2021-22 Season: Draft, Trades, and FA Ideas Thread

[Madhouse]

The question is...do you want to resign Boucher to a new bigger contract in the summer? What would your price be?

I don't think Boucher will cost much. He's a 29 year old bench player.

If you want to improve your team then trading Boucher for a pick is counterproductive especially when you're likely trading Dragic and possibly your own pick for immediate help.

Boucher has actually played well as of late. I can deal with his poor shot selection if he continues to contribute in other areas.

There's 0 chance Masai trades precious, zero chance.

Precious is not getting traded because we would sell low. That's not how a smart front office operates. Precious is low cost and his value will shoot up in the next 2 years.

That would be like trading Siakam or Anunoby after their year 2.

[Morris_Shatford]

I think Boucher makes like 7 million this season. I see him asking 12-14 million per season and probably a 3 year deal.

Having Boucher on your payroll next summer might limit you in term of what you can offer Gary because you know he his declining that player option.

Sorry to jump in the middle of your discussion guys;
Just to comment on Boucher's value.

Its a very good discussion because his potential value this summer really does matter in terms or the "keep or trade" debate.
A few things to consider, how many teams have cap space to spend this summer? Then how many of those teams are prepared to lay out 12 - 14m a season for Chris Boucher?

In a vacuum maybe he is worth that, but I think he is going to have a hard time at 29 getting a deal beyond the MLE this offseason;
Richaun Holmes is essentially the same age (slightly younger) and he got around 4/45 as a legit starting big last summer, I think we would be hard pressed to see Boucher at that age getting more than that.

If you are also a five starved team this summer and you have cap space, maybe better to throw that 14m at guys like Mo Bamba or even Bagley and dare their clubs to match.

My argument in favour of Boucher over Bagley/Bamba...Boucher is a finished product and is more suited to a win-now team than Bagley or Bamba.

A younger team might prefer Bamba or Bagley but a winning team with even just a mid level exception and the right guarantee of role/minutes would be enough to entice Chris.

Absolutely,
He is a UFA there are no guarantees this summer, he can walk for nothing and then we are sitting here with the gift of hindsight that we should have traded him.

You raise a good point, a winning team with a dedicated role for the MLE could be enticing,
The challenge with Boucher is how many of those teams that have just the MLE to spend are going to have Boucher at the top of their respective lists? I think if we don't keep (or don't want to keep him) he isn't a guy who is going likely be signed the first week of free agency, he is a week two to three guy and likely some teams Plan C or D.

We can come in right away (so we have better cap control) and make him an offer right away which Masai has usually done with our FAs. I firmly believe if we want to keep him we can.

[Morris_Shatford]

Knicks and Kings are the teams I feel like should be targeted by Masai. They just need to decide salary relief is what they really want. I'd throw second rounders for the right trade. Ideally Raptors just give them Dragic and pieces like Flynn. If they are going to try and make a bench for a playoff I think Boucher should be kept.

Orlando, New York, Sacramento, Washington, and Detroit are all teams that could value clearing some salary for next season and have a glut of roleplayer making in and around 10m a season.

In a perfect world you break Dragic and Flynn into two or three bench guys who can give us some minutes.

[mtcan]

Sorry to jump in the middle of your discussion guys;
Just to comment on Boucher's value.

Its a very good discussion because his potential value this summer really does matter in terms or the "keep or trade" debate.
A few things to consider, how many teams have cap space to spend this summer? Then how many of those teams are prepared to lay out 12 - 14m a season for Chris Boucher?

In a vacuum maybe he is worth that, but I think he is going to have a hard time at 29 getting a deal beyond the MLE this offseason;
Richaun Holmes is essentially the same age (slightly younger) and he got around 4/45 as a legit starting big last summer, I think we would be hard pressed to see Boucher at that age getting more than that.

If you are also a five starved team this summer and you have cap space, maybe better to throw that 14m at guys like Mo Bamba or even Bagley and dare their clubs to match.

My argument in favour of Boucher over Bagley/Bamba...Boucher is a finished product and is more suited to a win-now team than Bagley or Bamba.

A younger team might prefer Bamba or Bagley but a winning team with even just a mid level exception and the right guarantee of role/minutes would be enough to entice Chris.

Absolutely,
He is a UFA there are no guarantees this summer, he can walk for nothing and then we are sitting here with the gift of hindsight that we should have traded him.

