Last Night, Carlos Delfino took part of an Argentinian midnight sports show called “Gol de Medianoche”. Alvaro Perez from the Mediocre Forever Blog did a great job translating the interview and focusing in the subjects related with the Toronto Raptors. After the show a journalist for Basquet Plus did a quick interview about his contract situation with Khimki, his shoulder injury and his desire to leave Russia and come back to the NBA.
He sounded very disappointed with the way Khimki handled his injury and his contract situation. They also owe him a good part of his salary from last year.
We all want you to be with the National Team but we know it’s very difficult.
I want to be there too, but it’s really difficult. Because it’s not something that I can decide, it’s a contract conflict, we’re trying to solve it but it’s not something you can decide by yourself. I’m waiting to see how things work out, maybe some doors that are right closed may finally open. You have to wait and see what happens, keep being optimistic and have patience.
Odds of you being with the National team from 0 to 100%?
It’s a 90-10 against.
Is it because you shoulder injury or just a contractual negotiation?
Basically it’s because of the contract. About the injury, I’m going to Italy tomorrow by my own to make some tests because the Russians didn’t even tell me where I should go and where I shouldn’t go. So, I’m making it on my own as I already went through the healing process. Then we’ll see what happens with the shoulder, I feel very good. Sometimes it bothers me a little but I’m OK. About the contract, it’s a big problem. Why? Well, let’s face it: Khimki isn’t paying me and the situation doesn’t seem to get fixed. If we workout a buyout I’d be in the same situation as last year: I didn’t have a contract and I couldn’t play with the National Team until I signed with a team. So it’s like going through the process one more time and it’s very disturbing because I can’t do what I want to, I can’t play where I want to.
What will be your ideal situation in 20 days?
Hope it doesn’t take 20 days because no one in the National Team would wait 20 more days for a player. Hope that when we’ll finally work something out, the doors of the National Team will still be open. I hope this gets resolved as sooner as possible, like 5-7 days.
The ideal situation for you would be: agree a buy out from the Khimki leave Russia and join Toronto?
Yes, Toronto or any other NBA team where I can have good minutes, where I can progress and develop as a player and basically where I can be happy while playing basketball. I’m not returning to play in the NBA with just any team, it has to be a good situation.
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57 Raps
Very nice Raul, I thought this was pretty funny:
“I’m going to Italy tomorrow by my own to make some tests because the Russians didn’t even tell me where I should go and where I shouldn’t go.”
LOL Those sneaky Russians…
I think the “Russions” are telling him where to go by not telling him where to go.
Pass on Delfino…let him take up a roster spot somewhere else “where he can get minutes”.
Hurts to say because I feel for him and Toronto is his ideal place, but we do have to pass on him. I think we should settle on the the Double-D Express…gawd it sounds like a boob-flick…
I’ve said it many times before, but this team NEEDS Delfino.
-One of the best rebounding SGs in the league
-Defends 3 positions adequately
-Shoots the 3 pointer at a good clip (39% or so)
-Brings some grit
-We own his bird rights!
What is Toronto missing right now on the wings? Rebounding, Defense, 3 point shooting. What does Delfino provide? Each of these qualities. But most importantly, REBOUNDING! This team might just become a decent rebounding team if Delfino plays big minutes, which he would in Toronto, considering he’s a much better player than Wright. Without him, we’re dead last in rebounding differential.
i’ve been going back and forth on this for a minute now. I’m actually still going back and for on it. but at the end of the day, i do think they need to sign him.
when delfino played for detroit, chauncey billups had to take him to dinner and call him out because they didn’t trust him as a teammate (http://bit.ly/bOjJN)
that spoke volumes to me but again because character and trust on a team is paramount. but i went back and forth on it today when i read delfino’s other interview last night about ben wallace and other detroit players making fun of his accent and his inability to speak english. grown men goofing fooling around or grown men pulling acting like fools. you be the judge. but it made me question THEIR characters and think twice about them callimg HIM out.
judging by his interview last night (not the one above), i believe he does want to play for the Raptors. the issue for me, is less about the money because I think they’ll settle on a one year, and more about his shoulder injury. the last thing we need is to sign a guy knowing he’s not healthy going into the season. hopefully he’s cleared and has a clean bill of health before training camp. he’ll be a solid addition to the second unit.
