Metallikid wrote:T-d0t wrote:Metallikid wrote:
Like who? Because I would also guarantee that unless Kyle directly asks for a trade, which he won't, there is not a single solitary chance Masai moves him. He won't move Kyle, or Fred, or Pascal, so who exactly is going to be showcased and eventually traded? Norm? OG? You've got yourself believing a pipe dream. And you don't even want us bottoming out, believe me. If we did it would mean we're losing Masai, Bobby, Dan, everyone.
Firstly, we don't need to "bottom out" we need to be in a position where we can get a top5 pick.
Secondly, if we are a bottom team at seasons end, I have a hard time believing that MLSE will fire any of the core FO. This is the same MLSE that let Leafs FO tank for Austin Matthews because they were reinsured that it was a necessary evil.
As for the potential players being showcased I would say Lowry & Norm because they are vets that are on expiring deals and could help a contending team. Boucher is a potential sell high but I doubt it. TD, because of his legal situation, contract situation and the fact that we have so many guards could also be traded.
Everything you are saying is self-contradictory; a top 5 pick means you had a bottom five record and that is by definition bottoming out. If you think the roster as it currently exists can get a top 5 pick then there's no way we're in the position as a franchise for any sort of 'quick rebuild,' we would have to do a full tear-down. So of course MLSE wouldn't be firing anybody - they wouldn't want to be a part of our franchise anymore you dingbat!! You think great executives are going to stay through five plus years of losing? Or maybe you haven't paid attention to our FO's MO that has always been anti-tanking. Kyle is making more than 30 million, he cannot be traded so easily and he means much more to our franchise than to anyone else. We would not get worthwhile value for him. It would be seen badly by him and by players across the League to trade Kyle like that, not to mention you guys in your tWo bubble don't even realize that most Raptors fans would CRUCIFY Masai for pursuing a move like that. Norm has virtually no value at the moment he is underplaying his $10 mil salary.
I've looked at this very logically. The best option is to upgrade our roster using draft assets and remaining competitive. For every Tracy, Vince, Chris and DeMar we've had there's been two Stoudamires, Cambys, Benders, Araujos, Villeneuvas, Bargnanis, Valanciunas, Rosses, Poeltls.
I couldn't disagree more with this stance.
You don't need to bottom out to get a bottom 5 pick. There has been a flattening of lottery odds for this exact reason. Add that this is a shortened season where we have started way slower than expected and we might be getting a high pick while also not being that far off from being a second round team.
Couple that with the max slot and the massive hole at C in our line-up. These things are all working to Help us quickly rebuild.
We have 3 players from a championship level core (FVV, Siakam and OG). I understand we are missing the superstar talent from the championship team recipe, but still having two-way complimentary starters is HUGE. I think this is suppressing current wins (obviously), but will enable a massive jump forward.
We have all our picks. We have veterans to trade off for more picks (Lowry, Norm).
And something that has not been discussed is the double draft next year. I think it plays right into a quick rebuild plan. We will hopefully draft high this year, then plug our center hole with our max slot, then vault into mediocrity with a young potential star trying to integrate into a veteran starting lineup.
If we are mediocre, we will have a mid teens pick, IMO this is incredibly valuable for a double draft with high schoolers. Our scouting staff will be put to the test, but I'd bet quite a bit there will be all-stars drafted in the teens and later in a double draft class.