Toronto Raptors Offseason Plan

[iKe7in]

Enough of this 'new attitude' shit every year, time to fix things for real.

Vince is gone, and good riddans, Zo's off the books, and so is Eric Montross and Hakeem, so now we got some money to use. Well, almost.

The Raps head into the offseason with a possible 10 players under contract, so there isn't much room for new guys, unless you get creative. Thats where I come in.
As it stands, those players are:
Jalen Rose ($14M/2yr),
Alvin Williams ($6M/2yr),
Lamond Murray ($5M/1yr),
Morris Peterson ($4M/2yr),
Eric Williams ($3M/2yr),
Rafer Alston ($4M/5yr),
Aaron Williams (player option for $3M/1yr),
Chris Bosh ($3M/2yr),
Rafael Araujo ($3M/3yr)
Loren Woods ($800k/1yr)

Out of that group, really only Bosh is untouchable, but Rose's contract, Alvin's injury, Rafer's attitude/contract and Woods' complete lack of talent places them on the unlikely to be rid of list. The first thing that needs to be done, and its nothing big, is to convince Aaron Williams to reject his player option and head back to New Jersey, or just buy him out if he's stubborn.

After that, Toronto is left with about $10M in cap room, not including their mid/low level exceptions.

Stage 1: the Draft

The Raptors have 4 picks in the draft, at #s 7, 16, 41, 58. The only one thats their own is the most important one, #7. The guy they absolutely have to take here is Raymond Felton. If they think he's gonna be gone, they need to package a future pick and move up. The not so big guys like Taft, Vasquez, Splitter, Simien, Diogu are of no use with Bosh set in stone at PF. The real centres, like Andriuskevicus and Petro are too risky of projects to take on right now. So that's done, at #7, the Raptors select Raymond Felton from UNC.
Next pick, #16. The guy to go with here, is Channing Frye, should he be available. But why take the chance, and why not kill two birds with one stone. Package Eric Williams with the #16 pick and send it to Orlando for their pick at #11 and a filler who they should undoubtedly release, or package later on. This way, you're sure to get Frye, unless the Warriors are smart enough to grab him at 9. If that should happen, Then they should try to trade down, and the best option would be to Denver at either #20 or 22. In that deal, they would send E. Williams and #16 for #22 and a future 1st rounder. In that deal, they dont have to take anyone back, because Denver's already under the cap, so the Raps get relief, and some future help. At 22, they would then take Randolph Morris from Kentucky, as he is the next best college centre.

Second round

At 41, the easy choice is Julius Hodge, who the Raps have already been working out. If he should drop, which he could, they would first grab Rashad McCants here. It's unlikely, but it could happen, and it would be awesome to team him up with Felton again. Another guy who might drop out of the 1st round because of his current amateur contract (ala Maciej Lampe) is Tiago Splitter. If everyone else has been scared off, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment has the cash to take care of that no problem. Should all those players be gone, grab highschooler Louis Williams.

At 58, they can afford to gamble, and hopefully Bosh's former Gerogia Tech teammate BJ Elder is still on the board. If he's gone they should grab another college guy like Sean Banks or Alan Anderson.

So after the draft, the ideal new lineup looks like this:

C- Frye/Araujo
PF-Bosh/Splitter
SF-Rose/Murray
SG-Peterson/Elder
PG-Felton/Alston

Obviously, they need some more depth and experience, but that will come from the free agent market. Splitter is unlikely, so the Hodge is the more likely new addition.

Stage 2: Free Agency
First things first, resign Matt Bonner for about $2-3M over 2-3 yrs. He replaces Donyell as one of the first guys off the bench, and is a fan favourite.
Rumours have them looking to add either Zaza Pauchulia or Steven Hunter, but the big man they need to add is Kevin Willis. With two young centres, they need a teacher, and a guy who knows he will walk away at years end. They will probably only need him for 10-12 minutes a night, and he can still be effective in that time, but expect him to be more of a coach then a player after the all-star break, and poosibly dealt at the deadline.
Next step, with the mid level exception, a one year point guard to come in and challenge Rafer and Raymond for minutes would be best, with the interesting choice of hometown hated Damon Stoudemire returning for a second chance. A 2yr/$9-10M contract would add a load of depth, and add some much needed insurance at the point. If Rafer decides he's done, or has more of the same problems as last year, and Felton isn't quite ready, Damon could fill in nicely until Raymond is ready.
Last step, use the low level exception and take a chance on DeSagana Diop, and pray that he learns something from Willis, and enjoys sharing little time with Frye and Araujo. If he ever reaches what he's capable of, he could either be great insurance between the two young guys, or valuable trade bait.
Also resign Pape Sow, and invite Canadians Carl English and Juan Mendez to training camp, and maybe keep at least one of them as a 14th-15th guy.

