RaptorsGoals1.) Make the Raptors relevant
2.) No higher than 85 million on the salary cap
3.) Change the era in Toronto.
Original Raptors RosterPG: Kyle Lowry / Jose Calderon
SG: Demar DeRozan
SF: Terrence Ross / James Johnson
PF: Andrea Bargnani / Ed Davis / Amir Johnson
C: Jonas Valanciunas
New Raptors RosterPG: Kyle Lowry / Luke Ridnour / Reggie Jackson
SG: Eric Gordon / Tony Allen / Delonte West
SF: Jared Dudley / Tyler Honeycutt
PF: Kevin Love / Taj Gibson / Drew Gooden
C: Emeka Okafor / Cole Aldrich
SalariesAllen, Tony: $7,500,000 / $7,837,500 / $8,175,000 / $8,512,500
Aldrich, Cole: $3,245,152
Dudley, Jared: $4,250,000 / $4,250,000 / $4,250,000
Gibson, Taj: $6,000,000 / $6,100,000 / $6,200,000 / $6,300,000
Gooden, Drew: $6,687,400 / $6,687,400
Gordon, Eric: $14,194,379 / $14,805,621 / $15,416,862
Honeycutt, Tyler: $2,000,000 / $2,000,000
Jackson, Reggie: $1,260,360 / $2,204,370
Lowry, Kyle: $6,210,000
Love, Kevin: $13,891,359 / $14,860,523 / $15,829,688
Okafor, Emeka: $14,487,500 (PO)
Ridnour, Luke: $4,200,000
West, Delonte: $2,612,500
Total Salary: $86,538,650
Cash9 million
TPENone
Draft Picks20141st Round (Top 2 Protected)
MEM 1st Round (If between 4-14)
2nd Round
20151st Round
2nd Round
20161st Round
Code: Select all
Transactions
1.) SG Demar DeRozan, SF Terrence Ross, and PF Ed Davis to Golden State for PF Dirk Nowitzki (Trade #4).
2.) PF Amir Johnson and C Jonas Valanciunas for SG Eric Gordon and C Darryl Watkins (Trade #9).
3.) PF Andrea Bargnani for SG Ronnie Brewer, PF Taj Gibson, and 2013 1st Round Pick (if between 4-14) (Trade #45).
4.) PG Jose Calderon, SF James Johnson, 2013 1st Round Pick (lottery protected), and 2013 2nd Round Pick for SF Jared Dudley and C Emeka Okafor (Trade #95).
5.) SG Landry Fields for PF Matt Bonner, C Johan Petro, 2013 2nd Round Pick (from MEM), and cash considerations (1 million) (Trade #98).
6.) TPE for SG Raja Bell (Trade #108).
7.) SG Ronnie Brewer, PF Dirk Nowitzki, and C Daryl Watkins for PG Louis Williams, SG Wesley Matthews, PF Chris Bosh, C Tyler Zeller, and 2013 TOR 1st Round Pick (Trade #123).
8.) SG Raja Bell, C Johan Petro, and 2013 for SG Daequan Cook and C Cole Aldrich (Trade #127).
9.) PG Louis Williams, SG Daequan Cook, and PF Matt Bonner for PG Luke Ridnour, SF Stephen Jackson, and 2012 2nd Round Pick (returned (Trade #128).
10.) SG C.J. McCollum, SG Wesley Matthews, PF Chris Bosh, C Tyler Zeller, and 2014 1st Round Pick (Top 5 Protected) for PG Reggie Jackson, SG Tony Allen, SF Tyler Honeycutt, PF Kevin Love, and cash considerations (1 million) (Trade #278).
Positional Write-UpsPoint GuardsKyle Lowry / Jose Calderon < Kyle Lowry / Luke Ridnour / Reggie Jackson
Doesn't appear to be a huge improvement, but it's an improvement nonetheless. Kyle Lowry is a year older, and more importantly got a taste of the playoffs in the East in the 2012 season with the Raptors. Luke Ridnour is a better fit as a backup than Jose Calderon because he's cheaper and he's a better three point shooter. Add in Reggie Jackson, whose a young guard I'm particularly high on.
Shooting GuardsDemar DeRozan / Landry Fields <<< Eric Gordon / Tony Allen / Delonte West
This is a MASSIVE upgrade at shooting guard. Getting Eric Gordon was a coup, and put my team in the right track. He's 23 years old in real life, and he's already loads better than DeRozan whose career is probably going to consist of highlight dunks. It might be about time to label him as a bust. Tony Allen might be even be better than DeRozan right now. He adds some defense to the backcourt, where Gordon offers offense. Delonte West backs up both guard spots.
Small ForwardTerrence Ross / James Johnson < Jared Dudley / Tyler Honeycutt
Much like point guard, this might not look like a big improvement but it really is. Terrence Ross is completely unproven, where as Dudley is a proven great three point shooter and a phenomenal defender. Add on the fact that Jared Dudley makes peanuts, and this really is an improvement. Tyler Honeycutt, unlike James Johnson, actually provides some youth and upside.
Power ForwardAndrea Bargnani / Ed Davis / Amir Johnson <<< Kevin Love / Taj Gibson / Drew Gooden
Kevin Love is the best power forward in the NBA, by a pretty significant margin and upgrading from Andrea Bargnani, whose afraid of banging in the paint is a huge steal for us. Add on Taj Gibson, whom you could argue is better than Kevin Love already and this is a no brainer huge upgrade for the Raptors. Taking on Drew Gooden's contract isn't great, but he's a nice big body to throw out and use up some fouls.
CentersJonas Valanciunas < Emeka Okafor / Cole Aldrich
I took a hit in the future to get better now, and to get a much better fit next to Kevin Love. I need a defensive minded center who isn't afraid to bang in the post and Emeka Okafor. Cole Aldrich is a guy whom I think can be a decent starting center in the NBA. May never be a star, but should be a solid center for several years.
Goals1.) Make the Raptors relevant
~ The Raptors have made the playoffs five of the 17 seasons they've been in existance. They've never once made it out of the conference semifinals. Odds are high that the Raptors aren't only contending for conference championships
2.) No higher than 85 million on the salary cap
~ I thought this was a pretty fair "bar" to set the Raptors salary cap at. Toronto is about a similar market size as Dallas was at that the year they won their championship. I went a little bit over, but that only becomes a bit insignificant difference since I was pretty close to what I was trying to accomplish.
3.) Change the era in Toronto.
~ There will be legitimate excitement around the Raptors. With Eric Gordon and Kevin Love not even close to the primes of their career, they'll have the future to grow together.
OverallJust look at the team I inherited. I had three assets at the start with Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross, and Jose Calderon's expiring contract. You pool up all my assets together and you don't get Kevin Love, let alone adding in Eric Gordon and the other great fits next to those two. I improved every single one of my positions, and only really took back one bad contract and didn't lose any significant pick flexibility. I've even got significant cap relief next year in the form of expiring contracts, namely Emeka Okafor. Add onto that I managed to put two million cash back in my bosses' pocket and I think I did a pretty damn good job. Eric Gordon and Kevin Love are my franchise cornerstones and they're both 23 years old in real life. The results speak for themselves, I took a pretender contender into a legitimate powerhouse for several years to come with the young core I have put in place for the Raptors. How many people say they took a perennial lottery team and made them a top 5 team in the NBA over the next five years? The Raptors are finally relevant again.