How many takers does Marion really have?Slow and steady doesn’t win the race, but at least it gives you time NOT to f*ck up. Two days into the second most important free agency period this team has ever gone through (the most important being the summer we re-upped AD, JYD and Boogie), and I’m glad Colangelo didn’t jump the gun to sign a free agent Shawn Marion. What would you say the contract he was going to be offered would be worth, 3yr/$21mil? Now, two days in and I bet not many of you would offer him more then a 3yr/$18mil deal, I know I wouldn’t.
Top 3 wing on the FA market sound about right? There a few teams around the league who are expected to compete for the championship, who could use the defense and rebounding that Marion brings to the table, but the funny thing is, there is zero chatter. Who wants Shawn Marion I know the Raptors do, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone else out there who will drive his asking price up, which should end up well for the Raptors. I can only speculate the reason Marion is taking his sweet time is that he hopes someone else will come in, and offer him a contract that will force BC to up the ante. I like the guy a lot, but he is 31, and any deal with him has to be 3 years and under $7mil/year.
I have to admit, the David Lee rumours make me nervous…really nervous. It makes no sense to sign Lee if the plan is to keep Chris Bosh. Argue all you want about what Chris’ natural position is (4 or 5), but as long as Bargnani is a Raptor, Bosh is a 4 (and Bargnani will be a Raptor unless we can get Wade or LeBron for him aka he will be here for ever). Does signing Lee give us options? It gives us a great deal of options, but the question is whether the Raptors would be a better team by signing Lee and trading Bosh for pieces, or keeping Bosh and signing/trading for pieces? Put me in the camp that supports the latter.
$60mil for Hedu? Seriously? I floated a 5yr/$50mil as my threshold of pain for the guy, but $60mil? I can only imagine that number was floated by his agent, in hopes of it working out for Hedu. Regardless, the Raptors seem to be out of hunting for the guy, which is fine with me, because…
ARTEST IS A LAKER!!!!
I love what he says about playing against Kobe in the finals, about not being friends and helping folks off the floor – I LOVE THAT ATTITUDE (we could have used Artest desperately). With the Lakers committing to Artest, Ariza is as good as gone, and the number of teams that could drive the value of his contract higher just decreased by one. I feel like Ariza is a younger Marion (not as talented mind you, but a younger-raw’er? version), and would be a nice fit lining up with Bosh and Bargnani in the front court. The rumour is that whoever, between Portland and Toronto, didn’t land Turkoglu would target Ariza. For once, here’s hoping the Blazers “win” the Hedu sweepstakes and we get the “consolation” prize.
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