Stein/Fischer: Toronto willing to deal RJ Barrett, IQ, Poeltl for Significant Upgrades // #9 Available

[Tripod]

I am just passing the time, but I would have to assume buyer’s remorse on IQ?

im quite bullish on iq and think he's gonna have a good year with us. just comes down to health.

maybe they feel jamal shead fits better than IQ

Or maybe they actually like IQ and have no intention of moving him unless it's for a superstar?

People are so quick to react to a player having 1 down year or 1 year dealing with injuries. When he played, he played well. We will 100% need his shooting...something Shead can't do. Shead is a backup.

[NotMyKawhi]

I like Monk, Derozan and Ellis plus a 1st for IQ and RJ. Saves money. Prefer Ellis at PG over a shooting pg. Makes it easier to trade for a star.

[tsherkin]

I like Monk, Derozan and Ellis plus a 1st for IQ and RJ. Saves money. Prefer Ellis at PG over a shooting pg. Makes it easier to trade for a star.

Isn't Ellis just a SG playing at the point? You're talking about Keon, right?

[tsherkin]

im quite bullish on iq and think he's gonna have a good year with us. just comes down to health.

maybe they feel jamal shead fits better than IQ

Or maybe they actually like IQ and have no intention of moving him unless it's for a superstar?

People are so quick to react to a player having 1 down year or 1 year dealing with injuries. When he played, he played well. We will 100% need his shooting...something Shead can't do. Shead is a backup.

Quickley is a good ATB shooter, for sure, but I think folks are looking for more of an initiator who can do more than just get his own shot. He's an okay passer, for sure, but it'd be nice to have an upgrade. Of course, lots of things would be nice, heh.

[ATLTimekeeper]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

[Tor_Raps]

How about we let Shead be an elite backup PG for a full season first before we talk about him starting in any capacity.

Franchises that handout starting jobs to guys like him, Dick and so on without actually earning it are typically what the likes of Charlotte do...

[Tor_Raps]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

Building a roster around a 37 year old KD is the biggest sign your franchise is cooked. Please God don't let anything close to what you're saying actually happen lol

[bobbyp3588]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

Building a roster around a 37 year old KD is the biggest sign your franchise is cooked. Please God don't let anything close to what you're saying actually happen lol

This!

[NinjaBro]

All these rumors are making me nervous. Say no to KD.

[Scase]

iq posted some seriously good numbers when he played. i like shead too but he's still a backup.

i just want a healthy year for all our guys (whoever is on the roster) just to see what we really have.

iq can be a super sniper and catch and shoot guy from 3.

Eh, what? He's put up similar or worse numbers here as he did with the Knicks, his efficiency is the same or worse than his last 100+ games in NYC, his AST% went up, but so has his USG% and general MPG.

What numbers have been "seriously" good? I can jive with similar performance as in NYC, but seriously good? No one on this team in years has put up seriously good numbers on anything lol

Maintaining efficiency while increasing usage and minutes is a good thing. And hard to accomplish.

Doing so while also increasing playmaking stats like AST% is very, very good. Meanwhile, a PG dramatically improving his AST% is one of those big difference makers in terms of assessing how well a PG is playing.

All of that ignoring how much of his time here has been injured or recovering from injury, which tends to mean a player plays worse or less efficient than when healthy.

He hasn't done that, as outlined below. But which one is it? His numbers have improved, or he's been injured and players tend to play worse when injured, cause it can't be both.

iq posted some seriously good numbers when he played. i like shead too but he's still a backup.

i just want a healthy year for all our guys (whoever is on the roster) just to see what we really have.

iq can be a super sniper and catch and shoot guy from 3.

Eh, what? He's put up similar or worse numbers here as he did with the Knicks, his efficiency is the same or worse than his last 100+ games in NYC, his AST% went up, but so has his USG% and general MPG.

What numbers have been "seriously" good? I can jive with similar performance as in NYC, but seriously good? No one on this team in years has put up seriously good numbers on anything lol

You answered your own question. He’s maintained his efficiency while increasing volume and usage. That’s great and not the norm by any means.

If we want to nit pick, it’s that he and Scottie have very little going together. But that’s as much - if not more - on Scottie and his inability to set a half decent screen and play as the roll man. I also would have liked a bit more creativity on drives but that was always wishful thinking.

But he hasn't, and that's my point. That's why I said same or worse, cause I was trying to not be overly negative about it.

Last 100+ games in NYC he averaged about 59% TS%, in his total time with us, he's averaged about a little under 57% TS%. So he's gotten noticeably worse with a marginal increase to USG% 22% vs 25%. His TOV% is up 10% vs 9%. His AST% rate is up, as is RJ's, because they have both been asked to handle the ball more due to injuries, our team wide AST/g are identical this year vs last, 28.5 vs 28.5. Meanwhile Scotties AST% has marginally increased, despite his AST/g actually dropping from 6.1 to 5.8. All this means is that someone has to make the pass to a scoring player in a pass heavy offence.

I'm not trying to say IQ is awful or anything, but nothing he has done since being here would qualify as "seriously good". At best, he's stagnated, but realistically (due to injuries or otherwise) has gotten demonstrably worse. If people want to say he's played about as expected and has been injured so they expect better next season, that's completely reasonable and I can get behind it, but I don't see any purpose in gassing him up and lying about objective results.

[Pointgod]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

Building a roster around a 37 year old KD is the biggest sign your franchise is cooked. Please God don't let anything close to what you're saying actually happen lol

I mean it’s amazing that everyone can see this is a bad idea except massive homers and apparently our front office.

[Godaddycurse]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

Suns tried that and it was a disaster.

