Dampier Visting Toronto Later in the Week

[Dr. James Naismith]

So, it would appear as though the "Dampier Sweepstakes" (lol ... I know, that sounds funny) could be coming down between Milwaukee and us. We'll see him here later this week as he visits Toronto.

Hopefully the team take him to "The Rail" for lunch.

The scuttlebutt now is that Dampier is expanding his options and is in the process of making two visits later this week: one to Milwaukee and another to Toronto.

Source - Click here

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[Hotshot]

My guess is that he is using Toronto as another suiter just so he can get more money from other teams.

I hate to see us overpaying to get this guy.

[Buddahfan]

Ye ole scuttlebutt source:

Probably some Raptors fan tweeting their basketball fantasy from Hortons.

[yertu damkule]

i don't think i could be less interested in a player than ericK dampier. although, it would be nice if they were to have yet another guy on the roster who shaq made fun of publicly...a rupaul replacement, so to speak.

look, it would be one thing if he had any upside, or was a better than average player, or would bring a level of intensity, maturity & experience to a young squad.

but the fact is, he's a marginal NBAer at this point, who does a few things marginally well, but ONLY WHEN HE FEELS LIKE IT. i question just how motivated he'll be playing in another country, for the vet min., on a losing team, knowing that a lockout may be looming (and with it the chance of playing for a big contract). if i could describe him in two words, they'd be 'contract year.' as in, he'll play hard, and he'll play well...if he's in a contract year. that sounds like JUST the kind of guy i want 'mentoring' a young team.

and what does signing him provide the raps? a mediocre starting centre to go with a mediocre starting PF (bargs), and pushing the newly re-signed (& some would argue overpaid) amir to the bench (where he may belong anyway), and limiting the minutes for both alabi & davis? for what? how does that help them now, or down the road? is there a plan, and if so, WTF is it? to retain some glimmer of respectability by finishing 'close' to .500 and 'almost' making the playoffs?

[MangoKid]

My guess is that he is using Toronto as another suiter just so he can get more money from other teams.

I hate to see us overpaying to get this guy.

Not to fret, I don't think we have much money as it is to spend, so I don't think we'll be overpaying for him.

[Arsenalist]

Unless they get him here in exchange for Banks and Evans, and then release him to get some financial relief right now, this deal is pointless. Even then, why not just wait out Banks and Evans' contract, OR trade them for something slightly more significant than Dallas' trash.

[Bendit]

"Dampier Visting Toronto Later in the Week"

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....wake me up when he passes thru. That the Bobcats preferred Kwame Brown must say something.

[DoNDaDDa]

"Dampier Visting Toronto Later in the Week"

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....wake me up when he passes thru. That the Bobcats preferred Kwame Brown must say something.

id say bobcats just liked kwame's contract better then Damp's.

as long as the expectations & salary arnt too high i dont see why we souldnt atleast entertain the idea of him coming to the raps.

if anyone thinks this would be the deal BC would be making to try & save the season they'd be wrong.

i see it as a little insurence incase bargs is still as shit as last year on the defensive end & rebounding at the center spot.

maybe even a little leadership who knows, Damps not going to turn us into a good defensive team on his own even in his prime

[MangoKid]

"Dampier Visting Toronto Later in the Week"

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....wake me up when he passes thru. That the Bobcats preferred Kwame Brown must say something.

They preferred Kwame Brown because Brown makes next to nothing and Dampier made in excess of 10 million plus.

[Apollo]

My guess is that he is using Toronto as another suiter just so he can get more money from other teams.

Everyone interested, except Toronto, can only offer the vet minimum. Or am I wrong in this thinking?

I hate to see us overpaying to get this guy.

Is paying an extra million for a guy who's only going to make a couple million really that big a deal? Especially if he brings assets to the table not currently on the team?

They preferred Kwame Brown because Brown makes next to nothing and Dampier made in excess of 10 million plus.

Dampier's contract got nuked because most of it wasn't guaranteed. That $10M is now a fairy tale. What the Raptors offer him will probably be a couple million or am I out to lunch on this one?

"Dampier Visting Toronto Later in the Week"

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....wake me up when he passes thru. That the Bobcats preferred Kwame Brown must say something.

Let me run you through the two perspectives.

Perspective #1: Charlotte Bobcats
You have a guy on the books for $10M and most of it is not guaranteed. The economy is struggling, you're not making as much as you used to and besides, it's $10M for a role players producing that of a guy who you could pay a quarter of that to do a similar job. What do you do? Nuke the contract.

