Yahoo: Raps sign Linas Kleiza to 4 year 18.8M offer sheet

[MrBojangelz71]

yayyyy more euros! I understand if a lot of players don't want to come here but right now it doesn't matter. We need draft picks then start winning instead of forcing the issue and signing anyone who wouldnt mind playing in Toronto

Your name explains a lot.

And your name explains nothing...whats your point. Explain to me how this signing makes any sense when we're trying to rebuild. If BC is going to sign anyone it needs to be a pg and try to get rid of Jose.

Oh wow, that makes super sense. Hey BC sign a PG so we can have 4 on our roster than pray to god someone takes Jose off our hands. If not BC, no problems, we have 4 PG's on the roster next seaosn and ONE SMALL FORWARD.

Better Yet, our ONE SMALL FORWARD wants out of our organization. We need to move Hedo much more than Jose, that's a no brainer.

Also, your rebuild concept. Please explain to me how signing a 25 year old to a 4 year contract can't be part of a rebuild. By rebuilding should we just rely on the draft over the next 5 to 8 years and hope that everyone we do draft resigns to nice little contract over and over agin so we can retain them?

You align your assets so that they are all roughly the same age and progress along the same path. Kleiza (25 years old) is a perfect age to grow with Weems (24 years old), Amir (23 years old), Derozan (22 Years old), JAck (27 years old), Andrea Bargnani (25 years old).

He has the grit, toughness and attitude we dearly need, so maybe you can explain how signing him to a deal less the MLE doesn't make sense???? If all you can spout off is he is a Euro and he isn't a PG, save your breath cause you make no sense.

[Condi Rice]

Prediction - Denver matches. Signs and trades him to TO + another contract for Turk.

You heard it from here first!

You missed the part where BC throws in a first round pick.

[springbreak]

Decent pickup - Amir Johnson numbers at a Michael Beasley price!

[TGM]

I guess this confirms a S&T is now coming otherwise they could not use the MLE and would be over the cap.

Nort really, it could also mean we get nothing and BC is using our cap space to sign Kleiza.

[Courtside]

This board is IGNORANT.
...
Sick of seeing people pigeon hole a player because of the color or name...

First off - there are more people that are OK with this or on the fence than opposed. Secondly, just because a handful of the perpetually ignorant knuckle draggers are opposed to this and making racially based comments, it doesn't mean the whole board is ignorant. There are a lot of people telling them to shut the hell up.

[Ong_dynasty]

Yeah he's European, so what? Kleiza can play and that's all that matters. If Denver doesn't match that's pretty good value for a starting SF or a sixth man.

thats whats people said about Calderon, Hedo, belinelli do you see where am going with this a lot of you must not get it if this euro thing worked more people would be doing it. BC just doesn't no how to sprinkle euro on this team. what i mean by that is just add a few who can play hard but he just want to keep pouring on something thats not bin working for him from DAY 1

I never knew were you came from made a difference.
umm and Day 1 we won the atlantic division..not bad for a 27 win team the year before? and if im correct, most people would consider that "working", You can even make an argument that the year after it worked since we also made the playoffs.
i just dont understand why people pigeon hole players because they are from a certain area.
I mean do pacers fans (cant think of an all american team)..go god damnit, we should blame bird because he keeps on taking americans or e.g players from new york.

[douggood]

how did that #1 pick work out for the raptors last time we had it? the draft is not always a good way to build a team.

[Double Helix]

Kleiza isn't very much like any of the internationals we've had over the years. Unlike a lot of guys who came into the league directly from overseas, Kleiza went to an American High School, American College and has played in the NBA for years.

He's about as accustomed to the American style of basketball as any of the big name Canadian kids who went to high school south of the border recently.

This signing is along the lines of the Anthony Parker signing, IMO, in terms of overall value and in some ways better because he's still young enough to fit in with our young core. This contract would end right when he's 29. He's about the same age as Bargnani and Jack.

I think a lot of you guys will come to like this guy if Denver doesn't match. He's a feisty, versatile, 6th man type. I'm okay with this. It's nothing flashy but a lot of you guys were lusting over Rudy Fernandez and I'd argue that Kleiza is in about the same quality range and has the ability to play multiple positions for us depending on who he's playing with/up against.

[UnRealGM]

its hard to root against hard-working guys!

[kedineking]

Yeah he's European, so what? Kleiza can play and that's all that matters. If Denver doesn't match that's pretty good value for a starting SF or a sixth man.

thats whats people said about Calderon, Hedo, belinelli do you see where am going with this a lot of you must not get it if this euro thing worked more people would be doing it. BC just doesn't no how to sprinkle euro on this team. what i mean by that is just had a few who can play hard but he just want to keep pouring on something thats not bin working for him from DAY 1

Other teams are doing it. The day BC starts bringing in only euro's come talk to me. But c'mon, you act like we're the only team with Europeans on it.

ya other teams are doing it the right way adding ones that play ball like the spurs not HUGE LIABILITY at the D side of the court. we get ones that never achieve what there supposed to. and time after time raptors say this one will be different am tired of it. i never seen a GM that sticks to there plans even tho not having any success. its time to go with what works but i guess you like watching this kind of team bosh will to when laughing at the tv that he got out just in time

[ontnut]

how did that #1 pick work out for the raptors last time we had it? the draft is not always a good way to build a team.

[GideonRapfan]

You align your assets so that they are all roughly the same age and progress along the same path. Kleiza (25 years old) is a perfect age to grow with Weems (24 years old), Amir (23 years old), Derozan (22 Years old), JAck (27 years old), Andrea Bargnani (25 years old).

Just wanted to add Alabi (22 years old) and Davis (21 years old).

Wow, are we ever young.

[UnRealGM]

ya other teams are doing it the right way adding ones that play ball like the spurs not HUGE LIABILITY at the D side of the court. we get ones that never achieve what there supposed to. and time after time raptors say this one will be different am tired of it. i never seen a GM that sticks to there plans even tho not having any success. its time to go with what works but i guess you like watching this kind of team bosh will to when laughing at the tv that he got out just in time

lack of defense isnt a problem restricted to european players.

[cp007]

I dont know why everyone is going nuts. If we get Kleiza, then we get an asset. We could flip him for say draft picks if he does well here. Any why wouldnt he? He would get playing time to prove his case.

[Graham's Cracker]

Prediction - Denver matches. Signs and trades him to TO + another contract for Turk.

You heard it from here first!

Actually heard it from Courtside first. But I hope you're both right.

[kdizzle]

Kleiza's 41 pts against Utah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Np8WO4Q ... re=related

[Condi Rice]

BC killing future cap space with these signings... we should be tanking 2010/11 and using future cap space to send out TPE's and getting back picks in those future years.

Oh BC you are desperate now aren't you?

[hops_88]

I really like Kleiza as a player, and seems to be an energy bolt to this team that can mix well with the "young gunz". Also he speaks much better english then I thought he would

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvC7JQ4ZlrM

It is the complete opposite of Turkoglu.. who I thought spoke english very well.. but turns out not so much

[rapsrealm]

BC killing future cap space with these signings... we should be tanking 2010/11 and using future cap space to send out TPE's and getting back picks in those future years.

Oh BC you are desperate now aren't you?

Is tanking going to save BC's job?

[UnRealGM]

Kleiza's 41 pts against Utah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Np8WO4Q ... re=related

posted earlier