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

[Brinbe]

60 pages?

Really?

This is NOTHING... You'll see as soon as Summer League starts up

[Wo1verine]

^ or when we trade for Al Jefferson

[SargentBargs101]

good move to front load the contract??

[premium plus]

The Raptors will always be a bottom feeder team.

It's evident now that the Raps will never be any sort of a contender. Get used to life with a crappy team because that's how it's always going to be here. Good players just don't want to come here. And if we force them to through a trade, they'll just walk out the door at the first chance they get.

Our only way to get players is to over pay mediocre players that will just go where they'll get the most money. Kleiza is another example of this.

I'm not trolling or even being pessimistic. This is just how it is...and it's an unfortunate reality.

[jman3134]

Good: Frontloading the contract.
Bad: Way overpaid for a guy Denver probably wouldn't have gone so far out of their way to offer a contract. (just conjecture, but I assume they wouldn't given his exit/their payroll)

I would disagree on the "way overpaid" part. If you have seen what the rest of the FA contracts have looked like this summer, I would say they got good value. Kleiza was a low-minute, high- production player for the Nuggets and was the Euroleague scoring leader last year. Yes, the Euroleague is not the NBA. However, it is a superior league to the NBDL and he showed that he could lead a team and that he has the skill and mental ability to be a very good basketball player. We can't expect too much, but I think he'll be a fantastic pick-up for a back-up SF who can fill in at the 3 or 4 in the starting lineup if someone goes down.

Is Kleiza really in the same category as some of the other free agents that have been signed recently? I certainly don't think so.

[CRACKSMATIC]

good move to front load the contract??

yea i think its a good idea, were gunna suck next year anyway so we may aswell pay more of his salary then.

[dagger]

Good: Frontloading the contract.
Bad: Way overpaid for a guy Denver probably wouldn't have gone so far out of their way to offer a contract. (just conjecture, but I assume they wouldn't given his exit/their payroll)

I would disagree on the "way overpaid" part. If you have seen what the rest of the FA contracts have looked like this summer, I would say they got good value. Kleiza was a low-minute, high- production player for the Nuggets and was the Euroleague scoring leader last year. Yes, the Euroleague is not the NBA. However, it is a superior league to the NBDL and he showed that he could lead a team and that he has the skill and mental ability to be a very good basketball player. We can't expect too much, but I think he'll be a fantastic pick-up for a back-up SF who can fill in at the 3 or 4 in the starting lineup if someone goes down.

Is Kleiza really in the same category as some of the other free agents that have been signed recently? I certainly don't think so.

No. Nor is he being paid like them. He's being paid about double his qualifying offer.

[Duffman100]

^ or when we trade for Al Jefferson

Why do I get the feeling we're going to move out TE and a pick for Al Jefferson.

[Air-Canada]

from his interview, he seems excited for some playing time. lets see what he can do..

[vancityballer]

The Raptors will always be a bottom feeder team.

It's evident now that the Raps will never be any sort of a contender. Get used to life with a crappy team because that's how it's always going to be here. Good players just don't want to come here. And if we force them to through a trade, they'll just walk out the door at the first chance they get.

Our only way to get players is to over pay mediocre players that will just go where they'll get the most money. Kleiza is another example of this.

I'm not trolling or even being pessimistic. This is just how it is...and it's an unfortunate reality.

You forgot to mention players who are European. Toronto will always have a place for top Euro talent because they, unlike the American-born players, are educated about the city and what it offers and are going to be in a foreign country anyways, why not pick the friendlier, cleaner one? The diversity of the city is also a huge selling point for Europeans. Generally speaking Americans (due to the complete lack of education regarding Canada) will always prefer to play in the US.

I am well-travelled and have spent time in the majority of the major US markets. I am not biased, but I have a difficult time seeing why a player would rather play in OKC, SLC, Detroit, Minnesota, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Cleveland, Sacramento, New Orleans or Indianapolis. The weather isn't a big enough difference and Toronto is superior to every one of these cities in terms of what it offers to someone making millions of dollars. Our only negative is income tax and even that is so close to the majority of the aforementioned cities that it shouldn't be a factor.

[premium plus]

The Raptors will always be a bottom feeder team.

It's evident now that the Raps will never be any sort of a contender. Get used to life with a crappy team because that's how it's always going to be here. Good players just don't want to come here. And if we force them to through a trade, they'll just walk out the door at the first chance they get.

Our only way to get players is to over pay mediocre players that will just go where they'll get the most money. Kleiza is another example of this.

I'm not trolling or even being pessimistic. This is just how it is...and it's an unfortunate reality.

You forgot to mention players who are European. Toronto will always have a place for top Euro talent because they, unlike the American-born players, are educated about the city and what it offers and are going to be in a foreign country anyways, why not pick the friendlier, cleaner one? The diversity of the city is also a huge selling point for Europeans. Generally speaking Americans (due to the complete lack of education regarding Canada) will always prefer to play in the US.