Perspective #2: Dampier
You have $10M owed on your contract. Most is not guaranteed. You really want that money. The team, in a cost cutting action, rids themselves of your contract leaving you to gain pennies compared to what that piece of paper you have in your hand once said you were going to make this season. You're now a free agent. What do you do? Sign with them or move on?

This had nothing to do with Kwame Brown and personally, I think Kwame can't carry Damp's kicks, let alone play at his level.

[Raptorsss]

Houston has cap room, but Damp thought that there is too much depth at Centre so is looking elsewhere.

[Bendit]

id say bobcats just liked kwame's contract better then Damp's.

as long as the expectations & salary arnt too high i dont see why we souldnt atleast entertain the idea of him coming to the raps.

if anyone thinks this would be the deal BC would be making to try & save the season they'd be wrong.

i see it as a little insurence incase bargs is still as shit as last year on the defensive end & rebounding at the center spot.

maybe even a little leadership who knows, Damps not going to turn us into a good defensive team on his own even in his prime

Just some quick points in reply...

...the Bobcats could have released him and then resigned him for what they paid KB. The 13 mill. he was on he books for is a dream now. Its obvious he is either overpricing himself or teams are just taking a pass on him (eg Miami).
...Dampier has a sorry history re playing allout and with leadership qualities. He played with the Mavs (a v. good team) and had to be prodded during the season. How is he going to play on a playoff challenged team like the Raps?
...I'd rather put our own young bigs in the grinder or get a much more serviceable big centre for defensive purposes from Europe, D league or off someone's roster in a trade as a temp measure. Dont know why they let the centre from Phoenix go (i forget his name and he is back in Phx) from the Hedo trade.
...Damps is just scouting around for the best monetary deal. I'd rather have someone shop around cause he has the best chance to contribute (eg. Kleiza).

[golden]

So, it would appear as though the "Dampier Sweepstakes" (lol ... I know, that sounds funny) could be coming down between Milwaukee and us. We'll see him here later this week as he visits Toronto.

Hopefully the team take him to "The Rail" for lunch.

Source - Click here

Dampier "sweepstakes". lol. Kind of like winning the Hedo sweepstakes last year.

You know after the Bosh rejection and Hedo diss, our franchise ego is so fragile that BC is probably ecstatic when any free agent even looks in our direction. Worse yet, BC just may sign him and then trumpet to the world.... "see everybody, don't listen to Jerkoglu & CB4, Toronto really IS a top destination for NBA players...." I'm worried.

[LBF]

meh, as long as it's one year deal, and he becomes expendable.

[Buddahfan]

Bucks announce signing of free-agent C Brian Skinner. I'm told A) contract is non-guaranteed and B) MIL now out of Dampier hunt. 20 in camp

Stein

[LBF]

and then there were three, four?, one?, tow?

[Buddahfan]

For the record Dampier is

1. 35 years old
2. Not played in over 25 mpg since 04-05
3. Played over 25 mpg for a season only four times in entire career.

If the Raptors do sign him and he makes it to opening night he won't be starting even though he has been a starter for most of his NBA career.



Johnson would start alongside Bargnani and Dampier would come in if Johnson gets into early foul trouble. At that time Bargnani would switch to the #4.

[ShinobiOne]

How many times have we seen the Raptors taking on players as starters or close to it while other teams simply balk at the idea? Although I don't like Dampier as a starter for us, he would be a much better option than any of our other backup 5's (I mean really Alabi, Andersen or Dorsey? who are we really kidding) plus if Bargs really has a tough time at Center we have another option. It would be a problem for developing Amir and our other young guys though and I don't like that.

Im on the fence on this one. Definite no if it means getting him for more than a couple bags of chips!

On a side note, Ill see ya at The Rail Damps! lol

[Apollo]

Not sure how bringing in a guy who, as Buddahfan mentioned, probably would only play 25 minutes a game is going to mess with Amir's development. Wasn't Ed Davis probably going to eat that time up before his knee injury? And another thought, how does Amir with five fouls and on the bench because he had to guard a mismatch to make up for Bargnani's defensive deficiencies sound? Or Amir banged up for the same reason? Both those scenarios aren't helping his development. If Damp came in I could see him serving the same sort of role that Kevin Willis served. Good in the locker room and solid on the court in his defined role.

[hateslosing]

I wouldn't mind Dampier here as long as it's on one year contract. People forget sometimes that if Bargs or Johnson happened to go down (god forbid) we have absolutely no depth in the big spots and if Ed Davis wasn't back we could actually be in a situation where David Anderson starts. So basically with Dampier we get an experienced center to either start with Bargs or play behind him (this is more likely) and we don't lose financial flexibility for the next off season? I don't see the problem here guys. Just don't sign him long term and it's great for us.