Raptors 2014 Free Agency: non-Raptors thread

[Primer]

Wiggins is just potential right now.. may not pan out. Bennett sucked last year and could be a bust. A first rounder with Lebron on the team could be a pick in the high 20's. So the deal is really Wiggins for Love, and I think Minny is looking for something where they can win now and in the future.

Klay is arguably better than Andrew right now. Lee is a starting caliber PF. Barnes is potentially better than Bennett. And Minny could be looking for more.. ie, additional picks, additional prospects.

Why do the deal now? Why not wait another month? It's not like the Cavs can find someone better than Love to make Lebron happier. In the meantime GSW could make a better offer knowing the Cavs are willing to deal Andrew Wiggins.

Saunders is in the drivers seat.. he's playing this situation out the same way Masai played out the Melo trade. With patience he might get an even better deal. What if Cavs throw in Thompson as well? Or Miami's first rounder and their own first rounder? Or Waiters? Or all of the above? What if GSW decides to throw in Ezeli or Green or better picks (with less protections)?

I'd want the most for my top 5 player.. and he's got two teams potentially willing to sell the farm to get that guy.

Minny could be posturing to get Waiters or Thompson instead/in addition to Bennett. If they think Bennett is a bust then he's just an expensive contract.

[white men can't jump]

One thing to remember with Minnesota: Rob Babcock works for them as assistant GM. So hopefully Saunders is not listening to his advice because he knows exactly how to take the worst bid.

[mcHAPPY]

One thing to remember with Minnesota: Rob Babcock works for them as assistant GM. So hopefully Saunders is not listening to his advice because he knows exactly how to take the worst bid.

In the quest to compete now mantra that they have been putting forth, it would appear Robbie has an ear.... or two.

[white men can't jump]

In the quest to compete now mantra that they have been putting forth, it would appear Robbie has an ear.... or two.

No clue. Is that what Babcock would advocate? It's not what he sought in Toronto for VC....where he accepted the Nets offer basically entirely because of the 2 1st rd picks as he wanted to rebuild.

Is he so afraid of the same mistake that he's advocating the opposite?

Is it just that no team has called offering two players with the same last name? Now, if Klay and Tristan were on the same team, maybe a deal gets done yesterday....

[mcHAPPY]

No clue. Is that what Babcock would advocate? It's not what he sought in Toronto for VC....where he accepted the Nets offer basically entirely because of the 2 1st rd picks as he wanted to rebuild.

Is he so afraid of the same mistake that he's advocating the opposite?

Is it just that no team has called offering two players with the same last name? Now, if Klay and Tristan were on the same team, maybe a deal gets done yesterday....

I was thinking specifically drafting Arujao over Igoudala.

[white men can't jump]

I was thinking specifically drafting Arujao over Igoudala.

Ah. True. True..

[The Great One]

How bad is Rob Babcock? to this day he still thinks that he got a great return for VC lol smh. Go watch the Re-Imagination of VC.

[Bendit]

I was thinking specifically drafting Arujao over Igoudala.

Here is something about those "heady" days.......

Two league sources have told SI.com that the Toronto Raptors will hire Minnesota Timberwolves' vice president of player personnel Rob Babcock as the team's next general manager. Joining Babcock in the Toronto front office will be NBA Hall of Famer Wayne Embry as the assistant general manager and former player Alex English, who will serve as the club's new director of player personnel. The team is expected to formally announce the moves on Monday.

Babcock will arrive in Toronto after spending 10 seasons with the T'wolves, the last two of which he served as general manager Kevin McHale's top assistant. Prior to becoming a team vice president, Babcock spent eight years as the club's director of player personnel and two as a scout. Embry, a four-time All-Star with the Cincinnati Royals, became the first black general manager in the league when he was hired by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972.


Babcock was one of five candidates short-listed by the Raptors several weeks ago when the team began the process of replacing longtime GM Glen Grunwald, who was fired at the end of the season. Babcock was considered the favorite of Jack McCloskey, who served as Detroit's general manager during their back-to-back title seasons in 1989 and '90 and has been serving as the chief consultant to the Raptors during the GM hiring process. One of two finalists for the position, Babcock's chief competition for the post was Jeff Weltman, assistant GM of the Denver Nuggets. The other three executives under consideration were Philadelphia'a Tony DiLeo, former NBA player Len Elmore and Portland's Mark Warkentien, who was considered one of the early favorites and had the support of several within the Raptors organization.