So you’re telling me if you were an NBA player you wouldn’t want to go somewhere where you can get playing time?
90% of the league wants minutes, he’s no different,
Marcus Banks is in the other 10 % :)
i dunno. the way i’ve read the situation, his lavish (read: outrageous) khimki contract was being held over the raps’ head, in that he wouldn’t sign for less than X$ because he’s got such a great deal over there. well, that deal seems to suck, as does the level of medical care provided by khimki. basically, i don’t get the idea that he’s enamoured with going back to russia, and was simply trying to up his value. if he’s willing to re-sign for a more realistic term (the $’s only matter so much, it’s how many years those dollars are spread out over), then he could be a value piece coming off the bench or starting until DD’s ready.
I think the Ruskies would sabotage his season by claiming that his shoulder is still injured and than decide not to play him (and not to pay him).
Euroleague: Where corruption happens.
lol altraps…we all know we need someone like Delfino. And because of the cap, he is the only person we can afford right now.
I don’t know why people are starting to hate Delfino. At least the guy is honest. Every single player in the league has the same stuff going on in their heads, they just don’t say it out loud. They all sugar-coat their speeches with a lot of bs.
I know it is a really awkward situation, but I really hope Delfino comes here.
“we need someone like Delfino”
and therein lies the rub. His physical condition has been called into question (and after the whole Jawai incident, do we really trust our team doctors?) and he is asking for a fair bit of money. This for a guy who couldn’t get fair playing time in Detroit and hardly has a stellar career in a Raptors uniform. Now, if we do sign him, and he only plays 15-20min a night, will he bitch because he isn’t getting minutes?
I think our RR poll is somewhat telling as well. The stock answer is leading, but were Delfino lands elsewhere in the poll is interesting.
I don’t mind the guy but I don’t see him as the end all/be all that some here do. I have no problem with his statements or even the $ demands, I just have issues as to if he is worth it to us as a one year rental.
About the polls AltRaps; Do you think Colangelo and Cie. checks the results for indications of what the people want? Or they just over this stuff as high Basketball intelligence people.. You think they read any of the RR stuff just to get an outside idea of whats going on or what people think?
thanks
(I figure they should…)
whats everyones problem with giving him one year deal. worst case scenario if he plays bad they can trade him half way thru the season to someone looking for cap relief. I’ll never understand why anyone can think its a bad thing to sign the guy.
After hearing Colangelo talk the other day I honestly think he’s already been offered the one year deal and is mulling it over. If he takes a 5M/1y deal and has a crappy season (say DeRozan, Turk, Wright dominate minutes), he’ll have a hard time making close to that kind of money the year after.
He’s just thinking right now and hoping the Raptors or anybody else offers a multi-year deal. I think he might end up being forced to settle for one year because Colangelo wants to avoid future pinch points in the cap, especially with it going down.
And Kleiza’s still on the market who I assume teams will rank ahead of Delfino.
$10M/3yrs > $5M/1yr (duh! right?)
You’d think Delfino owes money to the Russian Mob or something.
Arse, how do you suppose we get Kleiza especially if we are going to offer our BAE to Rasho.
or we’re you referring that other teams would sign Kleiza over Delfino :S
Exactly. I think an arbitrary team would be more interested in Kleiza than Delfino because the former is more of a proven commodity than Delfino.
But technically speaking, we can get Kleiza if he signs real cheap. Or it would have to be a sign-and-trade with Denver but I think they’d be reluctant to take on salary. Without Kleiza they are currently at the tax-level (or over depending on what website you check) and I don’t think they’ll be wanting to take on any more salary.
If Kleiza can take a deal like Barnes did, we should go for it even though Delfino is the better defender IMHO. I’m 50-50 between the two but would lean towards a healthy Delfino. Also, if BC preferred Kleiza he would’ve gotten him by now.