You raise a good point, a winning team with a dedicated role for the MLE could be enticing,
The challenge with Boucher is how many of those teams that have just the MLE to spend are going to have Boucher at the top of their respective lists? I think if we don't keep (or don't want to keep him) he isn't a guy who is going likely be signed the first week of free agency, he is a week two to three guy and likely some teams Plan C or D.

We can come in right away (so we have better cap control) and make him an offer right away which Masai has usually done with our FAs. I firmly believe if we want to keep him we can.

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

[original fan]

I am very clear when it comes to Boucher.If he gets you a first, sell.If he gets you a second,dont.We can't contemplate about trades where we give up our own first rounder for the playoff push, then trade our best bench big(for now) for a second.Another scenario is you trade him as a part of a bigger deal that will net you a nice asset in return.Worst case scenario with him, he ask for multi year deal& for more dough this summer, and you politely decline.Whats the drawback, losing a second?

[Morris_Shatford]

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

That is a fair point,
Most of the guys on the team are his height any way so losing him isn't the end of the world if he is traded or signs elsewhere.

The challenge and reason why I wouldn't be that opposed to a 2 + 1 is we don't have any insurance that the guys who are tall and young develop enough to fill his role next season. I also like having salary ballast around and a Boucher on a 2/20 is movable if needed and doesn't eat into our MLE.

[original fan]

Flynn is guaranteed to be traded too, hopefully he gets us some value in return.

[Morris_Shatford]

Flynn is guaranteed to be traded too, hopefully he gets us some value in return.

I think Flynn is an easy piece to move;
He showed he could play a little at the end of last season and is very cheap guard depth for a team that may need it.

Something like Azubuike for Flynn, (Or really any fringe big not getting minutes on a rookie deal)
We get a big on rookie deal from the same year as Flynn, they get a guard on a rookie deal from the same year as Azubuike.

[ash_k]

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

That is a fair point,
Most of the guys on the team are his height any way so losing him isn't the end of the world if he is traded or signs elsewhere.

The challenge and reason why I wouldn't be that opposed to a 2 + 1 is we don't have any insurance that the guys who are tall and young develop enough to fill his role next season. I also like having salary ballast around and a Boucher on a 2/20 is movable if needed and doesn't eat into our MLE.

Chris is a key piece. We cant afford to trade away our best rim protector that can stretch the floor. Nobody on our team can do what he does. We would lose spacing.
We have to keep him. For example, I would not include him in a trade involving a basic center like Poetlt

[Madhouse]

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

That is a fair point,
Most of the guys on the team are his height any way so losing him isn't the end of the world if he is traded or signs elsewhere.

The challenge and reason why I wouldn't be that opposed to a 2 + 1 is we don't have any insurance that the guys who are tall and young develop enough to fill his role next season. I also like having salary ballast around and a Boucher on a 2/20 is movable if needed and doesn't eat into our MLE.

Chris is a key piece. We cant afford to trade away our best rim protector that can stretch the floor. Nobody on our team can do what he does. We would lose spacing.
We have to keep him. For example, I would not include him in a trade involving a basic center like Poetlt

I would not trade him.

But I also think it's unlikely we bring him back.

[mtcan]

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

That is a fair point,
Most of the guys on the team are his height any way so losing him isn't the end of the world if he is traded or signs elsewhere.

The challenge and reason why I wouldn't be that opposed to a 2 + 1 is we don't have any insurance that the guys who are tall and young develop enough to fill his role next season. I also like having salary ballast around and a Boucher on a 2/20 is movable if needed and doesn't eat into our MLE.

Chris is a key piece. We cant afford to trade away our best rim protector that can stretch the floor. Nobody on our team can do what he does. We would lose spacing.
We have to keep him. For example, I would not include him in a trade involving a basic center like Poetlt

On an established contender...I agree.

However...aren't established nor are we a contender.

We are currently a fringe play-in team...hanging by a thread as teams like Boston and Atlanta start surging. 3 or 4 losses and we are back to the lottery.

So is Boucher a valuable piece? Absolutely. If we are top 3 in the East...I'd say keep him. But we aren't so exploring the trade market for his rental services makes sense.

[ash_k]

That is a fair point,
Most of the guys on the team are his height any way so losing him isn't the end of the world if he is traded or signs elsewhere.

The challenge and reason why I wouldn't be that opposed to a 2 + 1 is we don't have any insurance that the guys who are tall and young develop enough to fill his role next season. I also like having salary ballast around and a Boucher on a 2/20 is movable if needed and doesn't eat into our MLE.

