Toronto trade partners

[mcHAPPY]

Here are the trade partners I would target if Toronto with an eye on the their multiple 1st round draft picks:

Chicago - 2012 first round draft pick from Charlotte (top 14/12/10/8 protected and finally unprotected in 2016)
Houston - 2011 swap and 2012 1st round pick from New York (top 5 protected through 2015)
LAC - 2011 first round pick from Minnesota (2012 unprotected)
MIN - No draft pick of their own but Utah (16/14/12 protected through 2013) and Memphis (14/12/10/9/9 protected through 2016)
New Jersey - 2012 pick from GSW (top 7/7/6 protected through 2015)
OKC - 2012 LAC 1st round pick (top 10 protected through 2015 and unprotected in 2016).
POR - 2011 NOH pick (top 7/8/8/8 protected through 2014)


Rationale is listed below:

I am a huge fan of the trade machine and I have posted many trades that I think are realistic but of course will never happen.

No trade this time - just trade partners.

IMO the Raps have a good core. With the exception of picking up players such as Bayless (rookie contract, lots of potential) in trades, I am starting to feel more and more the Raptors should stand pat and work with what they have and develop through the draft. The reason why is because one day this core will all be looking for pay raises similar to what OKC is going through now. Taking on a guy like AI does nothing to help this down the road especially with rookie deals ending and a possible hard cap on the horizon.

With that said, the Raptors do have a lot of flexibility to facilitate trades through remaining TPE ($12.2M) and Peja, Wright, Evans expiring contracts ($23M total).

This flexibility could help a playoff team like Chicago or OKC land a player they otherwise would not have been able to. These teams are to the point where they have a young/talented nucleus and the time to start winning is now.

The flexibility could also help a team like LAC unload 'bad' contracts.

I might come up with some trades with these teams over the next few days if anything pops to mind.

All draft pick info from here: http://realgm.com/src_future_draftpicks.php

Another thing to keep in mind might be other teams with big expiring contracts of very useful players to playoff teams:

Jason Richardson ($14M), Tayshaun Prince ($11M), Chauncey Billups ($3.75M buyoutnext year and $!3M this year), Carmelo ($17M ETO), Peja ($15M), Troy Murphy ($11M), Pryzbilla ($7M), Andre MIller ($7M team opt), Battier ($7M), Dunleavy ($11M), Jamal Crawford ($10M), Yao MIng ($17M), TJ Ford ($8.5M), Z-Bo ($17M), Michael Redd ($18M), Eddy Curry ($11M), Dalembert ($13M), Kirilenko ($17M).

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18070

http://www.realgm.com/src_freeagents/2011/

[grindhouse]

I like your thought process here, I see no reason why we can't go after another first round pick for 2011 with a asset like peja on our roster. We are going to use him to get a piece now or a piece for the future. I don't see many game changer players besides melo that are available example dwight howard. anyways with that said I like the clippers (Min 2011) first round pick.

[chris]

I am starting to feel more and more the Raptors should stand pat and work with what they have and develop through the draft. The reason why is because one day this core will all be looking for pay raises similar to what OKC is going through now.

hollinger had this to say in response to which shitty leastern team might squeak into the playoffs this year in his chat this week:

Toronto. All my metrics say they're better than their record and could easily make the playoffs... Plus, if they're close I think Colangelo will try to add players at the deadline.

his last sentence pretty much sums up my personal nightmare scenario for this team.

so i agree strongly with your first sentence there. however i'm not at all confident that any of the young guys we have are worthy of lengthy and expensive extensions when it comes that time. i mean there are a million teams whose young cores i feel better about.

but yeah that's a great list of potentially high picks we could (and should) be going after.

[JoePanini]

Imagine we have a top 5 pick, then Miami's pick, then we trade for 2 or 3 picks in the 16-25 range by giving them Reggie or Peja etc... We could rebuild, lots of good players end up just outside the lottery.

[mcHAPPY]

Imagine we have a top 5 pick, then Miami's pick, then we trade for 2 or 3 picks in the 16-25 range by giving them Reggie or Peja etc... We could rebuild, lots of good players end up just outside the lottery.

There are certainly a lot of possibilities. If you look at the teams at the bottom in the East, outside of possibly NJ and possibly WSH, who are better positioned going forward?

I'm sure you realize but anything with Peja or Reggie would have to be done before the trade deadline. If nothing is done though, having an extra $14M in cap space (as of now - more if Barbosa or Calderon are traded) gives a number of possibilities. Less if more contracts are taken on, of course.

[JoePanini]

There are certainly a lot of possibilities. If you look at the teams at the bottom in the East, outside of possibly NJ and possibly WSH, who are better positioned going forward?

I'm sure you realize but anything with Peja or Reggie would have to be done before the trade deadline. If nothing is done though, having an extra $14M in cap space (as of now - more if Barbosa or Calderon are traded) gives a number of possibilities. Less if more contracts are taken on, of course.