Can someone explain to me one thing though.
Why didn’t BC do sign-trade with Indiana for JACK? That way we didn’t have to beg Delfino to sign with us, we could of gave Jack less money, we didn’t have to wait a week and lose all the good FAs on the market,and by saving our MLE, we could have easily got two decent players, a SF and a center. (klieza and maybe big baby).
The reason Larry Bird/Pacers didn’t match Jack’s offer was because it would have put them over the luxury tax – which is why they wouldn’t have accepted a sign-n-trade (i.e. Delfino’s additional salary).
I am not that knowledgeable and I could be wrong (or very wrong), but here is my say on sign and trades. The deal we struck with Orlando, Dallas, and *ppffft* Memphis were all beneficial agreements in someway. Dallas wanted Marion (+ Marion wanted over $8 million) pretty badly and jettisoning Stackhouse’s contract to save some bucks, and Mark Cuban gave us some “money for cap-space” back. Orlando “signed” Turkoglu and we gave them “money” for their cap space (they probably used that money to sign Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes). We used Marion’s traded dollars from Cuban and Orlando’s “help” to acquire Turkey-glue and retaining MLE. Memphis received our 2016 2nd round pick and Stackhouse (to be bought out) and Memphis is supremely desperate for trade attention or just retarded unless their 2016 2nd rd. is a Lebron James (who the hell knows?).
Jack is a RESTRICTED free agent, it must for sure mean that in this case you cannot possibly pull a sign and trade in this situation (correct me anyone if I am wrong). If Indiana would actually do a sign and trade with us involving around a $5 million/year amount of money, they would want to nab our draft picks for sure (maybe 2011, 2012 1st and 2nd rds.)
We just cannot risk anymore draft picks to be traded away, taking consideration DeRozen’s upside , and the last one we spent was from the O’Neal trade with that 2010 1st round to Miami. Sucks to lose that 2010 pick, but that 2010 pick was probably well spent or else we would have been stuck with injury-O’Neal and Horse-face Killer as 2nd point guard.
One major issue with signing Delfino, then saying “we’ll just trade him later” is the fact that we have his bird rights, and $5 million/year is much more than his previous contract.
As such, he would be a base-year-compensation player. His contract would only allow for $2.5 million to come back this way in any trade. This means any team looking to dump salary would have to TAKE ON salary in the short term.
This is also the reason that any sign and trade opportunities will very likely fall through. Usually in a sign and trade, the other team could unload a 5 mill/year contract and get Delfino, with no effect on their cap/tax situation. But with a BYC player, they can only send a 3.225 million dollar player this way – which for a lot of teams, will mean extra tax, or moving into the tax.
Another thought is that if you sign him to a one-year deal, just let him expire at the end of the season. Why should there be any urgency to unload him if he has an expiring contract?
I like him, I hope they get him, but even in a good market there might be some serious questions about paying Delfino 5mil a year. If he’s being offered anywhere near that now, then he should take it. The FA’s available next year will eat up most of what little cap will be available on select teams. So this may well be his one opportunity to get back to the NBA.
Colangelo took the offer off the table so that he and his agent, not having received any other offers, would be able to see his true value.
I like him but anything north of $5mil is unwise.
Give Delfino the money Moon just got 8mil for 3 years
i honestly don’t know what cleaveland was thinking… 3 mill a year for moon?
pay him more he works harder.
honestly, i would prefer bringing back joey graham over delfino. joey is good for a short while, but he would suck if we play him too long. Translation=perennial backup
Therefore: he would not hinder the growth of our other young guys esp derozan. plus, he is already familiar with the system that jay triano imposed on the team.
joey is a much better/cheaper upgrade to backup derozan, wright at the wing, over devean george.
i know a lot of you hate joey as he is a bust, because he was drafted over guys like granger, but as he did show last season, he is just a role player. but we do need a role player, who could D-up, and bring some energy on the floor.
i dont think we should spend some more. we already had 2 great signees in hedo and jack. i would love it if our last 2 signings are rasho and joey, but if not rasho, just bring back pops.
can’t wait for next season!