I am well-travelled and have spent time in the majority of the major US markets. I am not biased, but I have a difficult time seeing why a player would rather play in OKC, SLC, Detroit, Minnesota, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Cleveland, Sacramento, New Orleans or Indianapolis. The weather isn't a big enough difference and Toronto is superior to every one of these cities in terms of what it offers to someone making millions of dollars. Our only negative is income tax and even that is so close to the majority of the aforementioned cities that it shouldn't be a factor.

A lot of these guys aren't well traveled though. They have their preconceived ideas of what it's like in Canada, and that's not going to change.

I don't take comfort in knowing that we have a shot at good Euro players either. How many special top tier Euro players have there been in the league? We can't even get Nash or Dirk. The best non American players don't want to play here either lol.

[Evermore]

Love the player. I just don't understand why were signing guys when we should be going into rebuild mode.

you still need to fill the roster... and why should the Raptors be in full Rebuild more?

you have a core of Calderon, Jack, Hedo, Bargnani.

You have young guns in Amir, Sonny, Demar, Ed Davis.

Sure.. the team ain't the 3 headed Heat.. but it can be a team that surprises.

2 borderline starting PGs...an unathletic SF with a 40% FG%...and a jump-shooting 7-footer who doesn't rebound

That's the core you want to build with?

[Raptor_Insider]

kleiza is a younger version of nocioni
cheaper contract as well

[vancityballer]

kleiza is a younger version of nocioni
cheaper contract as well

I would argue that he will prove to be a better version of him as well. I have had league pass for two years and watch NBA ball like it's going out of style. Two years ago, I watched quite a bit of the Nuggets. They had a really exciting team (still do) and, IMHO, Kleiza contributed exceptionally well for them. High energy, good defender, great shot. He was a little hot and cold, but we're not talking Belinelli here. I think that he will add a lot to our young lineup of high flyers and will not prove to be a distraction in the least.

[raptors_addict]

I remember when Kleiza dropped 41 points when he was a member of the Nuggets.

[vancityballer]

The Raptors will always be a bottom feeder team.

It's evident now that the Raps will never be any sort of a contender. Get used to life with a crappy team because that's how it's always going to be here. Good players just don't want to come here. And if we force them to through a trade, they'll just walk out the door at the first chance they get.

Our only way to get players is to over pay mediocre players that will just go where they'll get the most money. Kleiza is another example of this.

I'm not trolling or even being pessimistic. This is just how it is...and it's an unfortunate reality.

You forgot to mention players who are European. Toronto will always have a place for top Euro talent because they, unlike the American-born players, are educated about the city and what it offers and are going to be in a foreign country anyways, why not pick the friendlier, cleaner one? The diversity of the city is also a huge selling point for Europeans. Generally speaking Americans (due to the complete lack of education regarding Canada) will always prefer to play in the US.

I am well-travelled and have spent time in the majority of the major US markets. I am not biased, but I have a difficult time seeing why a player would rather play in OKC, SLC, Detroit, Minnesota, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Cleveland, Sacramento, New Orleans or Indianapolis. The weather isn't a big enough difference and Toronto is superior to every one of these cities in terms of what it offers to someone making millions of dollars. Our only negative is income tax and even that is so close to the majority of the aforementioned cities that it shouldn't be a factor.

A lot of these guys aren't well traveled though. They have their preconceived ideas of what it's like in Canada, and that's not going to change.

I don't take comfort in knowing that we have a shot at good Euro players either. How many special top tier Euro players have there been in the league? We can't even get Nash or Dirk. The best non American players don't want to play here either lol.

Using Nash and Dirk as examples is dumb. They have been playing on top-tier teams that play in warm climates. They have established themselves as leaders on these teams. Also, we have never been in position to acquire either of them. BC would be first in line to sign Nash if he was a FA and Nash would absolutely consider playing for the Raps.

[RedX]

love this deal. He's a good hard working players who'se tough and actually wants to be here.

what is it you dont like about him? I haven't ever seen him play bad even with denver, I was
hoping that we might get him a few years ago, and now is just as good.

Why the hate?

I'm happy.

[RapsFanInVA]

Why the hate?

It's not really Kleiza's fault. The reality is starting to hit that we're a 35 win team with no star players so everyone is bitter.

We have the young gunz

DD Sonny Amir Davis + grandpa Jack

and the foreigners

Jose Turk Bargs Kleiza Alabi and Belinelli

and the expirings

Evans and Banks

bleh.

[Jose_Matador]

Kleiza on this team is useless, you can just tell that BC is trying to put together a 42 win team to salvage his reputation.

[redbak]

Why the hate?

It's not really Kleiza's fault. The reality is starting to hit that we're a 35 win team with no star players so everyone is bitter.

We have the young gunz

DD Sonny Amir Davis + grandpa Jack

and the foreigners

Jose Turk Bargs Kleiza Alabi and Belinelli

and the expirings

Evans and Banks

bleh.

Yup. This is the first time in a long time in watching raps basketball that I'm not excited for the season to start. Don't get me wrong, I'll still watch and cheer on, but not in a hurry.