2015 Raptors Offseason - Everything rumors, musings and rumblings

[magoon]

16 years of incredible success and the greatest coach in the world makes people give you the benefit of the doubt, even if you have had trouble replacing a top 10 player in history.

Just imagine Pop selling LMA on a future of him and Kawhi. Then you also have the mentorship of Duncan for another year, Parker probably for another 3 years. And a management who has consistently not only found diamonds in the rough but molded them into gems themselves (Horry, Jackson, Finley, Bonner, Green, Mills, Splitter, etc., etc., etc.).

Can't believe anyone here or anywhere else in the NBA could call out SA as being a bad place for a FA to go.

In all seriousness, the Spurs obviously have the best case to make to LMA, well ahead of anybody else. Yeah, they probably end up having to trade Tiago Splitter and let Cory Joseph go elsewhere, but Splitter and Joseph don't make or break the Spurs. Most likely Duncan and Manu come back on one-year vet minimum deals as a farewell tour, max Kawhi and re-sign Green for 10-12m and they'll still have room to give LMA a near-max deal for as long as he wants one. And LMA gets to play under the best coach of all time. The LMA Spurs are instantly the favorites in the West, even over Golden State (and the Spurs are the only team that really threatened the Warriors this past year, and you know Golden State was thankful that the Clippers managed a nearly impossible comeback).

[Primer]

In all seriousness, the Spurs obviously have the best case to make to LMA, well ahead of anybody else. Yeah, they probably end up having to trade Tiago Splitter and let Cory Joseph go elsewhere, but Splitter and Joseph don't make or break the Spurs. Most likely Duncan and Manu come back on one-year vet minimum deals as a farewell tour, max Kawhi and re-sign Green for 10-12m and they'll still have room to give LMA a near-max deal for as long as he wants one. And LMA gets to play under the best coach of all time. The LMA Spurs are instantly the favorites in the West, even over Golden State (and the Spurs are the only team that really threatened the Warriors this past year, and you know Golden State was thankful that the Clippers managed a nearly impossible comeback).

If Duncan and Ginobili come back on vet minimum deals I will eat my own shoe.

[magoon]

If Duncan and Ginobili come back on vet minimum deals I will eat my own shoe.

If you don't think Duncan wants that sixth ring desperately - it'd finally put him on equal footing with MJ for Greatest Player Ever talk, which he already deserves but doesn't always get - then I dunno what to tell you.

[BobLoblaw]

They'd need to waive Green or have him sign elsewhere before they get that cap hold gone. Then they'd still need to salary dump one of Splitter or Diaw to make room for Aldridge, with Splitter being much much easier to dump.

2nd bold, Toronto would offer the same max deal as everyone else, not less money. If you're talking taxes, I think endorsements would more than make up the difference.

Basically SA sales pitch needs to be that Pop will build a new contender around Kawhi and Aldridge, which is a decent sales pitch. I just think our pitch will be strong also, and we don't have to clear the roster and we're not in the West. Let's not forget San Antonio got eliminated in the 1st round as well, they're not coming off a championship season.

Yes, I'm talking about taxes. Endorsements... I can't judge.

Re your first paragraph, I understand all that, and I think you understand what I'm saying, so we are going in circles now.

[Primer]

If you don't think Duncan wants that sixth ring desperately - it'd finally put him on equal footing with MJ for Greatest Player Ever talk, which he already deserves but doesn't always get - then I dunno what to tell you.

Wants, sure, he absolutely wants that 6th ring. If you think Duncan will give up $10-$15M in order to get that ring, then I dunno what to tell you.

[TrueTorontoFan]

Wants, sure, he absolutely wants that 6th ring. If you think Duncan will give up $10-$15M in order to get that ring, then I dunno what to tell you.

I know what to tell you. We need to get a player like that then. Someone who is willing to truly sacrifice everything for winning is a good player and one who you want to remain loyal to you.

[Primer]

I know what to tell you. We need to get a player like that then. Someone who is willing to truly sacrifice everything for winning is a good player and one who you want to remain loyal to you.

They don't exist. No player in NBA history has ever left that kind of money on the table. Guys have taken a few million less, but never taken a vet min when they could command $15M+.

[Scraptor]

I think Danny Green will do everything possible to help the Spurs land LMA and return to the team. He loves it there, and considers it a family.

Here is a good breakdown of the Spurs situation. Complex but not untenable.