I think Delfino is a much better signing than Joey and is a much more important signing and for one major reason. Rebounding. Right now with the current team we’ll struggle with our rebounding especially with Andrea. Delfino makes up for that being one of the top rebounding guards in the league.
Quite sadly his rebounding numbers are actuallly better than Bargnani’s,
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bargnan01.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/delfica01.html
And since he also adds good three point shooting and defense his signing should be a no-brainer.
Delfino is just looking out for Delfino, he wants to get paid and live comfortably because in Russia it wasn’t the case. Deflino doesn’t care if he plays in Toronto or the any other NBA team. He is a hired gun just like Garbo was and just like Garbo he is going to look out for number 1 instead of the team first.
Delfino’s got an attitude problem.
hotshot: How is looking out for one’s best interest an attitude problem? Every other NBA player has that exact same attitude when it comes to negotiating for their livelihoods.
Garbo was a terribly selfless player on the court, did whatever was necessary to help the team win. Maybe you disagree with his playing schedule for the National team, but that in no way discounts how he played when he was with the Raps.
If Delfino can provide the same level of play as Garbo, it’s a no brainer you bring him in.
Next time you have a performance review at work, I’d like for you to ask for less money so the company can hire additional employees. Why should you ‘get paid and live comfortably’ at your job while others are out of work? If Delfino can’t do it, neither can you.
I might be going crazy but for the money… Joey graham > Carlos Delfino
- Carlos has more quickness and playmaking ability, but Joey has power
- Both guys are maddeningly inconsistant at times and would be better in a small role playing in short spurts
- Carlos does have the 3 pointer (and knows it) but its hardly worth the 4 million difference in expected salaries.
- the biggest challenge would be to sit Joey down and say “your a minimum/fringe player. Don’t try to play over your skill level. You’re not gonna play big nor overly meaningful minutes, just an energetic 10 mins a night.”
Joey is definately a better bang for the buck, but there are others minimum-types that can fill the need.
I bet Delfino is leaving messages like this on BC’s voicemail…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EHpozHn-QA
Also, you can probably sign Joey for 1 Mill or Less while it will get atleast 4.5 Mill for Delfino.
Joey is a pretty good player. He is an undersized powerforward that has learned on the fly how to play the 3. He is a WAY better option than Delfino…now that we have Wright.
4 years in the NBA is ‘learning on the fly’? That seems to me to be the opposite, where you are given extended learning opportunities. Joey has no idea what he’s doing on a basketball court, he’s an athlete with absolutely no refinement to his game.
When you give Joey the ball: 1) Head down, drive to the bucket, throw it up, OR 2) Toss up a jumper with no arc. That’s it.
Give Delfino the ball: Endless options. He can shoot, drive, pass. He has a feel for the game that Joey can only dream about.
Delfino can also play multiple positions, while Joey can play none. He’s bad as a 3 and bad as a 4.
I don’t understand this part :
” Khimki is not paying me and the situation does not seem to get fixed”
What does he mean they are not paying him ?
To people who think we should pay Delfino 5 Mill a year :
Do you think there is any other team in the league who will pay this much for him considering:
1) He was away from NBA for One year.
2) He does not have the best record in NBA.
3) He has question marks about his health.
5 million can get you a very good rotation player in NBA and Lets be honest, Delfino at its best, it a average rotation player
from what I recall Delfino wanted to leave half way through last season because he wasnt getting paid.. thats why I dont know why he is not jumping on any contract T.O. offers…
Really ??!! Then what is wrong with him. I heard in the interview that BC is willing to pay him little more than 5 if he signs a One year deal as well. Delfino is getting some BAD advice from somebody in his Camp. I think Toronto is his only chanse of getting back to NBA.
Edgar nice one LOVE IT! precise…
lawls , nice one edgar
Listen morons…a player looking for the best situation for himself does not have an “attitude problem”, he has a brain…unlike YOU.
It’s a fucking business, you infants…it’s not highschool.
