2021 Free Agency News & Discussion Part 2

[Syd-TK3]

I really have no care for Dragic on this team buying him out would be the dumbest thing masai could do

[RaptorPride]

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Did Markkanen also get a deal or was it just them showing interest?

[nivisi9]

Is it pretty much the consensus now that Dragic isn't being traded?

I'm pretty sure Dragic was expecting to be traded based on his interviews and will probably be pissed if he remains a Raptor

What a letdown..

[Rapsfan07]

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Did Markkanen also get a deal or was it just them showing interest?

As far as I've seen, Markannen remains unsigned.

We've used most of our MLE on Birch so I don't see him coming here, unfortunately. We could have really use his offense, at least in the short term anyway.

[Rapsfan07]

Is it pretty much the consensus now that Dragic isn't being traded?

I'm pretty sure Dragic was expecting to be traded based on his interviews and will probably be pissed if he remains a Raptor

What a letdown..

Yeah I'm a bit confused by this as well.

Based on the roster construction, I have to assume Masai doesn't mean to be competitive this upcoming season. If that is indeed the case, I'm not sure why haven't taken on some long term salary for other young prospects or picks at least.

Perhaps he plans to rehab Dragic's value and try the market again at the deadline?

[styLesdavis]

Any chance Toronto signs Isaiah Hartenstein?

[canada_dry]

Is it pretty much the consensus now that Dragic isn't being traded?

I'm pretty sure Dragic was expecting to be traded based on his interviews and will probably be pissed if he remains a Raptor

What a letdown..

Yeah I'm a bit confused by this as well.

Based on the roster construction, I have to assume Masai doesn't mean to be competitive this upcoming season. If that is indeed the case, I'm not sure why haven't taken on some long term salary for other young prospects or picks at least.

Perhaps he plans to rehab Dragic's value and try the market again at the deadline?

The Raptors have every intention of being competitive un their return to Toronto. They also want to develop the young pieces at the same time.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

[Rapsfan07]

Is it pretty much the consensus now that Dragic isn't being traded?

I'm pretty sure Dragic was expecting to be traded based on his interviews and will probably be pissed if he remains a Raptor

What a letdown..

Yeah I'm a bit confused by this as well.

Based on the roster construction, I have to assume Masai doesn't mean to be competitive this upcoming season. If that is indeed the case, I'm not sure why haven't taken on some long term salary for other young prospects or picks at least.

Perhaps he plans to rehab Dragic's value and try the market again at the deadline?

The Raptors have every intention of being competitive un their return to Toronto. They also want to develop the young pieces at the same time.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

This is a lottery team as of right now, with limited ways to improve now that most of the MLE has been spent. The details on the Lowry deal has yet to be announced so we can't be sure what we're going to get but I do know it won't be anyone who's going to move the needle for us.

So unless the plan is to move Dragic/FVV/picks to bring in some more talent or OG/Trent become Allstars, then yeah - we're headed to the lotto.

Though I guess the idea of a "competitive team" is a subjective one.

[OAKLEY_2]

Yeah I'm a bit confused by this as well.

Based on the roster construction, I have to assume Masai doesn't mean to be competitive this upcoming season. If that is indeed the case, I'm not sure why haven't taken on some long term salary for other young prospects or picks at least.

Perhaps he plans to rehab Dragic's value and try the market again at the deadline?

The Raptors have every intention of being competitive un their return to Toronto. They also want to develop the young pieces at the same time.

Sent from my SM-G960W using RealGM mobile app

This is a lottery team as of right now, with limited ways to improve now that most of the MLE has been spent. The details on the Lowry deal has yet to be announced so we can't be sure what we're going to get but I do know it won't be anyone who's going to move the needle for us.

So unless the plan is to move Dragic/FVV/picks to bring in some more talent or OG/Trent become Allstars, then yeah - we're headed to the lotto.

Though I guess the idea of a "competitive team" is a subjective one.

The only thing that is subjective is to say with presumed certainty that this team is a lotto team. I think that forces a conclusion of a major dropoff from Kyle to Fred as massive in nature and that we still are in Baynes territory up the middle.

2020 scoring

Paskal 21 ppg. Fred 20 ppg. OG 16 ppg. Trent Jr. 16 ppg. Boucher 14 ppg. Dragic 13 ppg. Birch as Raptor 12 ppg. Flynn 8 ppg. Yuta 5 ppg.

