Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Raptors Interested in Batum, But Won’t Get Him (Update: Nash offer made)

There's a report that the Raptors have approached Nick Batum.


This is a picture of Steve Nash in Toronto from a few weeks back.

UPDATE: Nash offer made – $36/3yr.

Dwight Howard is the player I dislike the most, and I want nothing more (other than motorboating Kelly Brook) than to see him be traded to the Nets, only for his private jet to Brooklyn be hijacked to Shutter Island.

Free agency has officially started and there’s a report that the Raptors are interested in Batum, who is leaning towards Minny (as they’re offering him $$$$$$$).

Portland Trail Blazers restricted free agent forward, Nicolas Batum, has been contacted by the Minnesota Timberwolves and what is being called a “serious offer,” has been made and discussed and the two sides will meet in Minnesota later today to deliberate on it further, according to a source very close to the situation.

The detailed figures that are being mulled over is a four-year, $45-50 million deal. The New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors have also reached out to Batum’s agent, Bouna Ndiaye, and meetings with those teams have been agreed on and will be scheduled shortly after the Minnesota trip, a separate source said.

Continuing on Nash, you probably know the situation and John Hollinger puts it well:

“If Toronto uses the amnesty rights on Jose Calderon, it can offer Nash a max contract; it’s the one team that probably would be most inclined to both overpay and give him a third guaranteed year. Additionally, Toronto could have enough leftover cap room to sign a fairly decent wingman for midlevel-ish money after giving Nash a three-year deal worth $45 million to $50 million.”

Amnestying Calderon no makey sensey to me. If we’re only doing it so that we can offer Nash a big contract, I don’t feel right about it. Calderon’s contract is an asset (it’s expiring at $10M) and there will be teams licking their chops at getting him on the cheap. If they do amnesty him, it’s going to make the decision to not trade him during the season for picks/cash/whatever seem really silly, because we would essentially lose him for nothing and just transfer his cap amount to Nash, only on a longer deal.

Moving on to other stuff, since we’re contemplating throwing money around at guards, here’s Eric Gordon who’s selling himself to the highest bidder. Nevermind the positional fit for a moment since we got Ross/DeRozan, but would throwing money around at someone like Gordon be more of a long-term fix than satisfying Nash’s desire to “help out” his country?

I’m usually for tanking because I believe that’s how talent is infused into a franchise, but at this point I’m wondering whether, with so many young players on the roster, the youth quota has been filled and it’s time to actually supplement it with something that might lead to winning. JoVal, Bargnani, DeRozan, A. Johnson, Ross…we need more youth? Gotta think about this before we endorse another season of 15 wins leading to a mid-lottery pick because we’ll decide to win 10 of our last 15 games.

It’s a beautiful day. I might just peek outside only to find the neighbor staring back at me, before both of us go back inside scared shitless of coming out. That’s how I roll.