And any idiot who thinks Joey Graham would be a good signing, is part of the problem in this city…this city in love with mediocrity..
Joey Graham is a moron..that is undoubtably why some people here like him…
Colangelo should have fucking signed Matt Barnes when he had a shot…
good point nunya but you have to be say it like that. We are all just having a conversation, and we all know we are all amateurs here, not analysts.
Takes some getting used to but I kinda like the potty mouth with her flare and striking style…usually makes a damn good point too.
No delfino. Hes a below average hucker on a team full of huckers.
His shot selection was crap when he was here and he was a ball dominant clock killer.
I also think hes gonna cut into productive learning minutes for derozan, and hes gonna steal shots from jack.
Plus if you think Jose looks off bargnani….wait till delfino comes back.
Be smart with the money…resign pops in addition to rasho…and save the rest till youre sure we need someone else.
I have a couple of suggestions for what we can do to finish shoring up our bench now that we signed Rasho. With the change with have from the MLE, we sign Hakim Warrick from Memphis (who doesn’t want him any more). He is an unrestricted free agent, who can play PF. He apparently (from nba postup.com) is a good post player. He is a great offensive rebounder (which is where our problem rebounding will come from), who also draws fouls. He has a 49% fg%, Apparently he can play center as well, making O’Bryant expendible (doesn’t he only have a partially-guaranteed contract?). Reggie Evans can’t score, and right now we only have 5 bigs. Nesterovic is a shitty rebounder.
Here is my suggestion for the 2-spot. Sasha Vujacic. I believe (from following Laker blogs) that he is not wanted in L.A. anymore, because of his 5 million dollar contract, which is going up to 5.5 million. He is their version of a cap buster. They also want to get rid of Sun Yue, because he keeps going back to China to play with the national program, instead of summer ball. The trade is Sasha Vujacic and Sun Yue to Toronto for … Marcus Banks.
Why would the Lakers take marcus banks? Because they save 2 million in salary this year, and 1.4 million next year (they signed Shannon Brown for 2 years who I believe will eat Sasha’s already reduced minutes in L.A.). That’s potentially the difference between signing odom and not, or a combined 8 million (factoring in luxury tax) for the owner over two years.
If Sasha returns to the form of two years ago, it is a steal for the raptors. He had reduced playing time, and he self-admitedly tried to hard (which explains the dip in shooting percentage, and higher foul rate). He would be able to start until DD is ready to take over. The cost to us is only 1.4 million for 2 years, because banks is useless.
It would cement the country of Slovenia as fans of the raptors, and increase our euro look. Rasho and Sasha have a basektball-relationship because of playing on the Slovenian national team. Plus they can speak Slovenian on the court.
Even if Sasha is only as good as last year, he is a good 3 point shooter. He is also an excellent defender, and one of the best at his position in picking up steals (explaining his high foul rate, which went up a LOT last year). He defensively rebounds well. He also has championship experience.
Now, Sun Yue is strictly for marketing. He gets garbage time minutes, and is fed the ball. Every summer he HAS to go back to China to play on the national team. Where he will promote the raptors. Chris Bosh’ visibility in China will go through the roof. Plus, the Lakers want to get rid of him, so we might have to. Saves them money this year.
I would even give them the 2nd round pick we got for Hassan Adams…it is from the clippers.
1)I don’t think our MLE left over is enough to sign Warrick. He had a qualifying offer for 3 Million which he did not accept.
2) We are playing Evans about 6-7 mill a year. How are we going to divide the time between Bosh, Evans and Warrick as all 3 play in the same position !!!!
I really like your Sasha idea for Banks. I lived in LA for last 3-4 years and I have seen almost all their games. Sasha is an under rated defender and if as u said get back to his 2 years ago form, he will be a great addition to this team. I do think as well that Lakers will do the trade.
sorry, didn’t know about the other offer. I was hoping to sign him warrick for next to nothing. Matt Barnes got me excited (I wanted him for SF).
Fluff you seem to have an obsession with improving our euro look .I thought we want the best players available irrespective of their nationality.It is because of this line of thinking we are stuck with bargs…he was obviously not deserving of being the 1st pick.