Barnes ? With good defence we still should be capable of 110-120 ppg nights but it will take elite defence to win. Factor in Paskal maybe being out for a month or more and oh wait...you need Dragic all of a sudden. You damn sure need Boucher playing big minutes with Paskal out.

[Courtside]

Our record with Kyle out over the last few years has actually been really good. Granted, those are often games where he rests against a weaker opponent, but he was at times genuinely nursing an injury and we beat good teams too. Either way, those weak teams still exist and we'll still beat them, and we won't fare as well against better teams, but IMO it still shakes out to a season around .500 and if we manage to benefit a little from player improvement or new talent excelling or even using our positionless squad to trip other teams up, then the team can push it's way up over .500 and towards 45-50 wins.

Yes, we are trying to win while also developing oir young talent. That is what we did in the years leading up to our title and that's what we'll keep doing until there is an opportunity to make that all-in push to make a title run.

This is the year that a team really tries the positionless experment, and it will be the Raptors. Others have kinda sorta done it, kinda, but not to this extent or with this kind of length and mobility, and not during a time in the league when the rules and analytic playing style actually provide a good opportunity to make it not only feasible, but favorable.

THAT is the path forward, and it's easy to see.

[Pericles]

I think our best path to improvement now is to trade Dragic and Boucher to a team desperate for cap relief.

[G_Misconduct]

I'm very OK with us not trading Dragic if that's what's happening... We can extract more from Miami this way and then turn around and trade him at the deadline

[Courtside]

I think our best path to improvement now is to trade Dragic and Boucher to a team desperate for cap relief.

That's about $27 mil combined, allowing us to take back close to $34 mil. If we're providing cap relief to another team, that player is either making $30+ mil (to shave a few mil off) or they have more years on their deal.

Who is it you think this player would be that would be worth taking on salary for in such a deal?

[Rodrickle]

It's hard to say if we're going to be a playoff team. I think it would be a success if we make the playoffs, even the 8th seed via play in. Great for Scottie's development. Also If Scottie's development goes as anticipated this season, I don't think we need to get any younger. If Precious is a rotation player this year, which I think he can be, then that's gravy

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[Ackshun]

Felt pretty strongly that we deserved to be a lottery team last year, regardless of the home court disadvantage.

Without Kyle this year, and any significant additions, I won't be surprised to see another lottery bound season.

Hopefully having Birch for the full year helps. Not sure if Wainwright, Barnes and home court advantage can add 20-25 wins.

[StopitLeo]

I think our best path to improvement now is to trade Dragic and Boucher to a team desperate for cap relief.

That's about $27 mil combined, allowing us to take back close to $34 mil. If we're providing cap relief to another team, that player is either making $30+ mil (to shave a few mil off) or they have more years on their deal.

Who is it you think this player would be that would be worth taking on salary for in such a deal?

Wiggins + Kuminga + Moody?

I think moving Wiggins for expirings would actually get GSW out of the tax for 2022 (or very close anyway).

[WuTang_CMB]

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2021/08/06/kyle-lowry-thanks-toronto-with-full-page-ad-in-the-star-as-he-leaves-raptors-after-nine-seasons.html

[DG88]

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[OAKLEY_2]

Felt pretty strongly that we deserved to be a lottery team last year, regardless of the home court disadvantage.

Without Kyle this year, and any significant additions, I won't be surprised to see another lottery bound season.

Hopefully having Birch for the full year helps. Not sure if Wainwright, Barnes and home court advantage can add 20-25 wins.

How many of those 20-25 losses were just sitting people and going for what turned out to be Scottie? Hard to believe Gasol-Ibaka made us second seed two years ago but that was the big difference. I think the bubble and Tampa were just big downers after the title. What an over achievement - second seed - after Kawhi and Danny bolted! Is there enough in Paskal/Fred/OG to be a team that isn't far off from going 7 with Boston? Last year all of Lakers, Boston and Miami flamed out. In the biggest of ways. Things are way more fluid than on-paper prognosticators would have us believe. Starting with the ultimate on-paper tigers the U.S. sports media not named Perk (LOL) or Tim Legler.

[dgr81]

I now believe the raptors will buy out Dragic. That should add about $8m to their cap space allowing them to stay under the tax and sign a couple of more guys from summer league.