After stage 2, the roster hopefully looks something like this:

C-Frye/Araujo/Willis/Diop
PF-Bosh/Bonner/Splitter
SF-Rose/Murray/Mendez
SG-Peterson/Elder/English
PG-Felton/Stoudemire/Alston

but probably looks more like this:

C-Frye/Araujo/Willis
PF-Bosh/Bonner/Mendez
SF-Rose/Murray/Hodge
SG-Peterson/Elder/English
PG-Stoudeire/Felton/Alston

There may seem to be a lack of depth at the 2, but the 3 pgs will more than fill up the extra minutes.

This is just my opinion as I've followed the Raps closely these last 7-8 years, but what do you guys think?

[Fenix]

Step 1: Get out of Canada.

That's pretty much everything they have to do right now.

[iKe7in]

Why is that? They are owned by one of the richest sports ownerships in the world and have one of the highest attendance rates in the league. Maybe if they were the Slovenia Raptors they would have more success?

oh, and our flag pwns yours<---Crazy sideways frenchies

[Fenix]

Now that's just you being rude . I like Canada very much, in fact there's a big chance I'm moving there, but this kind of a conversation doesn't belong in here. (BTW, I agree with you about the flag.)

What is important is that nobody doesn't want to play in Canada. You can have as many cap room as you want, but will never be a major player in the free agency. Toronto's only chance to improve (IMHO) is via draft (which is basically what you're saying), but those players last only four years. There's no stability and continuity which are necessary for winning.

[iKe7in]

Bosh will stick around, he doesn't have a tenth of the attitude Tmac, Vince and the young Damon had. and its still hard to tell about how free agents feel about Toronto, because right after their early exapnsion dasy, they filled their lineup with guys like Willis, Oakley, and eventually Vince and the gang (Hakeem, AD, Boogie Williams, JYD), so they have never really had cap room. The only time they did, they got Hakeem.

[The X]

what's the tax rate like in Canada compared to the States....because when you're dealing in tens of millions of dollars, a few % points affect the bottom line for a player....or has the league done something to curb this problem?

[AlwaysWhat,NeverWhy]

This way, you're sure to get Frye, unless the Warriors are smart enough to grab him at 9

Trust me, I've got solid inside info. Frye will end up with the warriors( 90% probability), unless another team grabs him in the 1-8 range, which is highly unlikely...

Another guy who might drop out of the 1st round because of his current amateur contract (ala Maciej Lampe) is Tiago Splitter

It's a pro contract, not an amateur one... yes, here in Europe bball players are considered pro too...

the big man they need to add is Kevin Willis. With two young centres, they need a teacher, and a guy who knows he will walk away at years end. They will probably only need him for 10-12 minutes a night,

If KW gets 12 minutes a night, better sign a paramedic team to go along...


Oh, yeah, and move the franchise to LV,too...

[fgrep15]

Bosh will stick around, he doesn't have a tenth of the attitude Tmac, Vince and the young Damon had. and its still hard to tell about how free agents feel about Toronto, because right after their early exapnsion dasy, they filled their lineup with guys like Willis, Oakley, and eventually Vince and the gang (Hakeem, AD, Boogie Williams, JYD), so they have never really had cap room. The only time they did, they got Hakeem.

Like he has a choice anyways? That's why they added restricted free agency, if the Raptors want to keep Bosh, they will keep Bosh, he has no choice

Channing Frye

Please no. Their's been talks that he cancelled workouts at #11 and #12, which can definately mean someone has said something before those picks. Sometimes it's just the agents trying to get teams scared, which also increases his players stock.

Raymond Felton will not last till #7. If you look at the draft right now it's going like this:

MIL - Andrew Bogut
ATL - Marvin Williams
POR - Gerald Green
NOH - Chris Paul
CHA - Raymond Felton
UTA - Deron Williams

TOR

Antione Wright
Tiago Splitter [buyout could be a problem]
Danny Granger [maybe]

Tiaggo Splitter is a PF/C, but he's a 7'0, 240 lbs banger, he's not "not so big". Vazquez is also structly a center though only 6'10, so he's not a PF/C or anything. I see Antonie Wright being the pick there.

