Stein: Raptors in hunt for MEM's #22

[TheGameWinner]

Lowry/DeMar/Prince/Amir/Jonas

Elite defense + a pair of rooks. &Ross as 6th man gunner like Tim Hardaway Jr

You want a Salmons clone starting on our team?

Are we tanking?

I think the Grizz offense is too slow; he wasn't able to play well. Prince > Salmons. If he doesn't produce, we bench him for Ross. But I think he'll be great on D and hit the corner 3 well.

[IMAN5]

who said we lose the 37th pick? all I've been seeing is the 59th pick being traded

[Mr.Raptorsingh]

Yo, what if we trade up for Smart or Randle, using Ross + one of the picks?

[SkywalkerAC]

Exciting times!!!

[TheDoctor]

Love the trade.

Salmons was useful for us, except in back to backs. Tayshaun is similarly useful, but defends the longer guys better than Salmons. And we're fine against the shorter/quicker guys with the combo of Ross/DeMar, potentially Vasquez/Lowry/Stone/Nando anyway. Tay is not what he used to be, but he's still a smart team vet who has been to the playoffs a lot.

If we're bringing back our FAs, then this is a great move for next year's playoffs, without costing future flexibility, AND gets us an upgraded pick.

Love it.

[Steelo Green]

who said we lose the 37th pick? all I've been seeing is the 59th pick being traded

Stein updated above and said so.

[m83588333]

Prince isn't starting.Tayshaun, Novak and Fields should take up a hobby on the bench.

[Kevin Willis]

What does Memphis gain? Is this a salary dump on their end so they can go after someone else Or lose Prince's salary and get a second round pick that they don't have to give a guaranteed contract? Do they already see that Prince cannot be their starting SF?

At 37 they can actually get a good wing defender to replace Prince for less money.

[HolyMage110]

who said we lose the 37th pick? all I've been seeing is the 59th pick being traded

Marc SteinVerified account
‏@ESPNSteinLine
Update to potential Raps/Grizz trade: Deal would more likely send No. 37 with John Salmons to Memphis for Tayshaun Prince and No. 22 pick

[chuckdevlin]

Please confirm soon...Dont flop -_-

[Indeed]

What does Bargnani have to do with this?

The #37 pick was the pick we got from the Knicks when trading Bargnani.

I thought the key was Gay instead, giving us Salmons.
I hope it would be the #59 pick.

[_venom_]

Loving this move. If its for 59 then that's incredible but its still a good deal for 37.

Lowry/Ennis
Derozan/Vasquez
Ross/Prince/Fields
Johnson/Patterson/Hayes/Novak
Valanciunas/Capela/Bachynski

Just need to sign another guard

[Pusha-T]

20+22+ross for Marcus Smart . Done

[Inevitable]

Prince is a shell of his former self. He's going to chill on the bench this year.

[UcanUwill]

10 pages already. Got to be kidding.

[Double Helix]

If I'm not mistaken though, this move would severely limit our ability to overpay Lowry while also paying Grevis and Patman would they're likely to command.

In other words, if this deal goes down I think it means Masai is holding firm on paying Lowry no more than 11-12 mill tops and/or expects to let one of Patman or Grevis walk.

I would think you let Vasquez go.

No it wouldn't. At the start of free agency, including full salaries for Hanbrough and Amir plus our draft picks, we stand to have about $45m in committed salary. The tax line will be about $76m if I recall. What this trade would preclude is using cap space. We would have about $30-31m in money to spend below the tax line. If Lowry gets $12m, and we add Prince's salary net of Salmon's $1m guarantee, we'd still have about $10-12m for Patman and/or Vasquez before hitting the tax. If we draft a point guard, Vasquez probably walks. If we draft a PF, we might waive Hansbrough and open up a bit of room to use part or all of the MLE.

Thanks, Dagger. You always explain these situations in greater detail. That's kind of how I was imagining it but my concern was that I think both Patman and Grevis will command decent offers around MLE-level or above and so because of that we'd have to make a decision on one, with Grevis being the more likely guy to go, especially if Ennis is secured.

[McFurious1]

Make it official.

[Wo1verine]

Prince and DD on the floor together is yucky.

I was hoping we'd bring back Carter.

Oh well.

[Raps Militia]

However, there are also flaws in this trade, Prince is a terrible player now, he's still a very good defender, but he's offensively null, no longer able to pull from 3, he can't shoot free throws, and he has terrible percentages.

[grumpwalter]

This is actually quite funny if you think about it. Everyone involved in the Rudy Gay trade would have passed through Toronto sometime, Tayshaun, Austin Daye, Rudy, and Calderon.