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/...-agency-primer

[ceez]

Ziller predicts where the FA's land

1. LeBron James: He will sign a two-year deal with a player option in Year 2 with the Cavaliers.
2. Kawhi Leonard: Max contract with the Spurs.
3. Marc Gasol: Max contract with the Grizzlies.
4. LaMarcus Aldridge: 4-year near-max with the Spurs.
5. Kevin Love: 5-year max with the Cavaliers.
6. Draymond Green: 5-year just under the max with the Warriors.
7. Jimmy Butler: 3-year max offer sheet with the Lakers, matched by the Bulls.
8. DeAndre Jordan: 4-year max with the Mavericks. Your time to shine, Ekpe Udoh!
9. Brook Lopez: 5-year max with the Nets. (Gulp.)
10. Tim Duncan: Like $3.50 or so with the Spurs.
11. Dwyane Wade: 5 years, $82 million with the Heat.
12. Brandon Knight: 5 years, $70 million with the Suns. (Thanks, early media reports!)
13. Goran Dragic: 5 years, $80 million with the Heat.
14. Danny Green: 4 years, $48 million with Your Sacramento Kings! (Wishful thinking.) (4 years, $48 million with the Blazers.)
15. Roy Hibbert: He opted in.
16. Greg Monroe: 2 years, $30 million with the Knicks.
17. Tristan Thompson: 5 years, $55 million with the Cavaliers.
18. Timofey Mozgov: The team picked up his option.
19. Paul Millsap: 2 years, $38 million with the Rockets.
20. Khris Middleton: 4 years, $40 million with the Bucks.
21. Robin Lopez: 2 years, $18 million with the Lakers.
22. DeMarre Carroll: 4 years, $40 million with the Hawks.
23. Thaddeus Young: 4 years, $44 million with the Nets.
24. Wesley Matthews: 4 years, $52 million with the Mavericks, last year only $2 million guaranteed.
25. Eric Gordon: He opted in.
26. Al Jefferson: He opted in.
27. Tobias Harris: 4 years, $40 million with the Celtics.
28. Reggie Jackson: 4 years, $42 million with the Pistons.
29. Monta Ellis: 3 years, $33 million with the Kings. Yeah, I know.
30. Jae Crowder: 4 years, $28 million with the Celtics.
31. Lou Williams: 3 years, $30 million with the Mavericks. No, I don't know how they are affording all of these players. I'm bad at math, okay?
32. Tyson Chandler: 2-year mini mid-level with the Clippers.
33. Rodney Stuckey: 3-year mid-level with Hawks, team option after Year 2.
34. Ed Davis: 2 years, $18 million with Celtics.
35. Iman Shumpert: 4 years, $36 million with Cavaliers.
36. Luol Deng: He opted in.
37. Jared Dudley: 3-year mid-level with Raptors.
38. Kosta Koufos: 2 years, $15 million with Grizzlies.
39. Arron Afflalo: 4 years, $44 million with Knicks.
40. Patrick Beverley: 4-year mid-level with Bulls.
41. David West: 2 years, $12 million with Knicks.
42. Paul Pierce: 2 years, $10 million with Lakers (!) with player option for Year 2.
43. Brandan Wright: 1 year, $5 million or something with Mavericks.
44. Jeff Green: He opted in.
45. Corey Brewer: 4-year full mid-level with Kings. Ugh.
46. Al-Farouq Aminu: 2-year mid-level with Pelicans.
47. Omer Asik: 4 years, $40 million with Pelicans.
48. Josh Smith: 2 years, $15 million with Rockets.
49. Amir Johnson: 3 years, $30 million with Pacers.
50. Enes Kanter: 4 years, $40 million with Thunder.

...we end up with Jared Dudley

[Letter N]

They don't exist. No player in NBA history has ever left that kind of money on the table. Guys have taken a few million less, but never taken a vet min when they could command $15M+.

It's such an unfair thing to ask of someone too.

Hey millionaire, take a paycut so that the billionaire doesn't have to spend extra to achieve both of your goals.

[magoon]

...we end up with Jared Dudley

Relax. Ziller isn't being serious in that article by his own admission.

Besides, if you look at some of those contracts - Middleton re-signing with the Bucks for only 10m per year? Dude's getting paid more than that. Ditto Tobias Harris. Ditto David West. And so on.

[Scraptor]

It's such an unfair thing to ask of someone too.

Hey millionaire, take a paycut so that the billionaire doesn't have to spend extra to achieve both of your goals.

It's a little more complicated than that. For guys like Tim and Dirk, they could earn more elsewhere, but they choose to stay home because of their comfort with the organization. These guys value winning above all else. If they had taken Kobe deals they would have ebbed into irrelevance the same as Kobe (if they chose to stay home).

[magoon]

We traded for Luke Ridnour!

REPEAT: We traded for Luke Ridnour!

[GinobilisBaldSpot]

We traded for Luke Ridnour!

REPEAT: We traded for Luke Ridnour!

But why?...

[Shantz]

The Thunder has traded the contract of Luke Ridnourto Toronto along with cash to create a $2.85 million trade exception.

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) June 30, 2015

To complete the trade, the Raptors sent the draft rights of Tomislav Zubcic to the Thunder.

— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) June 30, 2015

Ridnour's contract doesn't become guaranteed until July 11, meaning the Raptors will have three days (July 9-11) to trade his expiring contract. Thunder walk away with a trade exception (can last a year) and a prospect, while the Raptors basically added a trade exception (of sorts) in the form of Luke Ridnour's expiring contract.

This is the fourth time that Ridnour has been moved this offseason. Orlando to Memphis, Memphis to Charlotte, Charlotte to Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma City to Toronto.

Edit: Raptors also got cash considerations as part of the deal. Made some money and got an expiring contract to use in possible trades. Not an inspiring trade, but a creative one in that it could set-up a further move.