Raptors taking a risk: but it could pay off

This topic contains 18 replies, has 14 voices, and was last updated by cominup7 7 years, 11 months ago.

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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:12am #68935

Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
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Everyone seems to be bashing the raptors for trading for kawhi. While I get that it’s a huge risk to trade for someone who has expressed a desire to play elsewhere and seems like a lock to leave in free agency next summer, I can at least see the rationale behind it and believe there is a possibility that it could ultimately work out.
This Toronto team was going nowhere as currently constructed. We saw their ceiling last season and it’s not a true contender. Adding a healthy and motivated kawhi (along with a reliable veteran in Danny green) changes that even if it’s only guaranteed for one season. Assuming kawhi is healthy and motivated (a big of) this team is now a real threat to get to the finals with lebron no longer blocking their path. Kawhi might not be interested in playing there now, but a lot can change in a year. If they are successful and have good chemistry, his attitude could change and they could have a real chance to land their franchise player for the future and be perennial contenders.
Of course, this could all blow up in their faces and things could get ugly, but worse case scenario they just lose kawhi and pivot into a rebuild next summer, which was inevitable anyway. For a franchise that has traditionally played it safe I honestly think it was time to take a chance and see what happens.

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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:18am #1122566

halfdecayed
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lol at Kawhi being motivated to play for the Raptors.. huge L for Toronto
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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:05am #1122578
  
  HobbyOG
  Participant
  I agree HUGE L..and even a HUGE L long term. You just told Demar at SL you wouldn’t trade him and trade him a week later. Why would any agent or player want to play for the Raptors in the future. Karma will bite them in the azz for this. NBA player are tight and stick together.
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:24am #1122567

mcbailey
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The thing about just saying "oh well" about Kawhi leaving is that if that does happen, and we all assume that it will, Toronto essentially traded their best player for Danny Green.
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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:51am #1122588
  
  Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
  Participant
  But they weren’t going anywhere with derozan and his contract would have made it tough to rebuild. Sure, they could have just played it safe and continued on the treadmill of mediocrity with the current core but where does that get you long-term? The past few seasons have proven they weren’t legitimate contenders. They needed to do something. Even if kawhi doesn’t pan out and they lose him in free agency, they will have a relatively clean cap sheet after Lowry and ibakas deals come off the books and can start from scratch.
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  - Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 6:49am #1122593
    
    mcbailey
    Participant
    What do you think Derozan’s trade value was, though? Do you think they could have gotten something better for the future? Do you think a pick could have been in play? It just seems strange to me to potentially lose him for nothing.
    To your point, though, this isn’t disastrous. I just feel like Toronto could have maximized a trade a little better.
    
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    - Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 7:30am #1122600
      
      Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
      Participant
      To be honest, I don’t think it was that good. He has 3 guaranteed years left at a very high price. He’s a guy that needs the ball in his hands a lot to be effective, but hasn’t proven you can really build a legit contender around him as your primary option. He is a below average 3 point shooter and average defender at best. He wouldn’t really make a ton of sense as a second or third option for a true contender and wouldn’t make much sense for a team trying to rebuild. I don’t think his contract would have been very easy to move if they hadn’t made this deal without taking back unwanted salary or attaching additional assets. To be honest, I’m actually very skeptical that this was the best offer San Antonio could get for Leonard.
      
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:41am #1122571

Evan_Milberg
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If Ujiri’s rationale is that he wants to go all-in on a one-year run for a title and then proceed to rebuild if it fails, that would be one thing. But I’m not sure that’s what this is. This just seems like Ujiri’s eyes getting big after seeing that a big name is on the market and he has a player of almost equal value that the team needs to move on from (DeRozan). I think in all likelihood, the Raptors are going to become the new Hornets, stuck in basketball purgatory where they’re no longer a top contender in the conference, but not bad enough to get high lottery picks they could rebuild around.
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:43am #1122572

joe2324
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If the raptors don’t move now and trade him for something, it will go down as the single worst trade in nba history. You can basically gave up Deorozan for free
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 4:52am #1122574

SeattleSuperChronics
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No one thought PG was going to stay. I think Kawhi ends up staying in TOR. They need to make one more move. Ask kawhi who he wants to play with and give up it all to get them.
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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:44am #1122585
  
  joe2324
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  look, if kawhi is committed and gives 100% to the raptors and plays to re sign then Toronto wins out no doubt because kawhi is a much better player than demar.
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:13am #1122579

sweaterflex
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DeRozan has done wonderful things for mental health awareness as an athlete, but he is also colossally overrated by many. Some notes on DeRozan:
Has scored at above league average efficiency twice.
Has rated as a negative defensively every year of his career.
Has never shot three pointers at a league average rate.
Is due $83M the next three years.
Rated a career best 67th in the league in ESPN’s RPM last year, sandwiched between Trevor Ariza and DeMarre Carroll.
Rated as a -4.1 in BPM in the playoffs, and is a -2.5 in the playoffs for his career.
If you want mid-range jumpshots with middling efficiency in the regular season followed by a disappointing playoffs, DeRozan is your man.
Kawhi may only be there a year, but he is a legit top 5 player who fits perfectly on the team. If he won’t play, they’ll ship him to LA for youth and begin rebuilding with a much cleaner salary cap sheet.

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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:45am #1122586
  
  joe2324
  Participant
  He is overrated, but to many people this feels like they just gave him away for nothing because of Kawhi’s history and attitude.
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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 9:25am #1122606
  
  2quick4u
  Participant
  how can someone that whether you like it or not, has led his team to 59 wins be overrated, while being the 5th best defensive team in the league?
  if Derozan is overrated then 90% of the players in the league are way overrated.
  
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 5:46am #1122587

Ahkasi Clay
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I think this has more to do with getting away from DeRozens Contract.
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 7:01am #1122594

kobyz
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even if it’s not pay off, Raptors still gonna get somthing for kawhi, in the trade deadline or in the summer in a s&t…
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- Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 11:55am #1122609
  
  cominup7
  Participant
  Kawhi has a player option for the 19-20 season that he’s almost 100% lock to opt out of. It’s likely that TOR will have nothing to show for this trade, even Danny Green is a UFA after this season
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 7:29am #1122599

phwill
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to keep solid players without overpaying them because of the tax bill and location. Something needed to be done, because the team as it was composed didn’t have much more upside.
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Posted on: Wed, 07/18/2018 - 8:01am #1122601

KIP Baller
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I like the move for Toronto. Its a big gamble but now is the time with Lebron out of the conference. They traded a borderline all-star for a top 3 NBA player and now have the best player in the conference. Its not out of the questions that they find themselves in the NBA finals next season. Worst case scenario they have a fun season and lose Kawhi in free agency, which moves up their rebulild 2 years. Best case scenario, they resign him and solidfy themselves as a top team in east for the next 5 years and have one of the NBA’s best players in their prime. Definitely a risk, but I think one where the pro’s outway the con’s.

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