What To Do With The Trade Exception And For What Position?

[lankanzero]

Which players should we use the trade exception on and for what postion personally i think we should use it on a defense first center

[Akinyele]

Which defensive center? And which one would we need to use the TPE on?

[mcHAPPY]

TPE should be saved for trade deadline or before draft next year unless an amazing opportunity presents itself before then. No team at this point in the year are going to give away a quality piece for salary cap relief - around the new year, before the trade deadline, and before draft/free agency are when teams are looking for salary dumps.

In the meantime put out a young and exciting product on the court and start building a team versus a yearly mish-mash-last-minute-assembly in the hopes of appeasing.... oh sorry, wrong thread.

Ideally the Raps should get their payroll to $56-57M to be able to handle incoming contract via TPE without being going in to luxury tax area.

Seeings how Charlotte continues to push for Calderon and their prior screw job, this would be the only trade I'd consider from them:

Charlotte gets: Banks, Evans, Calderon, (cash?)
Toronto gets: Dampier, Diaw, Augustine, (2nd round pick?)

Benefits for both teams:

Toronto: waives Dampier and cuts $13M from salary cap, Diaw is a good player, Augustine had a bad 2nd year - check out his rookie campaign, there is potential, he is only 22 - and he is out of favour in Charlotte. Raptors salary cap number is now a touch below $55M.

Charlotte: gets the PG it obviously wants, $9.8M in expiring contracts, Dorsey is not guaranteed and if waived saves them $5M off salary cap which is actually $10M. A minor trade before trade deadline and waiving Brown and Collins gets them under the luxury tax.

Another possibility would be Augustine/Dampier for Calderon/Evans or Anderson but I don't see Charlotte going for this due to salary cap implications.

This trade does not solve Raps centre problem but there are a few centres next summer available via free agency: Oden, Horford, M. Gasol, Chandler, possibly Nene, Noah, Dalembert. Many are restricted but this scenario also gives the Raps a payroll for next year of only $46.5M, if Barbosa opted out subract $7.6M. (Edit: Obviously to get some of these free agents, the Raps would have to overpay so teams wouldn't match for restricted FA's and to get players to come to a team still re-building and/or not yet a contender). Also don't forget there could be centres available via trade with the TPE such as Biendris or Okafor.

Raps still weak in the middle but everywhere else looks pretty solid as a foundation to grow, not solid as in bring on Celtics, Heat and Lakers. A lot of guys who can play 3 or 4 and a lot of small ball opportunities with a 3 guard line up which BC spoke of during a summer league game interview.

Possible lineup with 13 roster spots, 14 if Brown signed as 3rd PG:

PG: Jack, Agustine, (Bobby Brown?), (Barbosa if needed for short spells)
SG: DeRozan, Barbosa, Weems
SF: Diaw, Kleiza, Wright, (Weems)
PF: Bargnani, Davis, (Diaw), (Kleiza), (Wright), (Johnson)
C: Johnson, Anderson, Alabi, (Bargnani)

I would like something like this to work out with Charlotte.

Dampier can't be traded with others until September 13.
Anderson can't be traded with others until September 28.