TheRaptor! wrote:Clutch0z24 wrote:TGM wrote:
Agree we shouldn’t be playing for the middle. Given that we have Scottie we aren’t going to tear it down and rebuild so it makes the whole direction pretty easy. The issue with most fans is people want top 10 players at top 30 value. Just doesn’t happen cause top 10 players rarely come on the market.
The Raps are not in a horrible situation, but also not in the best like a SA or OKC. Let me lay out realistic options on how they compete.
1. Push the chips in and mortgage the next 5-6 years on someone like Giannis. You pretty much hope Barnes, Giannis and Ingram along with some role players can win you a chip. It’s a strong team, but not sure if we are top 4 in the league. I would probably do it.
2. You trade for reclamation projects that are undervalued due to their team taking a different direction. Reclamation projects come in two groups, guys buried in depth and stars that are on teams just not looking to compete and need to fire sale. Sabonis, Ja, Sharpe, White, Monk, Kyrie, Gafford are some players that fall in that group. Just think when th Bulls dealt Markanen to the Jazz or when the Cavs dealt Sexton. These are quality players at fractional prices.
3. Value snipe as a 3rd team in big trades. Nets, OKC and Jazz are absolutely rapists when it comes to this. They always find a way to absorb large salaries that are partially reclamation projects with potential while gaining draft capital. They usually do it by cycling expiring contracts in return or provide cap space absorption.
4. Roll the dice on high risk high reward stars. Davis, Young, LaMelo. These are guys that come at a 50% discount because of injury, contract demands, etc… I personally feel this group you stay away unless it is 30 cents on the dollar.
Option 1 gives you the most certainty but if it fails you set the team back several years and will need to be ready for a full rebuild. It is a more sensible strategy for free agent attractive markets as even though they gift up assets they can always pick back up tier 1 players at no cost. Miami, GS, LA, NY are teams that fall in that category.
Option 2 is really what makes the most sense for the Raptors. Get a guy like Sabonis who won’t cost a kings ransom. You are a competitive playoff team. You bam on improvement across your roster and keep liquid enough to still pull off an option 1 move when ready.
Option 3 is another one, but it would need to be something where Giannis is going to NY and they need to move someone like Towns but the Bucks not wanting Towns and prefer pics and younger players back.
Option 4 is just not the type of deal we can risk unless the price is absolutely low. If it means giving up a few of our larger contracts, IQ, Jak and 1 first rounder and a bench player like Dick sure, but anything that needs two starters, 2 first a CMB and Dick should be avoided. Such a trade can absolutely blow up and the team is caught in limbo and out of assets to make a meaningful move going forward.
Yep i think Raptor fans tend to say every player that is on the trade market sucks.....Donovan Mitchell when he was on the market "Sucked and shot chucker" , KD "Sucks and old can't lead a team", All these guys on the market now no one likes....
Giannis would obviously be the one guy who could actually make us legit contenders but the only way he comes here is if he hand picks us as the destination he wants to come to because we would not have the assets to win in a trade for him anyways....Rockets/Spurs/Okc easily outbid us....Prolly other teams could as well we lack alot of enticing assets outside of Barnes for that kind of a player....
I think Raptors fans want to play the "Lets compete" but think every player thats not on the Raptors suck.....Or in Raptors fans minds the only way we make a trade is for Giannis, Shai, Doncic, Kawhi, Jokic anything outside of that they all suck....That is so far from reality with what we could even get in a trade because we lack the attractive assets to even trade for these kind of players to begin with....Let alone them even being available....
Chances are if a trade is made for a player it will be for one of these flawed guys Morant/Ball/Sabonis/AD/Trae type of players....Idek if we have the assets to get that trade done....We will see how it goes though...
I remember that!!
What a huge joke that was, a top SG was some how a bad player haha
The Mitchell trade has aged pretty well, it’s the team around him that’s been a disappointment. There’s a certain segment of Raptors fans that **** on every non Raptors player and overrated our own players.