Of course having cap would be great, but getting picks seems better to me. Maybe not this draft, but on a 'hyped' draft, why not=

[mcHAPPY]

Of course having cap would be great, but getting picks seems better to me. Maybe not this draft, but on a 'hyped' draft, why not=

Sorry if I haven't been clear but the extra cap space can create draft picks. Think of the NOH/OKC trade last year that sent Mo'Pete and a higher draft pick (11- Aldrich) to OKC for two picks in the late teens/20's (Pondexter and Brackins) to NOH.

[JoePanini]

Sorry if I haven't been clear but the extra cap space can create draft picks. Think of the NOH/OKC trade last year that sent Mo'Pete and a higher draft pick (11- Aldrich) to OKC for two picks in the late teens/20's (Pondexter and Brackins) to NOH.

Yes, but to do so we need a couple of late picks. So we would need to maybe trade Reggie to a team like OKC or Minnesota who have cap room and maybe they have multiple picks. And do a Reggie for pick trade. Then use our 2 picks, apart from the top 5 pick that I think we have, and trade them along with Peja to a team who is above the cap but a losing team (i.e Pistons). I'm not to good with all this, but I just trust Colangelo will do the right thing. Anyways keep on going with the trade ideas, always good ideas come from you.

[mcHAPPY]

Yes, but to do so we need a couple of late picks. So we would need to maybe trade Reggie to a team like OKC or Minnesota who have cap room and maybe they have multiple picks. And do a Reggie for pick trade. Then use our 2 picks, apart from the top 5 pick that I think we have, and trade them along with Peja to a team who is above the cap but a losing team (i.e Pistons). I'm not to good with all this, but I just trust Colangelo will do the right thing. Anyways keep on going with the trade ideas, always good ideas come from you.

You think the Raps will have a top 5 pick? I was thinking that way too but if the effort continues that we've seen of late, I'm not so sure. I'm not thinking playoffs, yet, but league bottom dwellers is getting further out of sight.

I'm thinking the Raps own pick will be 8-12 range and Miami's would be 20-24.

The thing to remember about Peja, Evans, and Wright is after the trade deadline they are useless to the Raptors from a trade perspective. If no other contracts are taken on before the trade deadline, the Raptors can take a player from another team and their draft pick for a only a swap of draft pick(s).

OKC no longer has cap room thanks to signing bonus for Collison. I can't see a team like Minny or a lottery team taking on an expiring contract for a draft pick.

The two types of trades that keep coming back to my mind are the WSH-MIN trade in 2008 and the OKC-NOH trade in 2010. I hope the Raptors can do something like those to move up in to the draft to get a high draft pick - IF THEY DON't HAVE ONE ON THEIR OWN. It is extremely unlikely, but the year the Bulls got Rose the were suppose to draft 9th before the lottery. Similar is the year the Raptors got #1 they were suppose to be 5. The opposite can also occur though - Celtics were suppose to draft 1 but slipped to 5 and that was arguably the best thing that ever happened to the franchise as it caused Allen and Garnett to get traded.

I'm not trying to be a pest. I'm thinking the joys of attempting to understand through typing is creating some confusion between us both.

[JoePanini]

You think the Raps will have a top 5 pick? I was thinking that way too but if the effort continues that we've seen of late, I'm not so sure. I'm not thinking playoffs, yet, but league bottom dwellers is getting further out of sight.

I'm thinking the Raps own pick will be 8-12 range and Miami's would be 20-24.

The thing to remember about Peja, Evans, and Wright is after the trade deadline they are useless to the Raptors from a trade perspective. If no other contracts are taken on before the trade deadline, the Raptors can take a player from another team and their draft pick for a only a swap of draft pick(s).

OKC no longer has cap room thanks to signing bonus for Collison. I can't see a team like Minny or a lottery team taking on an expiring contract for a draft pick.

The two types of trades that keep coming back to my mind are the WSH-MIN trade in 2008 and the OKC-NOH trade in 2010. I hope the Raptors can do something like those to move up in to the draft to get a high draft pick - IF THEY DON't HAVE ONE ON THEIR OWN. It is extremely unlikely, but the year the Bulls got Rose the were suppose to draft 9th before the lottery. Similar is the year the Raptors got #1 they were suppose to be 5. The opposite can also occur though - Celtics were suppose to draft 1 but slipped to 5 and that was arguably the best thing that ever happened to the franchise as it caused Allen and Garnett to get traded.

I'm not trying to be a pest. I'm thinking the joys of attempting to understand through typing is creating some confusion between us both.

Clearly you are the better informed from the both of us. And you have far more knowledge on the subject of trades and signings etc...

[mcHAPPY]

Clearly you are the better informed from the both of us. And you have far more knowledge on the subject of trades and signings etc...

I woudn't go that far but coming from you, thank you.

Hey, congrats on your 1000th post.

[JoePanini]

I woudn't go that far but coming from you, thank you.

Hey, congrats on your 1000th post.

It's true though, you make the most plausable trade ideas and all, and you know all the facts and contracts etc...

Oh, thanks