At #16 I see the possiblities of:
Chris Taft
Roko-Leni Ukic

[Fenix]

I'm going with Antoine Wright and Roko Leni Ukic. They have to think long-term: Wright is a superb prospect with Ray Allen-like potential (I'm stealing this from DraftCity.com), while Roko comes from Europe, so he'll be probably easier to keep after his rookie contract runs out. He's also a magnificent prospect at PG, with quickness, length, talent AND work ethic to be something special. Thumbs up! And as for the picks in the second round: I would look at Nate Robinson (he would definitely boost TV ratings and sell some jerseys), Ronny Turiaf (I've a great feeling about this guy), Aaron Miles (a true PG, who can dish, defend and most probably also shoot) and Jawad Williams.

I would also try and trade Alston for a senior citizen and a late first round/early second round draft pick. In the free agency, I would definitely try to spend money on a C to get a frontcourt buddy for Chris Bosh. Steven Hunter looks like a decent project.

If everything turned out allright:
C: Steven Hunter/Rafael Araujo
PF: Chris Bosh/Ronny Turiaf
SF: Jalen Rose/Jawad Williams
SG: Antoine Wright/Morris Peterson
PG: Roko Leni Ukic/Nate Robinson
Cut the rest (well, Bonner is a keeper and a few others could be helpfull) or buy them out.

Toronto's philosophy should be: AS MANY GOOD GUYS AND FOREIGN PLAYERS AS POSSIBLE. That would do it.

I presume that there are still big problems at the C. You could still a lineup with Turiaf in the middle. And oh, meet you next year in the Lottery .

[iKe7in]

So youre plan is top go into next year with 6 rookies, and deal away or release the rest of the vets, and then add even more unproven young euros later on. Is this called the 10-year plan? If you think Roko Leni Ukic is a starter in his first year, you my friend are smoking a rare form of crack. I realize that he's from a region close to you, and therefore you have decided that anyone from there is undoubtedly an allstar.

AS MANY GOOD GUYS AND FOREIGN PLAYERS AS POSSIBLE.

Because they've obviously already shown they can run teams in this league. Just like Ginobli and Parker, right? Oh yeah, theres this non foriegn guy named Duncan there too. And Carlos Arroyo and Darko clearly run Detroit. How about Miami, must be Wang Zhizhi, right? And where would Phoenix be without Barbosa?

That would do it.

And "it" would be the record for most consecutive years with lottery picks?

what's the tax rate like in Canada compared to the States....because when you're dealing in tens of millions of dollars, a few % points affect the bottom line for a player....or has the league done something to curb this problem?

They still pay players in American dollars, but their revenue from ticket sales and most of the advertising is Canadian, so they are just paying more.

[Fenix]

First of all, Arroyo is a legitimate starter in this league. And as for the rest:
-I'm probably being biased about Roko, but he's still one of the top 5 most talented young players in Europe and could start for any of the richest teams in the Euroleague. If that isn't enough to give him a chance as a starter in the NBA, then I don't know what is. Raptors could still get a decent PG via free agency to give some time to develop. I think we both agree that Alston is not the future for this team and with that contract it's better to get rid of him as soon as possible.
-My proposal is about getting as many young, talented players as possible. This are the Raptors we are talking about. Their only chance is building through the draft and therefor accumulating draft picks. Alston and Donyell (S&T) are the only two trade baits this team has.
-This team isn't going anywhere. At least not next year. So, they could use the season for the rebuilding. If they get themselves a good position in the lottery, use their expiring contracts wisely, they could be in shape for the 2006/2007 season. Loaded with potential, that is.
-I would still go with 5 rookies next season. It could mean a world of shit for this franchise (the old young Bulls) or they could become a sleeper of the East (the new young Bulls).
-I wrote "good guys" first and "foreign players" second.

[fgrep15]

First of all, Arroyo is a legitimate starter in this league

Carlos Arroyo? On what team is he a star? He wasn't even a star on Utah. He's a terrible defender, a decent passer, he has the passing skill, but he's not an elite playmaker, he has good handles and an okay mid-range shot, but no 3PT jumper.

I don't know how that equates into a star.

[Fenix]

I don't know how that equates into a star.