[tsherkin]

iq posted some seriously good numbers when he played.

Scase has addressed this. IQ has posted some pretty solid box score averages, for sure. about 17/6 for us. Closer to 19/7 right after the trade, while he and Barrett were both going bananas.... though that was at 56.4% TS and he was at 57.0% TS this year when he played. So that's about 0.5% to 1% below 2025 league average while he's been a Raptor, which is far from "seriously good." It's decent as a secondary option, but it's nothing stunning.

His career TS% with New York was 56.6%, so about the same... but that's probably misrepresentative, because he was at 55.7, 54.3 and 57.8 with them over his 3 full seasons (almost always coming off the bench, mind), and then 59.8% in 30 games off the bench prior to the trade. He has been below league-average efficiency every year of his career, though only by about 0.3% in 2023.

Quickley is pretty weak from inside the arc. This isn't new. He's a career 86 2P+ guy, which is why his efficiency is mediocre despite a very good FTr and his shooting proficiency from 3.

So what we're getting is Quickley starting, and thus putting up more volume numbers, WITHOUT maintaining efficiency, having moved into a starter's role instead of his usual bench sparkplug role.

We'll have to see what he looks like this season.

[WuTang_OG]

- Suns want draft capital back
- eyes on #2 pick (lol)
- Rockets 10 pick open for business
- Suns told agents they are getting another pick in late lotto or somewhere else in first round
- offers r getting more serious

Watch on YouTube

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[ash_k]

If you have KD + Ingram you don't need RJ or IQ. One goes to bring in KD, the other goes to back-fill depth to fit KD-Ingram-Scottie. The Raptors are basically saying, 'whatever gets the deal done' and then they work on building up a roster full of vets for KD.

Building a roster around a 37 year old KD is the biggest sign your franchise is cooked. Please God don't let anything close to what you're saying actually happen lol

what about his missing 465 games due to injuries (+15 for 2025/26), meaning he has missed about 6 years of playing time thus his body is more like ~32 years old? better?

[Tripod]

I am just passing the time, but I would have to assume buyer’s remorse on IQ?

From the second the ink dried, but having two players that dont fit and getting rid of one that does, makes no sense at all.

And those of us that wanted to trade OG for a massive pick package were brow beaten that Masai got the best package

And by massive you mean 3 crap Knick picks that were not even all guaranteed 1sts.

[PushDaRock]

iq posted some seriously good numbers when he played.

Scase has addressed this. IQ has posted some pretty solid box score averages, for sure. about 17/6 for us. Closer to 19/7 right after the trade, while he and Barrett were both going bananas.... though that was at 56.4% TS and he was at 57.0% TS this year when he played. So that's about 0.5% to 1% below 2025 league average while he's been a Raptor, which is far from "seriously good." It's decent as a secondary option, but it's nothing stunning.

His career TS% with New York was 56.6%, so about the same... but that's probably misrepresentative, because he was at 55.7, 54.3 and 57.8 with them over his 3 full seasons (almost always coming off the bench, mind), and then 59.8% in 30 games off the bench prior to the trade. He has been below league-average efficiency every year of his career, though only by about 0.3% in 2023.

Quickley is pretty weak from inside the arc. This isn't new. He's a career 86 2P+ guy, which is why his efficiency is mediocre despite a very good FTr and his shooting proficiency from 3.

So what we're getting is Quickley starting, and thus putting up more volume numbers, WITHOUT maintaining efficiency, having moved into a starter's role instead of his usual bench sparkplug role.

We'll have to see what he looks like this season.

PG's have a 55.8 TS%, so he's still above average for his position as a Raptor.

IQ in 27 games as a starter for the Knicks put up 21.7 ppg 5 rpg and 4.9 apg on 58.9 TS%. So, he was actually more efficient as a starter than he was as the so called spark plug off the bench. In general, he's played better as a starter than he has as a bench player.

I think there is also circumstances to consider for his time here as a Raptor. He came in a trade mid-season and was given more PG responsibility. We saw his AST% jump from 15.9% to 29.5% last season after getting traded and it took him some time to adjust to the new role. Then, of course this season he got hurt 3 different times and never really got a chance to get going and by the time he got healthy we were tanking games and limiting everyone's minutes. Overall, he's shown some flashes and there's reason for optimism that he hasn't shown his best yet.

[CazOnReal]

So if the KD thing isn’t happening and we are moving on to Malik ‘the big fish’ Monk, I wonder how that deal might be constructed.
Perhaps if we moved IQ to the Kings for Monk, Val and some draft compensatio… maybe a spurs 1st 2027 they received from the fox trade, though to me that’s not enough.

Besides for the sake of making a trade, any trade, why on earth would we do this?

Best guess is we hope to fleece Carter or Murray from the Kings after the latter had another year of regression

[niQ]

Read on Twitter

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[PhilBlackson]

- Suns want draft capital back
- eyes on #2 pick (lol)
- Rockets 10 pick open for business
- Suns told agents they are getting another pick in late lotto or somewhere else in first round
- offers r getting more serious

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=BleacherReport

Hopefully keyword there…LATE lotto.

I’m praying that is being properly used to describe what portion of the lotto that is. Even if they didn’t mean late 1st but late lotto as in top 15 lottery picks. I would think the 9th is still more mid than late (1-5 top of the lotto, mid 6-10, late 11-15).

I’m praying that’s the right interpretation because under the criteria you would think it’s more so between SAS, MIN or even HOU is on the borderline. But you would think they’d say “mid to late lotto”. I admit I might be too hung up on the literal interpretation but I’m just praying it’s someone else because this KD idea just doesn’t feel right to me at all.