What if tanking is not the goal?

[JimiCliff]

I'm not saying the Raptors are going to get LeBron, but I don't think anyone can deny that if he were to invoke the early termination of his contract, the Raptors would be one of the only teams with the combination of cap space to sign him, complimentary players, and ongoing flexibility to add more key pieces.

And if Lebron isn't available? Drew Bledsoe would be another great target that would look good on this team, though his RFA situation would make him hard to sign.

The point of the thread is that this team is set up to succeed in a number of different ways - as things stand, they can tank for a pick, they can make a splash in the free agent market, or they can look for assets via trade and have a number of interesting pieces that can be mixed and matched together to make any number of scenarios happen.

Is LeBron James in Toronto realistic? Probably not. Does that mean that Ujiri shouldn't try? Of course not.

If he puts any kind of value on his time, which I'm sure he does, he'll have thought about this for five seconds, and then promised himself to never, ever think about it again.

[JimiCliff]

I think being stuck in the middle is not all so bad.

So you and Masai have beef.

[psrs1]

Just had a bit of a thought this morning. The Raptors are widely assumed to be tanking for the purposes of having a high draft pick in a loaded draft lottery. I'm not saying that's not true, but I think there may be another plan in the works.

What we know: the Rudy Gay and Andrea Bargnani trades, if nothing else, have given the Raptors a tremendous amount of financial flexibility, but in all honesty, neither trade seems to have made them any worse. If anything, they stand to be better off for them. They now have a number of packageable assets in the form of expiring contracts and good value players (Lowry, Johnson, maybe even Vazquez in the right deal). They now have a much deeper roster, and while it isn't a very good roster as constructed, they're really not as far from a top tier team as we would believe (assuming that a solid coach comes in to oversee the whole operation). 1-2 players could make all the difference.

Masai Ujiri is quoted as saying that the Raptors won't be in the middle of the standings. But a high draft pick won't jump the Raptors up to respectability right away, even if it is Wiggins or any other of the top prep stars. Besides, as things stand now, we can get Wiggins when his rookie contract expires.

If the Raps end up with a top pick this year, I think that would be a fortunate side-effect, but not the ultimate goal. I think the ultimate goal is...LeBron James.

As currently comprised, the Raptors would present a very intriguing opportunity for LeBron James. The Heat are an aging roster on the downside of their potential. Of all the teams with the resources to sign LeBron should he choose early termination, the Raps would have one of the best rosters. A starting lineup of Valanciunas, James, Johnson, Derozan and a warm body all of a sudden becomes tremendously solid. James is a fan of Toronto and could be sold on representing a country. He also knows what kind of crowds Toronto had in the Carter/McGrady days and would thrive in that environment. The Raps could also promote their future financial flexibility, even after signing James, as their only long-term assets would be James, Derozan, Steve Novak, and Valanciunas and Ross's rookie deals, as a team positioned to compete for years to come.

So, the more this team wins, the more that a top-tier free agent like James could be convinced that the supporting pieces are here to create an instant winner. The more the team loses, the closer they get to top pick. With both the roster and financial flexibility that Ujiri has given this team in such a short time, it seems as though both options are possible.

As long as Casey is not coaching the team next year, I really like this team's situation going forward.

LeBron to T.O.? Really? What are you smoking?

[JimiCliff]

LeBron to T.O.? Really? What are you smoking?

T(r)o(ll)bacco.

[skyesonic]

So you and Masai have beef.

Its on lmao .

[Mr.Z]

This thread gave me cancer.

[ezz_bee]

Don't we have this exact same thread elsewhere, but with Durant instead of Lebron? We'd didn't even make Lebron's short list of teams last time when we had a legit all-star, and one of his co-conspirators? The argument, that we'd be a great team for him to play around pretty much works for every team. I mean if you slot the best player in basket-ball on any team they are going to be contenders. Lots of teams seem to be positioning themselves to land big free agents and teams like Dallas, which have a lot more going for them than the raptors... aka proven track record of winning and one of the best players in the game have had difficulty.

Just leave the L word out and stick to the merits of the financial flexibility and you draw less heat.

[Superjudge]

What a bunch of dicks you guys are.

I like this thread, i like this idea. Its fun to talk about, and its worth entertaining.

Besides, you guys don't know what the fuck Lebron James wants, hell, maybe the challenge is something he likes.... ya never know. We know he doesn't mind the cold, we know he is one of the only guys that DOESNT need to be in a specific market to get his endorsements, and we know he will be a FA soon.

Lebron in Toronto.... hell, that would be rad.

[Beagle]

Maybe you could sell him on the fact that Montreal is nearby. Heh, heh. I guess that's trolling.

[Superjudge]

I'm just saying, anything is possible, and its a fun conversation. Guys on here can just be so effing dickish to people when they suggest anything other than the same old BS. It's pretty funny how seriously people can take themselves at times.

[ebrian]

I laughed so hard. Thanks for a good laugh after the last hour of shoveling snow.

LBJ! Yes! I'm sure he would love to spend another 4-5 years trying to win a championship all by himself. LOL.

[Red and White]

Wouldn't this be one of the greatest GM smoke screens of all time, if Masai has all the sources say the Raptors are gearing up for the tank but he secretly intends to win and it catches everyone off guard?

There are some amazing drafts and some solid free agent classes coming up in the next three years. This feels like a perfect storm for tanking and salary slashing. I think tanking is the goal, despite the team's improved play after the Gay trade.

[psrs1]

Wouldn't this be one of the greatest GM smoke screens of all time, if Masai has all the sources say the Raptors are gearing up for the tank but he secretly intends to win and it catches everyone off guard?

There are some amazing drafts and some solid free agent classes coming up in the next three years. This feels like a perfect storm for tanking and salary slashing. I think tanking is the goal, despite the team's improved play after the Gay trade.

He probably is considering trying to win now. Most likely he will do full tank but he is a good poker player and you never know....

[Red and White]

He probably is considering trying to win now. Most likely he will do full tank but he is a good poker player and you never know....

Yeah thats true, but the last thing he wants is to be stuck in the middle of the pack, and I feel that trying to win now would most likely lead to the middle of the pack.

[Don Carlos]

Yeah thats true, but the last thing he wants is to be stuck in the middle of the pack, and I feel that trying to win now would most likely lead to the middle of the pack.

Unfortunately, this year, the difference between tanking and middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference is minimal. The teams allegedly "tanking" were supposed to be historically bad, and they're not, and the teams who were supposed to be "middle of the pack", like the Bulls and Knicks, have been cursed by injuries and/or chemistry issues. The logjam of teams between 35 and 45 wins in the Eastern Conference could extend from 3rd place to 12th. The Raptors could actively try to tank and still win the Atlantic Division, as crazy as that sounds. And where would that get them? A first-round exit, no lottery pick, and a wasted year.

If I was Ujiri and LBJ opts out, I would certainly put in an offer. Why wouldn't I go for the possibility of getting the best player in a generation? It's up to LBJ to say yes or no. If you don't ask, you don't receive. If he says no, nothing personal, the only mistake Ujiri can make is if LBJ says no and he uses the cap space recklessly otherwise, which doesn't seem to be in his personality to do.