Shams - Morant on the market

[WWSRD]

Griz need to trade him now-ish.

Adding him to your roster, and giving up a FRP, if you're rebuilding, is a tough ask given his attitude/production.
Adding him to your roster if you're a good team is tough given that he's really not playing well enough to likely help you.

So......here come the Raptors. For better or worse, the only team willing to give up a FRP for him and with the bad/appropriate contracts to make it work.

You get Ja and it doesn't work, at least you save a year vs. IQ.
You get Ja and it does work. Re-invigorate fanbase. You have your long term starting PG.

Maybe Darko tight with him or something. Thinks he can save him.

I think the Raps go in there with the poopoo platter of IQ / Ochai (or Dick or JKW) and a top 10 protected FRP. Maybe this year's pick.
Who's going to top that?

[MiamiSPX]

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[causal_fan]

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Excellent!

[Gavin_TDThree]

is there a crazy world that we trade for both? Every day both seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper

[TheAlchemist23]

Another guy that could consistently put downhill pressure on the rim, alongside RJ, would be a game changer for our O

[deeps6x]

Trading for Ja now after Trae, a much better fit, was just available for literally free would be peak lunacy.

Agreed.

I get the 'maybe we can rehabilitate him' narrative. But realistically, IQ is the better player now, and will likely be the better player for the rest of his contract as well. So the only reason I'd consider it is if Memphis was attaching picks. Plus, Ja said he wants to go to Miami, about as far from Toronto as you can get.

That said, since I don't think Memphis will attach picks, and I do think Toronto would insist on something extra, what kind of trade would work in the trade machine?

If it's actually a rebuilding year, like Darko claims, then maybe we try for Edey and Spenser. Edey is broken right now, and for who knows how long, but he is the kind of C that can go up against Embiid and the other big Cs in the league. Get Edey and we can move Poeltl somewhere else. Both are useless on the bench, but at least Edey is young. And Spenser at least can shoot a 3. Too small, but he plays the right way. Smart and a good shooter.

To make it work in the trade checker, we'd need to add Agbaji, Dick and Mogbo with IQ.

I'd rather just move Agbaji to get under the tax like and keep rolling with IQ. Re-evaluate in the summer.

[WWSRD]

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It's all good Ja. You're going to love the Ontario winter.

[WWSRD]

Trading for Ja now after Trae, a much better fit, was just available for literally free would be peak lunacy.

Agreed.

I get the 'maybe we can rehabilitate him' narrative. But realistically, IQ is the better player now, and will likely be the better player for the rest of his contract as well. So the only reason I'd consider it is if Memphis was attaching picks. Plus, Ja said he wants to go to Miami, about as far from Toronto as you can get.

That said, since I don't think Memphis will attach picks, and I do think Toronto would insist on something extra, what kind of trade would work in the trade machine?

If it's actually a rebuilding year, like Darko claims, then maybe we try for Edey and Spenser. Edey is broken right now, and for who knows how long, but he is the kind of C that can go up against Embiid and the other big Cs in the league. Get Edey and we can move Poeltl somewhere else. Both are useless on the bench, but at least Edey is young. And Spenser at least can shoot a 3. Too small, but he plays the right way. Smart and a good shooter.

To make it work in the trade checker, we'd need to add Agbaji, Dick and Mogbo with IQ.

I'd rather just move Agbaji to get under the tax like and keep rolling with IQ. Re-evaluate in the summer.

I think you're mistaken. Ja's value is above IQ's. It is reputational in terms of Ja having higher upside.

IQ's number are not good and he has an extra year on his contract vs. Ja.

Toronto is going to be the one attaching a pick to IQ to get Ja.

[TorontoBarneys]

Was Trae the best fit between him and Ball, Morant, and Sabonis? I wonder.

[ArthurVandelay]

Was Trae the best fit between him and Ball, Morant, and Sabonis? I wonder.

Strictly from a basketball perspective, forget all else like health/idiocy/etc, i think the best fit is Ball.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Morant is a declining player.