I like the creativity with the Lakers deal. Will the Lakers do it? Im not sure, but it would really help the raptors. Its a worth taking if the loss is an overpaid Marcus Banks.
I think 5 mil for Delfino is a lot considering hes been away from the NBA, been injured, and we are a little loaded at the guards. I think he would be an excellent addition, but not for that money even its a one year contract. I think BC is smart enough to know when to walk away from him, but also realizes hes a unique player that can be effective with the current depth.
I think another big men is needed. OBryant is useless and if one of Bosh and Bargnani goes down, our depth gets hit there badly. Rasho and Evans are best suited for depth positions.
Either way, i think BC is smart enough to get out of this. He has one more roster spot left, and in no rush to get a player. I think he will make the best decision in the end. GO RAPS GO!
speaking of crazy theoretical deals. Golden State has FIVE listed SF’s under contract for next year (according to espn.com). The target is Ken Azubuike, who would rank 4th on their depth chart. Memphis has no back-up pg, and no back-up sg or sf. Golden State only has 2 centers. As such, going to Memphis (from Toronto) Roko Ukic and either Antoine Wright or Devean (sp.?) George. Going to Golden State would be Patrick O’Bryant (whose PER according to Hollinger from ESPN was not bad). O’Bryant’s contract is I think partially-guaranteed. Coming to Toronto is Ken Azubuike (who can play the 2 or 3) from Golden State and Haddadi (from Memphis–he is on a 2 year deal, so it is a mild salary dump for them next year, using a small amount this year).
It is true that a particularity of my basketball-fandom that I try to acquire international players. However, one practical reason is that it sells tickets and jerseys. There are over 100 000 iranians in Toronto, and if Haddadi got only garbage time minutes they would buy jerseys and tickets. Not to mention people in Iran (which is a large country in and of itself). It also means that the Toronto Raptors are reprsentative of one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
I don’t think this is the time or place to extensively defend bargnani. I have done it elsewhere. The ultimate reason is his salary. When you are judging his offensive accomplishments (noting he was the 3rd highest scoring center in basketball after he began to start, and was 2 points behind the leader, which should come this season as he is getting better and calderon is healthy, and turkgolu is an assist guy) remember he is getting paid 6.5 million. Would you like to be paying 10 million 5 years from now for potentially the highest-scoring center in bastkeball? Our#2 offensive option is only being paid $10 million five years from now, and if Bosh leaves, Bargnani’s stats will go up more. Dwight Howard is getting paid 15.2 million. For the same money (and basketball is unfortunately about money) you get Calderon, too. Compare the stats of Calderon+Bargnani vs. Dwight Howard + League-Minimum PG. No comparison. Bargnani is also criticized for a low shooting percentage, but when you shoot 40% from 3, your expected points from a possession that ends in a 3pt shot from bargnani is 1.2. That is the same statistical expectation as shooting 60% from 2. Like I said, I don’t want to get into it, but there is a lot more. Is he a max-player? No. For what he is paid (remember center is the most expesive position in basketball) he is a great deal, and he is only getting better.
I like the Lakers deal.
I am not sure how Sasha would respond, but its worth a shot, since Banks is pure dead weight.
bargs isn’t a center tho, he only plays center cuz we have bosh, come on we all know he’s really a PF in this league. if we were to trade bosh for a real centre and some pieces that woud be nice, bargs would slide to Pf and still have our other core guys DD, turks, jose, bosh leavin could be the best thing, him and bargs dont have the best chemistry anyways..
delfino………. i have mixed emotions bcuz i always stuck up for him back when he was a rap in our best season, but truth be told is iunno why were after him now, if this was gunna be the case y let him go. the fact he left dosen’t help, but i just dont think he is what we need anymore, with respect to who is still available in free agency, worth what were planning to pay delfino
and by no means am i on the trade bosh train, i hope we re-sign him, he’s a superstar, and one of my favorite raps of all time(right beside alvin!!!). nobody better say vince is cuz he’s not
im jus sayin