Bill Simmons RIPS the Raptors roster and salaries. (UPDATE Zach Lowe & Rob Mahoney go in on Raptors)

[brownbobcat]

If we had that extra 7 million (IQs contract drops to 25 million) we don't have the roster space to add anyone and no one is out there who would earn playing time over what we have. Plus we want to see our youth develop and they need playing time so we can make judgements.

There isn't a better backup center just waiting. SG/SF/PF are jammed already and PG looks three deep already.

Ehhh, jammed with what? It's arguably a bottom-5 backcourt rotation.

[Los_29]

If we had that extra 7 million (IQs contract drops to 25 million) we don't have the roster space to add anyone and no one is out there who would earn playing time over what we have. Plus we want to see our youth develop and they need playing time so we can make judgements.

There isn't a better backup center just waiting. SG/SF/PF are jammed already and PG looks three deep already.

Ehhh, jammed with what? It's arguably a bottom-5 backcourt rotation.

I think he was referring to SG/SF/PF that are jammed.

BI, SB, RJ, CMB, Ochai, Walter and Gradey is actually quite good. No superstars but the depth is there.

PG depth is a weakness. Shead needs to take another step forward. If he can then we have a nice tandem with him and IQ.

[Shakril]

Bill simmons is a hack, not a sports analyst. If he hates a team, he will always rip them. Cant wait, to see him beeing shut up. The only bad contract we have is IQ, and thats not even really bad just unfortunate.

[LoganAndWade]

Bobby has to go too, that Poeltl contract is just disgusting and we can't blame Masai for that. Hopefully Ed Rogers cleans house.

No, no it's not! What a ridiculous thing to say

[Clutch0z24]

I get what hes saying....We do have a very expensive roster for the record the last few years....This year is the year we either prove they are worth that money and we end up a top 6 in the East and actually are competitive in the playoffs....Or we look foolish and are paying this much in salary to a team that can't make the playoffs and are struggling to win games...

There is no in between....This year is make or break it year....You either show you can win or you tear the whole thing to the ground and draft well.

[Appostis]

When was the last time Bill had anything good to say about the Raptors? It's his norm.

Hell did he even have good things to say during the championship season?

[onions17]

I clicked this thread because the title reads like a sensationalized YouTube clip title

[manjusaka]

Don’t mind a report like this. We are coming off a losing season. Guys with a contract need to prove they are worthy. When we are winning, those murmurs will disappear.

[Anticon]

Here are some notable PGs near quickley's salary range

30-40m
-Derrick White
-Fred Van Vleet
-Tyler Herro
-Jrue Holiday
-Jalen Brunson
-Jalen Suggs
-Lamelo
-Tyrese Maxey
-Darius Garland
-Ja Morant


I dunno - his production shows he isn't exactly an overpay like an OG Anunoby is.

The real danger is really on Barnes, Ingram and Quickley, if they are failures next season we will have 3 toxic contracts we won't be able to get rid of.

Barrett has gotten unnecessary hate from this board for reasons I will never understand.

I agree on this. The IQ contact is in range, presuming he can return to form. He might be, what, $3 or $4 million overpaid, taking into account a Toronto premium?

Ingram does stick out for me. If the comparables to him are guys like Siakam and OG, then the salary makes sense. But compares to Randle, that looks like $10 million over market.

Some of it is this offseason and the surprising shift to solid value contracts. We will see how it looks next year.

[Yallbecrazy]

pretty sure he also criticised the Kawhi trade.
Glad we have fans of the team I hate that hates us just as much, lets you know it is a true rivalry.

[OakleyDokely]

The Raps have a full 15 man roster with solid depth and with a little maneuvering during the season, will be under the tax. Isn't that the goal for a non title contender?

In the end, if they win, they will shut people up. That's the only way. People dumped on the Pistons and Magic for years until they didn't. People dumped on the Raptors with Lowry/DD until they didn't.

[mtcan]

lol...the team is better than the record. If he isn't acknowledging the last 2 seasons were all about intentional tanking and adding talent...his opinion is meaningless.

Any idiot can look at the cost of this roster and criticize it because of the performance over the past 2 seasons...but context matters. Sitting guys intentionally in hopes of keeping a top 8 protected pick and then sitting guys to hope for the chance at Cooper Flagg...that is the last 2 seasons for someone with half a brain. Ripping the cost of the roster by just looking at wins and losses is a casual take...and clearly Bill Simmons is a casual.

As it has been said... evaluate the cost of the roster when we are actually trying to win.

[ArthurVandelay]

Bill Simmons needs engagement, so diss Raptors. Never fails.

He’s just too early. This core hasn’t played to win yet. His criticism could be justified in 5-6 months though.

[OakleyDokely]

The other thing is, people like Bill are still looking at the actual dollar amounts and not the % of the cap. The cap has risen significantly over the last few years. Bill acts like it's still 2008.

Salary rank, 25/26 season:
IQ - 25th among Gs
RJ - 32nd among Gs
BI - 17th among Fs
SB - 15th among Fs
JP - 14th among C's

[Shakril]

Bobby has to go too, that Poeltl contract is just disgusting and we can't blame Masai for that. Hopefully Ed Rogers cleans house.

You do understand, that we are getting Poeltl for cheap? The next two years only 20 mil, and the years after 26, 28 and 30, where the last year only has a 5 mil guarantee.

Guys who are worse than poeltl are getting more right now and you complain about it.

[OakleyDokely]

Bobby has to go too, that Poeltl contract is just disgusting and we can't blame Masai for that. Hopefully Ed Rogers cleans house.

You do understand, that we are getting Poeltl for cheap? The next two years only 20 mil, and the years after 26, 28 and 30, where the last year only has a 5 mil guarantee.

Guys who are worse than poeltl are getting more right now and you complain about it.

Yup, people still don't get the Poeltl contract. There's 5 years total and only 98M is guaranteed.

[ForeverTFC]

Bill doesn’t like us so not a surprise.

Btw - Naz Reid is a terrible contract. As Bontemps said on the Hoop Collective: what’s the difference between Bobby Portis and Naz Reid?

[DutchCanuck]

Simmons always goes after the Raptors this is old news.

[C Court]

Podcasters drive more clicks and earn more money by making outrageous and provocative statements.

Simmons’ is trying to put more cash in his pocket.

[sidsid]

Managing your roster and salaries is the most important aspect of a GM's job outside of the more luck based art of drafting.

There is no "Toronto premium". There is a number that is acceptable for the org to provide, and there is no getting around constructing a roster without having some of those market or below contracts on your roster. There are many ways to do this (stocking up on cheap draft capital, leveraging RFA to extract concessions, trading talent at peak for bargain assets), and this FO is allergic to all of them.

When almost every part of your roster is 3 to 5+mil over market, there isn't much difference between you and the Bucks having 20mil of dead cap.

I'm sure there's a "Memphis premium", but they hit a wall on their current build and traded a piece of that core in his peak for more value than he's worth (hello FVV!); many cheap, premium assets. They don't spend Every. Single. Offseason trying to find ways to leverage their cheapest, most valuable asset, their 1st round pick (hello RJ+9!) just to pay above market somewhere else (hello BI, Thad, KO, etc!), or fix a previous trade where you also are paying a premium (hello OG trade!).

There are plenty of successful small markets who prioritize that value and don't end up in our situation for that reason.