJ might.
4. Solid rotational pieces or starters on rookie deals/ cheap contracts. You need draft picks and luck for this and if you have an excess of them you could possibly make a trade for a 1. or 2. on this list.

Draft picks this year and next are crucial as they will still be on rookie deals while BBQ are hitting their peak. Trying to bring in a bunch of 23 year olds will be tough as they will all be due a payday at the same time and you cannot keep them all. It also maintains cap flexibility a couple years in the future for FA additions or trades.

A superstar you say? Like a Top 5 player that every NBA Team is out there looking for? Masai and Bobby better be taking notes.

You missed the point I was making about how it is crucial to get quality players from the draft to round out the roster as they won't be making much $. Keeping the pick and hitting on a top 6 pick is crucial and if we also get another quality rotational player with another one of our picks then the future is very bright.