When the team hesitated to hire either Babcock or Weltman after both had been interviewed a second time two weeks ago, speculation arose that the team was going to move in a different direction and possibly pursue John Hammond, the assistant general manager of the Detroit Pistons. Hammond, however, told associates in the NBA last week that he had not been contacted by the Raptors and did not expect to be a candidate for the job. Rumors also suggested that Hall of Famer Julius Erving, a favorite of Raptors star Vince Carter, was also being considered for the post. Raptors insiders, however, claim that Erving was never a candidate, although the team was interested in speaking with him about taking on a secondary role with the team.

While Toronto initially appeared to be searching for a more celebrated candidate with a stronger personality, Babcock became an option when the team was able to surround him with well-known NBA names in Embry, considered one of the most respected general managers in the league before he left the GM ranks five years ago, and English, the NBA's 11th all-time leading scorer, who served as an assistant coach with Philadelphia 76ers this season.

One of Babcock's first dutires will be to hire a coach to replace Kevin O'Neill, who was fired after the season. The Raptors' new GM will also need to decide the fate of Carter, who was sidelined for 33 games by a left quadriceps tendon strain and a strained right knee last season and has frustrated some within the organization with his failure to take charge of the team. If Carter were to be traded, it would most likely happen on NBA draft night, in conjunction with other moves. This year's draft is expected to be highly volatile; a number of players and draft picks could be traded.

Hiring Babcock should bring some order to what has been an embarrassing, month-long search process. The Raptors hope that hiring two front-office men as respected around the league as Babcock and Embry will allow them to move forward quickly.


Sports Illustrated senior writer Ian Thomsen covers the NBA beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com.

Bold: LOL.

I remember reading something at the time about the consultant McCloskey who also pushed for the drafting of Araujo. Babcock was new and feeling the pressure especially since he was highly recommended by McCloskey. I suppose we'll never know.

[Sam17]

I hear the celtics are signing Evan Turner. Maybe they're the sleeper team of the east? Idk

[BobLoblaw]

I hear the celtics are signing Evan Turner. Maybe they're the sleeper team of the east? Idk

Maybe. Evan Turner makes me a sleeper all the time. Bad shots, bad defense, my eyes shut down after a couple minutes. It won't surprise me if his Celtics teammates fall asleep too.

[2kfeen]

I hear the celtics are signing Evan Turner. Maybe they're the sleeper team of the east? Idk

They have a bunch of misfitting parts to be honest and are still rebuilding, so I don't see them in playoff contention

Where does Evan Turner fit with Gerald Wallace, Jeff Green already at SF?

They have almost no floor spacing with Rondo, Bradley, Smart, Turner in the backcourt.
They don't have any consistent centers, or bang down low big men.

Rondo in the 2nd half of last season didn't provide too much of an impact to the team, and I'm afraid its gonna be the same this year.

There is nothing good about them to me that makes me say they are better than Cavs, Bulls, Pacers, Raps, Wizards, Hornets, Hawks, Nets, Pistons.

[007]

I hear the celtics are signing Evan Turner. Maybe they're the sleeper team of the east? Idk

Did you not get the memo?

Boston is tanking.

[YoungGunRaptor]

Did you not get the memo?

Boston is tanking.

I find it funny that in a lineup consisting of Rondo, Smart, Turner, Olynyk, and Sulinger,

their Power Forward and Center shoot better from the 3 point line than their guards and SF.

That being said, boston has a lot of talent stacked on deck.

Bass, Bayless, Bradley, Faverani, Jeff Green, Olynyk, Pressey, Rondo, Smart, Sullinger, Thornton, James Young, and Tyler Zeller.

All very good players. I don't see why Boston aren't trying to trade for Kevin Love. He could be traded for 3 or 4 of these guys and there would still be plenty of young talent to go around.

Not to mention Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, and Joel Anthony as Vets. All can make solid trade pieces.

[thead]

that's why I keep saying Boston and maybe PHX for slightly different reasons are the most primed to make a series of huge moves.

[YoungGunRaptor]

that's why I keep saying Boston and maybe PHX for slightly different reasons are the most primed to make a series of huge moves.

I agree with you on that. Especially for Boston and Phoenix.

Lets see what happens in the next few weeks and months.