Chris is a key piece. We cant afford to trade away our best rim protector that can stretch the floor. Nobody on our team can do what he does. We would lose spacing.
We have to keep him. For example, I would not include him in a trade involving a basic center like Poetlt

I would not trade him.

But I also think it's unlikely we bring him back.

A contract slightly above Birch should do it. I hope we keep him. He fits our team and philosophy too well; especially playing next to a legit center.

[PoundTown]

Chris is a key piece. We cant afford to trade away our best rim protector that can stretch the floor. Nobody on our team can do what he does. We would lose spacing.
We have to keep him. For example, I would not include him in a trade involving a basic center like Poetlt

I would not trade him.

But I also think it's unlikely we bring him back.

A contract slightly above Birch should do it. I hope we keep him. He fits our team and philosophy too well; especially playing next to a legit center.

If we're not bringing back, nothing stops him from being on the table. He's an okay at best, albeit fun as hell dude to watch play and root for. Hope nothing but the best, but if Masai doesn't want him back it'd be cool to deal him somewhere he could be in a good playing time opportunity, and make himself some bojangle$ in the offseason. Might be a win-win to deal to ORL for Bamba. I wonder if our next years 2nd is enough sweetner to this deal lol.

[redeye514]

My argument in favour of Boucher over Bagley/Bamba...Boucher is a finished product and is more suited to a win-now team than Bagley or Bamba.

A younger team might prefer Bamba or Bagley but a winning team with even just a mid level exception and the right guarantee of role/minutes would be enough to entice Chris.

Absolutely,
He is a UFA there are no guarantees this summer, he can walk for nothing and then we are sitting here with the gift of hindsight that we should have traded him.

You raise a good point, a winning team with a dedicated role for the MLE could be enticing,
The challenge with Boucher is how many of those teams that have just the MLE to spend are going to have Boucher at the top of their respective lists? I think if we don't keep (or don't want to keep him) he isn't a guy who is going likely be signed the first week of free agency, he is a week two to three guy and likely some teams Plan C or D.

We can come in right away (so we have better cap control) and make him an offer right away which Masai has usually done with our FAs. I firmly believe if we want to keep him we can.

I'm not convinced that we would want or need to keep Chris given all of the tall young guys we have in the system.

You can never have too many tall young guys in the system.

- Masai

[DangerZone13]

I like Morris_Shatford's idea of Flynn for Azubuike, and have liked that deal since the beginning of the season. He's never been pegged to be anything but a matchup-role player, but I think under Raptors tutelage, he could be pretty effective doing just that. Flynn seems like he would fit the Jazz quite well too actually, so it could very well be a last minute tinker-move if nothing else happens.

I want Mo Bamba though...I feel like signing FA's is still going to be tough with the uncertainty of the pandemic, but once guys are here and in the system, they'll love it and want to stay. Bamba screams "Future Raptor" to me the same way Serge Ibaka did back in his OKC days - not making a player comparison, just a feeling - It took some twists, but it happened, and I've got the same feeling with Mo.

[Madhouse]

If we go for Bamba, we need to be ready to commit major money to this core considering he is a FA.

I would like it because Boucher is a FA and Birch is not very good. Bamba and Precious as athletic big men would be good.

[Rapsfan07]

Yeah I think the math around Boucher is simple.

If you're not committing major bucks to him, we need to deal him. If we keep him, get ready to pay.

[DangerZone13]

As much as I've enjoyed what minutes he has been able to provide, I think the idea would then be to move Birch to a team that missed out on their bigman targets in the summer, and needs some reasonably priced help (ie. Daniel Theis rumors as comp.). This would leave Bamba/Achiuwa as a very young and athletic tandem of 5's, and grab a minimum vet big for insurance - Gorgui Dieng, I dunno, someone to keep the young fella's steady and playing the Raptor way. Bring Marc Gasol back in more a "player/coach" role, and promise not to ask him to do too much so he can have a proper NBA sendoff haha.

[Psubs]

Yeah I think the math around Boucher is simple.

If you're not committing major bucks to him, we need to deal him. If we keep him, get ready to pay.

I think he gets the MLE for 4 years with max raises. Do you want to commit that to a bench player?

[SurgeIblocka]

The thing is we are capped out next year but below the tax. So i would trade boucher only if it netted us a player who is under contract next year and can bring more of what we need to the table otherwise we have the ability to sign boucher this summer and trade him later because we don’t have any money other than the mle to fill our bench in the summer.