-Worse shooter,
-Worse point of attack defender player
-More injury prone
-Worse for the team
-Contract is as bad or worse...
-And is a locker room cancer

People stuck on him being a all-star 3+ years ago who the game has past him by.

I wouldn't say he's declining - he's a distressed asset. There have been quite a few stars in a bad situation that don't play well. Get traded, then return to form - i.e Harden, Kawhi, Vince, etc.

Environment and impact on the player matter

3 years worse of worsening stats.

He never was a good to great defender or 3 point shooter.

He was. Suspended in 23-24 and played 9 games, 24/25, played 50 games due to injury, and since then all the team issues have persisted. He had a major injury and then he and then team were at odds. That is far from an ability and skill decline not sure why you are picking this hill to die on.

[Appostis]

I wouldn't say he's declining - he's a distressed asset. There have been quite a few stars in a bad situation that don't play well. Get traded, then return to form - i.e Harden, Kawhi, Vince, etc.

Environment and impact on the player matter

3 years worse of worsening stats.

He never was a good to great defender or 3 point shooter.

He was. Suspended in 23-24 and played 9 games, 24/25, played 50 games due to injury, and since then all the team issues have persisted. He had a major injury and then he and then team were at odds. That is far from an ability and skill decline not sure why you are picking this hill to die on.

You're right..
I'm only looking at shooting and defense..

How about this, what have you seen from this man in the past 3 years that would make you want him on team? His skillfulness at making gun emojis?

[Raptorfan2012]

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I too would like to work in Miami if I had a choice.

[FOB]

Ja seems to be a really shi**y person, not a great teammate, terrible shooter (like we need more of these), and not a good defender either. How anyone could think that's the piece we need is beyond me. You really want to dump 40mil per year into that disaster?

And man, I wanna be able to root for the guys on this team...and I can't for my life imagine myself rooting for the likes of Ja, Miles Bridges, etc. So keep them off my team please and thanks.

[Raptors_128]

The ceiling of the team is much higher with Morant than IQ. He has one less year on his contract and the cost is expected to be low. That’s enough for me to pull the trigger.

Hopefully it’s a Vince Carter situation where he’s half-assing it but if he’s really this bad then at least his contract is off the books faster. We are already closing games with Shead.

[Raps in 4]

Ja seems to be a really shi**y person, not a great teammate, terrible shooter (like we need more of these), and not a good defender either. How anyone could think that's the piece we need is beyond me. You really want to dump 40mil per year into that disaster?

And man, I wanna be able to root for the guys on this team...and I can't for my life imagine myself rooting for the likes of Ja, Miles Bridges, etc. So keep them off my team please and thanks.

His game is also completely reliant on athleticism. Those players stop being productive the moment they exit their physical prime. Or after suffering any kind of semi-major injury to their legs, hip, or back.

[Gavin_TDThree]

Was Trae the best fit between him and Ball, Morant, and Sabonis? I wonder.

Strictly from a basketball perspective, forget all else like health/idiocy/etc, i think the best fit is Ball.

100% it's Ball. Looking at purely skill/style of play and not what's between the ears, definitely Ball

[ArthurVandelay]

Was Trae the best fit between him and Ball, Morant, and Sabonis? I wonder.

Strictly from a basketball perspective, forget all else like health/idiocy/etc, i think the best fit is Ball.

100% it's Ball. Looking at purely skill/style of play and not what's between the ears, definitely Ball

To be fair looking between the ears of Morant or Ball is like looking into the deep dark abyss.

[C_Money]

I don’t think he’s in any position to pick and choose where he wants to get traded to lol.

[Gavin_TDThree]

Strictly from a basketball perspective, forget all else like health/idiocy/etc, i think the best fit is Ball.

100% it's Ball. Looking at purely skill/style of play and not what's between the ears, definitely Ball

To be fair looking between the ears of Morant or Ball is like looking into the deep dark abyss.

hahaha preach