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So many people (here, other forums/blogs, journalists) are guessing what the Ujiri and the Raptors plan to do. We are all pretty hardcore Raptor fans here and we often (ok not everyone but definitely myself included) tend to look at the Raptors in a vacuum.
The reality is the Raptors are 1 of 30 teams in a league. Ujiri might want to trade Lowry/DeRozan/JV/Amir/Gay/WHOEVER yesterday but if there is no taker at market value (or better!) then it does not make much sense to make a trade just for the sake of it, now does it? Didn't think so.
Every year we see one player or team who creates a plug in the dam and no other trade can flow through until that one is resolved. Team A wants to trade with Team B but Team B is waiting to see what happens with Team C who is also talking with Team D while Team D is waiting for Team A. Last season to a small extent Gay was that player. The year before it was the Dwightmare. Before that it was Dra-Melo.
Who is it this year? Is it Rondo and the Boston Celtics? Marc Stein at ESPN.com seems to think so:
Is Detroit waiting to see where Rondo goes? If so, would Gay be their second option?
What about Milwaukee? If so, would Lowry interest them - or do you really think an owner and GM trying to get a new arena and make the playoffs each year is happy with Knight as a ? What about DeRozan when they have one of best stretch 4's (Ilyasova) in the game?
Is Houston the dark horse?
And while Toronto may be waiting on those teams, maybe you have Charlotte waiting on Toronto? Maybe Cleveland is waiting too? Or maybe Toronto is waiting for them? Or maybe none of these teams are waiting for another but different teams who the previously mentioned teams are waiting for are on hold due to some other team?
Hopefully point is taken here: Rondo appears to be the 2013-14 trade blocker.
What do you think?
The reality is the Raptors are 1 of 30 teams in a league. Ujiri might want to trade Lowry/DeRozan/JV/Amir/Gay/WHOEVER yesterday but if there is no taker at market value (or better!) then it does not make much sense to make a trade just for the sake of it, now does it? Didn't think so.
Every year we see one player or team who creates a plug in the dam and no other trade can flow through until that one is resolved. Team A wants to trade with Team B but Team B is waiting to see what happens with Team C who is also talking with Team D while Team D is waiting for Team A. Last season to a small extent Gay was that player. The year before it was the Dwightmare. Before that it was Dra-Melo.
Who is it this year? Is it Rondo and the Boston Celtics? Marc Stein at ESPN.com seems to think so:
They have to trade Rajon Rondo. You know it, I know it, everyone in basketball knows it. In the interim, though, hats off to Danny Ainge. By hiring Brad Stevens, he's found a way to keep the Celts riveting for the Boston die-hards while he's in the midst of all these tricky rebuilding transactions.
http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings...r/2014/week/-1
http://espn.go.com/nba/powerrankings...r/2014/week/-1
Is Detroit waiting to see where Rondo goes? If so, would Gay be their second option?
What about Milwaukee? If so, would Lowry interest them - or do you really think an owner and GM trying to get a new arena and make the playoffs each year is happy with Knight as a ? What about DeRozan when they have one of best stretch 4's (Ilyasova) in the game?
Is Houston the dark horse?
And while Toronto may be waiting on those teams, maybe you have Charlotte waiting on Toronto? Maybe Cleveland is waiting too? Or maybe Toronto is waiting for them? Or maybe none of these teams are waiting for another but different teams who the previously mentioned teams are waiting for are on hold due to some other team?
Hopefully point is taken here: Rondo appears to be the 2013-14 trade blocker.
What do you think?
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