I don't know what the hell you're talking about . If you're good enough to be a starter (which I claim he is) it doesn't mean you're also good enough to be a star.

[BOSS]

i have seen this guys game in euroleague and not impressive. i am talking about splitter. also channing frye is a top 10 man and will be picked by golden state for sure and splitter is likely to drop from the draft i heard.

here is what i wanna see

1. trade eric williams and lamond murray away. they still got a bit of talent in them and teams would be interested.
2. resign bonner and cook. marshall and palacio will be signed to a different team.
3. with the 7th pick, the toronto raptors choose raymond felton. if he is available raptors should choose him. with there 16th pick, i can see them choosing villanueva, granger or wright if available. villanueva's workout was good with the raptors. with there 38th pick they should go for julius hodge or jawad williams. hodge's workout with the raps went great as well. he caused mccants to stop working out with the raps cause his defense was to good and mccants couldnt take it. finally with there 58th pick, they should choose juan mendez, one of the top players and unknown player in college bball this year. he was a all american candidate and a canadian. babcock was very interested with his skills during his workout with them.

projected lineup

c : araujo - woods - williams
pf: bosh - villanueva - sow
sf: rose - williams - mendez
sg: peterson - hodges - williams
pg: alston - felton - cook

ps: yes they do have that many williamses.

alvin eric and aaron

[air gordon]

frye top ten! eek. loren woods all over again

[Its_asdf]

I don't really pay attention to the draft and College/HS basketball until it's the actual draft day, but I say we draft Antoine Wright or any other talented player that manages to slip down to 7th. Same with the other picks, because after what happened with Araujo I don't really care about our team's "needs". We need to get a talented rookie so at least he could be trade bait for something better to fill our needs later.

I really hate to say this, but we have to get rid of Rose. He's my favourite player, but I'm not even sure his contract can be unloaded (around 16 million the next two years.... Who the hell gave him that money anyway?) Lamond "I'm a fucking loser and all I do is shoot" Murray should be traded. His expiring contract and his shooting should be able to get at least some recognition from other teams. Get rid of Eric Williams too. He's obviously not happy and he isn't planning to play for us. If we shed some cap room and get a little younger, I think we will be fine.

P.S. Pape Sow is the shiznit. Start him.

[air gordon]

i believe it was the pacers who gave that max contract to rose, who i think was coming off a pretty solid postseason and won MIP

[maes]

Rose is mentally retired. The way NBA contracts work with the backloading is that stars make most of their money at the end when they are basically done w/ basketball. Preventing this sort of thing is one of the main issues of the new CBA.

Toronto should try to trade up into the draft. The difference can be huge. Chicago had a chance to trade their #7 + player for #5. They said no, eventually it cost them the difference betwen Hinrich and Dwayne Wade. =0

[AlwaysWhat,NeverWhy]

The same Pacers that gave huge deals to Dale Davis and Austin Croshere, right? Something must be in the water down there in Indiana making it seem like money...

[air gordon]

actually there was an article about a week or 2 in one of the chicago papers where GM John Paxson denied that there was ever discussion of a trade involving the draft picks being swapped.

if i was in his position, i sure as hell wouldn't admit it publicly that i had a chance at getting wade but passed on it

[BOSS]

So basically in this thread everyone agrees that Eric Williams and Lamond Murray should be traded.

Well let's see who would want him.

[IronMan]

I know we sort of drifted away from this, but do you honestly think we can get Kevin Willis back? I don't see him returning to Toronto after the way we treated him...

But anyways, Chris Bosh and Matt Bonner are for SURE staying... so big ups to that! Hurray for Toronto's future!

[$Chris Bosh$]

bosh is our future carmelo who?

we really need to get someone good in our 7th pick and no bust like hoffa

[cyanide]

I don't see Kevin Willis coming back to Toronto, at all. I'm glad we have Bosh, but really, it's hard to see if Bosh will grow and become a strong and effective player like Jermaine O'Neal, but we really need to improve our core. Hopefully we'll have a strong draft, and we do have two picks in the first round, so let's see if our scouts will do a good job reporting and Babcock making smarter picks.

[Jackal_]

LOL @ Kevin, thats hilarious man. I personally think Eric Williams has to be shipped out. The Vince Carter trade was probably one of the worst trades in league history. Bosh is going to be a great player for the raptors and Donyell Marshall can shoot the lights out. We need a solid consistent team.